Posts Tagged ‘scented soy pillar candles’
Soy Pillar Candles
Soy pillar candles, especially the richly scented variety, have been gaining in popularity. They have the wonderful fragrance soy is known for, yet can also be used very decoratively.
Traditionally, soy candles were most often used as jar candles, due to the low melting point of soy wax. However, soy can be made into pillar candles, with just a little help.
Let's find out more about these intriguing candles!
A Little About Soy Candle Wax
Soy candle wax is made, as you might guess, from soybeans. Soy is one of the group of natural candles, as they are a renewable resource. Natural candles also include vegetable wax (other than soy), bayberry and beeswax.
As mentioned previously, soy wax has most often been used as a container candle. That's because soy naturally has a low melting point and that soy's capacity for a high fragrance load softens the wax even more.
What's a pillar to do? Get a little help from a friend!
Scented Soy Pillar Candles -- Mixes
Candle wax mixes lets the chandler (candle maker) blend two compatible waxes, and find the best "marriage" of the two. In other words, to let the strengths of one wax match to the weaknesses of the other. The result: hopefully a candle wax blend that's better than either separately!
Since soy candle wax has such a low melting point, the obvious blend would be to another wax that is much harder, and has a higher melting point.
Another possibility -- additives that make the candle harder. Additives, however, are generally man-made, and if you're after a totally natural wax candle, they may not be what you're seeking.
Beeswax, however, is a natural wax that's very hard. While it doesn't accept quite the high scent load that soy does, beeswax has its own naturally lovely scent.
The exact proportion of one wax to the other varies with the candle maker. But the blend will allow for scented soy pillar candles, instead of just being confined to a jar!
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 U CHOOSE SCENT Prim Grubby Soy Candle Basket Pillar  US $8.50
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 ORANGE CREAM CUPCAKE Grubby Soy Candle Cake Pillar US $10.50
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 275x 275 Square Pillar Soy Candle Pillar US $3.50
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Candle Burning
Yes, there are right ways and wrong to burn candles! If you're looking for maximum scent and maximum burn time, you'll want to follow a few simple precautions.
Keep your scented soy pillar candle wick trimmed to no more than 1/4" long -- preferably closer to 1/8". Trim before lighting.
Don't burn your candle for more than three hours at a stretch. You don't want the candle getting too hot and deform.
Naturally, always have a holder of some kind under your candle. While a well-made candle won't drip, there's always the possibility. Soy wax is fairly easy to clean up, with hot water and soap, but any other waxes in the blend may not be as forgiving.
Check out the candle burning page for more information, and enjoy your soy pillar candle!
Tags: Soy Candles
Soy candles are very popular these days. They are clean-burning, hold a fragrance well and come in many colors, shapes and sizes.
Let's take a closer look at scented soy candles; how they are made, advantages/disadvantages, shapes and your options for buying.
Soy candles are very popular these days. They are clean-burning, hold a fragrance well and come in many colors, shapes and sizes
Let's take a closer look at scented soy candles; how they are made, advantages/disadvantages, shapes and your options for buying.
How They are Made
As you probably know, these candles are made from the humble soybean. It's produced by hydrogenating the soybean oil, to that it remains stiff at room temperature.
Soy wax is relatively recent on the market, being introduced in 1993. Its creator, Michael Richards, was looking for a cheaper alternative to the popular natural wax of the day - beeswax.
Mr. Richards succeeded, and today soy candles are extremely popular.
Advantages
The biggest advantage is scent! They are somtimes called triple-scented because of the amount of fragrance they can hold -- far more than paraffin or beeswax, and virtually almost as much as natural candles.
Soy candles have a low melting point, but a long burn time with the proper wick. Also, the wax itself is sootless, and the only soot produced is from the wick and fragrance itself (a very small amount).
Soy wax also has a very easy cleanup, should you spill some -- all it takes is soap and water!
Disadvantages
Soy's low melting point is also a disadvantage; pillar and especially taper shapes can deform in the burning process, or even in the hot sun. However, soy wax blends can allow for soy pillar candles.
Although rare, if you are extremely sensitive to soy products the burning wax may effect you. You'd have to be extremely sensitive, though, for it to have an effect.
Fragranced Jar Candles, Pillars, Votives
As mentioned in the disadvantages section, tapers and pillars are not the best shapes. If you indeed want to burn a pillar, choose a short wide one, and make sure the base you place it on has some depth to catch the drips.
Your other option is to choose a pillar made with a mixture with another type of wax -- paraffin is a common option.
Fragranced jar candles, as well as votives, are better choices for burning soy waxes. The containers help keep the melted wax where it needs to be -- close to the wick. Not running down the side. Check out more about soy votive candles.
Where to Buy
As with all candles, you can find soy just about anywhere -- malls, candle shops and online. Be an informed consumer, though, with the following thoughts:
A candle can be labled soy but also have other ingredients. For example, a candle can be mostly paraffin with perhaps 20% and it can still be labeled as soy wax. If you want 100%, look for that on the label.
Look at the label for the candle burning suggestions, especially on fragranced jar candles. You can burn soy longer, on average, than candles made with paraffin blended in. But you may be surprised at some of the restrictions you might see.
Scented Pillar Candles
Scented pillar candles are wonderful choices for so many occasions. Their size and shape makes a decorative statement, while their fragrance...ahhhh! The delightful aroma of a richly scented candle!
There are many sizes and shapes (square, round, oval) available, not to mention colors and aromas. In fact, there are plenty of these candles that can be used for aromatherapy
Choosing Your Candle's Wax
It may surprise you to learn that not all candles are ideally suited for being fragranced pillar candles.
For example, soy and natural candle wax are very soft and have a low melting point. And while they can be used in pillar form, they are best with a slight mix of a harder wax.
Paraffin wax is popular for pillar candles; however, it doesn't hold a fragrance as well as soy or palm. Still, there are times when you don't want a strong scent (like at a dinner table), and so paraffin may be what suits you.
All in all, scented soy pillar candles (or palm) mixed with a tiny bit of harder wax is the best option for both strength and scent.
Scented Pillar Candles - Shapes & Sizes
Shapes? Aren't pillar, well, pillar-shaped? Sure they are, but there are different sizes and cross-sections.
For example, there are pillar candles that are:
- Oval.
- Square
- Rectangular
- Round (the favorite)
See, there are different shapes!
Fragranced pillar candles come in different heights, too. You can find richly scented candles that resemble jumbo-sized votives, all the way up to candles a foot or more tall.
Here's a thought, though, about any pillars more than 6 inches tall. If you want a highly scented candle, a larger pillar takes longer to burn, and runs out of scent sooner, than one six inches or less in height.
So larger candles for decoration; shorter candles for fragrance.
Using Pillars for Decoration
There are times when a scented pillar candle will mainly be used for decoration, instead of burning. If that's the case, look for a highly fragranced soy or palm wax pillar (they are out there) for a lovely scent without burning.
The pillar candles come in a huge range of colors, from undyed all the way up through bright primary colors. And depending, again, if you want a burning candle or not, there are lots of objects that can be embedded in the wax. Seashells are one example.
Which are the best scented pillar candles for you? It depends on where (or if) you want to burn them.