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Paraffin Wax..what is the truth?


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Paraffin wax, unlike soy, is derived from the components of decayed animal and plant material and made by removing the waxy substance from crude oil. Soy wax is a natural, renewable, non-toxic and biodegradable wax and is a hydrogenated form of soybean oil. Soy wax also burns longer and at a lower temperature than paraffin wax.

Is this true? I was surfing the web and found this on a site. Obviously they use soy wax. And I do too but I am so tired of reading so many people saying things that are not true. Just like..oh let's make up a bunch of crap to try and make other people's products look bad so I can try to make mine look good! It irritates me so much.

STOP BURNING OIL. The allure of a sweet smelling candle has seduced many of us. But, did you know that many candles on the market today are doing you, your family, and your pets more harm than good? Most candles on the market today are made from paraffin wax. Do you know where paraffin comes from? The process of making paraffin wax starts at the bottom of the oil barrel. After petroleum is processed into diesel, gasoline, motor oil, kerosene, and other fuels, the waste that has been rejected by the gasoline industry is then whitened with industrial strength bleach, a few other ingredients are added, and then you have the very wax that is burning inside your homes.

Have you ever noticed black soot around the edge of your candle glass, or on the walls or ceilings in your home? Well, that soot contains some of the same toxins found in diesel fuel- no wonder it leaves a residue on walls, ceilings, fabrics, and ventilation systems, and not to mention the fact that you and your family are breathing it into your lungs when you inhale! Paraffin wax emits 11 known toxins while burning, including toluene, benzene, and formaldehyde, which are known carcinogens. One study, by researchers at the University of Michigan, found that such candles give off emissions that exceed the Environmental Protection Agencys standards for outdoor air quality (let alone indoor air quality!). When we burn paraffin candles we are greatly contributing to indoor air pollution inside our own homes.

If the dangers of using paraffin wax is not enough, many candle manufacturers of both paraffin and �natural� wax candles often choose to use a number of additives that are unhealthy to work with and unhealthy to burn. Many of the common additives used in candle manufacturing include chemical fragrance boosters, color and texture enhancers, UV inhibitors, and wax stabilizers to name a few. They all sound great, other than the fact that they can be quite toxic.

Above is another example..I've read so many different things(which all of them seem to say something different) that how in the world does anyone know the truth?

If this is what I would have to do to sell my candles (which I will not do) I would quit my business. I've been making candles to sell for 8 years now. 1 1/2 years of testing before. I will not blow out someone else's candle to make mine shine brighter! What is wrong with people? Ugh! Sorry rant over! Lol I feel better now! :) :) :)

Edited by Daisymay66
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My first thoughts are always.....crude oil is a natural product.  It is made within the earth from organic products over a very long amount of time.  Soybeans are grown and are also a natural product.  Paraffin wax is refined from crude oil yes, so is plastic and a multitude of other products.  Soybeans are renewable because seeds are produced and then grown the next year.  However.  For them to be renewable on a large scale they use a whole lot of diesel fuel to produce them, they also use a whole lot of natural gas made into fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides to grow on a large scale, and a whole lot of water.  In the end the oil does not come out of soybeans willingly.  Meaning unlike say olive oil, you can not just chop up soybeans and press them to get the oil, the oil must be extracted with the use of chemicals.  I have an idea that those chemicals are most likely petroleum based in one way or another. And then yet another process to refine the soy oil into the soy wax that we know.

 

In the end, there is a whole lot of fossil fuels in that pound of "natural" and "renewable" soy wax.

 

In my opinion they are probably about equal to each other.

 

As for soot.  You burn stuff, you get stuff.  I'm not a scientist by any means, but combustion is combustion is combustion.  Whether you are burning gasoline, diesel, kerosene (just another kind of diesel), soy wax, crisco shortening, beeswax or a paraffin candle you have complete combustion or incomplete combustion.  In the end, no matter what is burned....stuff is produced.  As a candle maker we strive through testing to create a clean burning candle that produces little soot.

 

And that crap about soy wax "soot" being white or non existent, well, its crap.  A poorly made soy candle will produce the same amount of black soot up your walls, on your ceiling and your drapes as a poorly made paraffin candle.  I know from personal experience!

 

In my opinion, when someone lowers themselves to the level of having to bash the product of another company then they look really bad, and me as a customer would choose to walk on by.  If you are worried about the TONS of crap online and misinformation that people seem to suck up and spit out...well....know your product.  Know what is being said and come up with informed responses so you look like a professional instead of a kindergarten bully on the play ground.

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Guest OldGlory

I researched this ad nauseum. Please look up the Okometric Study based on data from the EPA. It's here on the message board somewhere.

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Paraffin wax is refined from crude oil yes, so is plastic and a multitude of other products.

Over 90% of everything we use on a daily basis is made out of crude oil. 

Basically unless you are sitting naked in a field literally out in the middle of nowhere you are using some form of crude oil. 

 

I researched this ad nauseum. Please look up the Okometric Study based on data from the EPA. It's here on the message board somewhere.

 

I couldn't remember the name of the study, thank you for reposting this. 

 

(sorry about my quoting - it wouldn't let me do a multiple quote so I had to hand HTML the quotes - and I'm not very good at that LOL) 

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The "all oil is bad" argument is so hypocritical. A big thing going around for DIYers is crayons into lipstick. The argument they use is that the crayons are nontoxic, so ergo they must be safe for lips. Crayons are made from paraffin. Do soy candle evangelists deny their little ones a box of coloring crayons? Probably not IME.

And the whole "other things are made from crude, so they are all bad" is a farce too. Water is in lots of things. Not all water is good. That does not mean all water is bad.

Plenty of oil based products are fully refined, inert and proven safe. Plenty of poorly made candles of all waxes leave soot. As said above a poorly made candle will burn poorly, i don't care what wax is used.

Those marketing statements above are just another straw man argument.....

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There is a ton of misinformation, lies, partial truths, and hype on the internet about paraffin wax and petroleum products. Its a fossil fuel. It come from fossilized plants. Dessicated animals and plants? Bottom of the barrel? Puhlease! Don't believe everything you read on the internet about paraffin. You can find just as much hype about soy and palm waxes and just about any oil.

 

This discussion re paraffin has been going on for years. Mainly it started about the same time soy wax came on the scene and began to become popular. Suddenly paraffin wax and petroleum became this evil filthy polluting product.

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I totally know what you mean Ravens! I wanted so bad to punch a lady this last summer that came in my booth. She was saying how harmful it was to burn paraffin and how glad she was that my candles were soy. I went on to tell her that paraffin really is not harmful. She went on and on..blab bla bla how I didn't know what I was talking about and if it was so great why didn't I make paraffin candles. At that point I decided that it's not worth even trying to explain it to her. She bought 4 candles and was on her way! Thank you and have a great day!!!

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The truth is.....one is as good as the other. Neither is "natural" anymore once the soybeans and petroleum are put through the processes of being turned into wax. See below....my VERY favorite educational youtube video on all the waxes. Perfect points no one can argue with!! :)

 

http://youtu.be/niByF8xHPQI

Edited by puma52
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That was great Puma! Thank you Hon! :)

You are welcome Ms Daisymay66! There is room for all of us...no matter what we make... NO ONE who is in the candle making business should be piling on any OTHER candle maker....no matter WHAT wax they are using. I just love how this lady explains everything. She is so right! Glad you enjoyed! :)

Edited by puma52
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Actually petroleum makes our lives BETTER in many ways........Another interesting tidbit...great food for thought and counteracting the paraffin bashing public:

 

A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items)

One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like:

Solvents

Diesel fuel

Motor Oil

Bearing Grease

Ink

Floor Wax

Ballpoint Pens

Football Cleats

Upholstery

Sweaters

Boats

Insecticides

Bicycle Tires

Sports Car Bodies

Nail Polish

Fishing lures

Dresses

Tires

Golf Bags

Perfumes

Cassettes

Dishwasher parts

Tool Boxes

Shoe Polish

Motorcycle Helmet

Caulking

Petroleum Jelly

Transparent Tape

CD Player

Faucet Washers

Antiseptics

Clothesline

Curtains

Food Preservatives

Basketballs

Soap

Vitamin Capsules

Antihistamines

Purses

Shoes

Dashboards

Cortisone

Deodorant

Footballs

Putty

Dyes

Panty Hose

Refrigerant

Percolators

Life Jackets

Rubbing Alcohol

Linings

Skis

TV Cabinets

Shag Rugs

Electrician's Tape

Tool Racks

Car Battery Cases

Epoxy

Paint

Mops

Slacks

Insect Repellent

Oil Filters

Umbrellas

Yarn

Fertilizers

Hair Coloring

Roofing

Toilet Seats

Fishing Rods

Lipstick

Denture Adhesive

Linoleum

Ice Cube Trays

Synthetic Rubber

Speakers

Plastic Wood

Electric Blankets

Glycerin

Tennis Rackets

Rubber Cement

Fishing Boots

Dice

Nylon Rope

Candles

Trash Bags

House Paint

Water Pipes

Hand Lotion

Roller Skates

Surf Boards

Shampoo

Wheels

Paint Rollers

Shower Curtains

Guitar Strings

Luggage

Aspirin

Safety Glasses

Antifreeze

Football Helmets

Awnings

Eyeglasses

Clothes

Toothbrushes

Ice Chests

Footballs

Combs

CD's & DVD's

Paint Brushes

Detergents

Vaporizers

Balloons

Sun Glasses

Tents

Heart Valves

Crayons

Parachutes

Telephones

Enamel

Pillows

Dishes

Cameras

Anesthetics

Artificial Turf

Artificial limbs

Bandages

Dentures

Model Cars

Folding Doors

Hair Curlers

Cold cream

Movie film

Soft Contact lenses

Drinking Cups

Fan Belts

Car Enamel

Shaving Cream

Ammonia

Refrigerators

Golf Balls

Toothpaste

Gasoline

Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 
250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each! But, as shown here petroleum is not just used for fuel.

                                                     Return

Edited by puma52
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Actually petroleum makes our lives BETTER in many ways........Another interesting tidbit...great food for thought and counteracting the paraffin bashing public:

 

A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items)

 

Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 

250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each! But, as shown here petroleum is not just used for fuel.

                                                  

Yep, as I said in an earlier post, basically unless you are sitting naked in a field out of the middle of nowhere and you walked on dirt to get there, you are using some sort of petroleum, fossil fuel product. It is literally in or used to make EVERYTHING...

 

Another interesting tid-bit that most people don't realize, is it also helps to power the wind turbines on the wind farms that everyone wants to have replace it with. 

 

I also find it funny when people say they are living a petroleum free life - and they say it on forums ONLINE. Umm, LMAO 

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Yep, as I said in an earlier post, basically unless you are sitting naked in a field out of the middle of nowhere and you walked on dirt to get there, you are using some sort of petroleum, fossil fuel product. It is literally in or used to make EVERYTHING...

 

Another interesting tid-bit that most people don't realize, is it also helps to power the wind turbines on the wind farms that everyone wants to have replace it with. 

 

I also find it funny when people say they are living a petroleum free life - and they say it on forums ONLINE. Umm, LMAO 

 

Jcandleattic....

 

Yup....the naked in the field thing.  NO ONE is exempt from using petroleum for SOMETHING in their lives ....you ride on it, you wear it, you put it on and we can on go forever.........and as we have read above ....NO ONE can live without petroleum either......EVERYONE USES IT..... Knowledge IS AWESOME power! :)  Petroleum is a great and awesome product....it enriches all of our lives!! :)

Edited by puma52
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