Absyrtus

More evidence people haven't been reading carefully. You're right, no one will buy a container candle from me... because I don't sell them!

I'm glad you learned something from this forum. Hopefully is that people are afraid to look into changing the status quo, and will FIERCELY defend their stances. People have criticized me for everything - deceiving people, flat out lying, and bashing... and yet, I have provided legitimate scientific, peer reviewed literature, and I'm supposed to learn something from 10,000 people telling me I am wrong, who provide no backing? I'm not trying to scare anyone. On my website, if 1/2 of you actually bothered to read it carefully, I say that the research is not conclusive. There IS research that concluded that soy burns longer, that it is cleaner burning, and that it doesn't emit the carcinogens that paraffin does. I have training in toxicology. Will paraffin candles kill you? No. Will peanut butter kill you? No... (But there are toxins, 40 Tsp. of peanut butter is equivalent to smoking 1.4 cigarettes), but toxins are still there. If someone released peer reviewed published research stating that paper towels may cause cancer, I wouldn't use them. It's like Sodium Laureth Sulfate in body care products. it's a skin irritant. At the concentration in which it is used, it is usually not a problem, but if it doesn't need to be there (and it doesn't) then why put it in? Why use paraffin if carcinogens are released? But this isn't your guys' point. I have my view, and I have supported it. Have you supported yours? Not really... and yet you are bashing me for my view... saying it's bunk, saying it's bs. you may believe that, but I have valid sources suggesting that I am NOT. Again, just because some have blown things out of proportion, doesn't mean that there isn't a valid difference between soy and paraffin... drop it! I do believe that my product is great. They smell fabulous! And I am so excited to share it with people! They are the best burning and smelling candle that I have ever experienced, and I am so excited to share them with others. I have tested my candles. You guys act like candles can seep into peoples heads at night and explode from within if not formulated properly. It's not rocket science. Candles can have burning problems, they can catch on fire, but this has been controlled for. And, if any candle is burnt under proper supervision, as all candles should be, this isn't an issue. Nearly everyone on this forum has roasted me. Thanks for the fun. I'm not sure why you are attacking me, my site, or my product so strongly, and don't say that you haven't -- you have, people suggesting anything I say can't be trusted, people saying they would never buy anything from me since my comparison to paraffin obviously denotes a problem with my product, people saying that I'm too experienced to produce good candles.... and the list goes on! I wanted to post my site because I was proud of it, and I still am. And I am definitely proud of my company and what it stands for, and will continue to be. I am sorry that you don't appreciate some of the things I believe in. To the people whos criticisms were actually constructive, open minded, and thoughtful, thank you. I greatly appreciate them.

By customers, I am referring to those that have viewed the site. I have asked about 10 people if they found the material offensive, if they felt I was bashing people, and if they found the information helpful. No one found anything wrong with it. Yes, so far, I have only sold to family and friends. Still, I have successfully filled about ten orders, with more coming every day. I am just starting, but I have tested my product, and I have not produced one single candle with any flaw other than ugliness.

I am a biologist primarily, with some good chemistry and toxicology knowledge. I am not a candle expert in the field of toxicology, but I can use my training and resources for more information. I'm not going anywhere. I've recieved some good criticism.... and some that I have recieved seems very closed minded. I still don't think i'm bashing anyone, and i'm not even referencing a competetor... I am referencing a component in a candle, and listing the reasons why I choose to use soy wax over the other predominant component, paraffin. And, i have reasons to believe the way that I do, through my research. I'm not saying paraffin is bad, I am saying soy is better, at least from my point of view, and I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be stating this. Many of my customers DON'T know the benefits of soy.... and many have found the information that I have accurately given to be beneficial to them. What I meant by "I don't feel like talking about this anymore" is that, I don't really care to have 50 other people sign on and tell me that bashing other companies is bad. Ok, thanks for playing, I totally agree, bashing other companies is bad. however, I don't feel that I am doing that, so these reasons are irrelevant. As far as calling my "chunk" candles rustics, the word rustic means something. It means plain, rough, primitive. I believe these candles have that quality to them, and therefore I call them rustics. I have done things a little differently with my company. I don't believe that the average joe considers a "rustic" candle a breed of candle. It's an adjective, and I use it as such.

In case anyone is interested, here is a journal article from the Journal of Oil Chemistry. Below is the abstract "Combustion Characteristics of Candles Made from Hydrogenated Soybean Oil Karamatollah Rezaei, Tong Wang*, and Lawrence A. Johnson, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and the Center for Crops Utilization Research, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011. Hydrogenated soybean oil, referred to as soywax by candle makers, is a renewable and biodegradable alternative to paraffin wax in candle manufacturing. Soywax was investigated for its tendency to produce soot as well as potentially harmful organic volatiles (acrolein, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde) during combustion. Beeswax and paraffin candles were used as references. A considerable amount of soot was produced from the combustion of paraffin candles, but little or none was observed from soywax candles. Compared to paraffin candles, soywax candles burned at a significantly slower rate and required less air. Small amounts of formaldehyde were detected and quantified in the fumes of burning paraffin candles. However, formaldehyde peaks found in the chromatograms of soy- and beeswax candles were similar to or slightly higher than that of the blank. Since soywax candles exhibited burning properties similar to those of beeswax candles, soywax shows promise in candle applications. Paper no. J10259 in JAOCS 79, 803-808 (August 2002)"

Well, I certainly got some advice. Most of it helpful. I appreciate what has been said, and have evaluated all of it for it's usefulness to me. Mostly, at this point, I put my site up to get things started. I am confident in my product. My post a couple weeks ago was after I made two particularly ugly candles, and needed some encouragement. Lately I've only been producing good products, and if I happen to produce something that doesn't meet my my expectations and standards, I certainly won't sell it. I've got to start somewhere, and I feel confident that my candles are great candles, and that they are of superior quality. A look at some of the candles that I have made will prove to anyone that I am capable of making an awesome candle. In addition, as a responsible business person, and as a member of the scientific community, I certainly don't want to be involved in misleading anyone on technical matters. Just because other companies have over expressed the benefits of soy, doesn't mean that there are none. I sell soy candles, and it is only appropriate for me to express the benefits of soy wax as compared to paraffin wax. I am not bashing anyone, or even any product. I only state benefits of the material that I use in my candles over a more common and cheaper material, so that the customer understands my philosophy, and why they might expect to pay a little more. I didn't intend on so much controversy! But, controversy can be good. I believe that my product is a bit different than what is being sold elsewhere, and I would like to make sure that that point is clear to my audience. I am confident that my marketing scheme is indeed non-offensive (except of course to those people who may be my competitors), and certainly if I receive any complaints about my material from my audience, things will change. I really don't feel like discussing this any further. I wanted people criticisms... I never said that I didn't. I didn't agree with all of the criticism put forth, but that doesn't mean I did not take it into consideration. I sincerely appreciate everyones comments.

And this is all I will say, No I don't! I list things that are good about my product, and compare them, when necessary to paraffin. It is NOT a list of things that are bad about paraffin, it is a list of things that are good about soy. Companies do this all the time... have you not seen charts with qualities down the side, product A on the top along side product B... with checkboxes indicating which product includes what? Is that bashing the other product? I can't list the benefits of my product without putting it into context. The context is the norm, the norm is paraffin. Think what you will...

Dimensions are on there, and the prices, small, medium, and large correstpond to the small, medium, and large selections at the bottom of the window.

I'm not trying to bash anyone, and I'm surprised that anyone thinks that I am. I'm sorry it comes off that way. It's marketing, I'm displaying why my product is good. In order to do that, I must compare it to something. There is no "good" without "bad." I guess here it's such a touchy subject since many of you make a living off of paraffin candles, and therefore you take it personally when I "bash" them. Don't. I'm selling my product, you sell yours. On your sites, I doubt you list all the benefits of soy. On my site, I'm not listing the benefits of paraffin (and I'm not directly listing the demerits of it either). However, I am reworking some of the material on the site that reflects your comments. I am not trying to mislead or bash anyone. The Gelly Candle reference will be removed... sorry... i was pissed at them. I wasn't trying to bash them either, but was trying to tell my story, and admitingly, I did not do so in the MOST politically correct manner, which, unfortunately, is a prereq for good business.

Arg, I must've missed those! I hate misspellings. You're right about the EO stuff... I thought of that, but didn't address it directly as of yet. As far as the EPA document, it does what I want it to do. It addresses issues that have been raised reguarding paraffin candles, and even beeswax candles. It sites other research, some of which IS conclusive, some of which isn't. Just because something isn't conclusive, doesn't mean that it should be ignored. I state specifically that the research is not conclusive.

I don't believe I have any facts to get straight. Soy wax IS more soluble in water. Which is why I say MORE... it dosen't dissolve, no, but it is more soluble. Everything I have listed on my website I truly believe. No scientific evidence? The EPA might disagree with you! The EPA report on indoor candles, which I have cited, while not completley conclusive, discusses the potential harmful effects of paraffin candles. I will leave it at that. This is a touchy subject, and there are just as many people on both side saying that the other is bunk. I don't believe that parafin candles are evil, and I also don't believe I am bashing anyone. I make claims, which I can support, and I am not afraid to make those claims. Thanks for letting me know about the typo...

Personally, I love my triple beam balance. Then again, I am a scientist and am used to using it... but it's certainly not hard. Has a capacity of about 5 pounds, and an accuracy of more than 0.1 g. Really, if you're making small batches, 1-3 candles, IMO, you need a scale that will measure down to 0.1 g... AT LEAST, esp. for dyes.

It's up and running! www.holasoycandles.com

I just started making candles a scale... Got my triple beam balance... I made a candle with it, and it was so nice! I used a spreadsheet to claculate everything out... I love that I can be so exact. Just thought I'd share...

I love the waveiness of the layers... each one blends so awesomely into the next!