Changing from Parafin to soy

[modhatter]

For those of you who have made the transfer from Parafin to soy I wonder what finallly prompted you to do so. I would think for those especially who make container candles, the scent and the throw is what it is all about. Since you know that you can not get as good a throw using Soy (as some of you even blend the two waxes) and have to add even more fragrance oil in most cases to try and compete with the parafin candle throw - what made you do it.

Are your reasons strictly environmental? There is some debate on this issue still. Are there other reasons? If there is not SIGNIFICANT difference in the burning polution, why so gung ho. I know some will say because it is easier to produce here, but most people don't consider that when they purchase most thinngs.

I sometimes wonder how much is the "new fad" and how much is sound judgement. Candle makeing is no different than any other market. It is continually changing. Things go in and out of popularity all the time. And there is always a significant portion of the buying public, that are quick to jump on to the newest fad (be it good or bad) They are the first to change their hair style to resemble some popular movie or TV star, the first to pay $3.00 for a cup of coffee and the first to buy what ever the newest rage is.

And of course in order to sell this "new product" we must justify the reasons for buying it. So would like to hear your thoughts on the subjectl.

[Beth-VT]

Since you know that you can not get as good a throw using Soy (as some of you even blend the two waxes) and have to add even more fragrance oil in most cases to try and compete with the parafin candle throw - what made you do it.

Says who?

Soy can throw awesome. Use good wax, quality oils, wick it and produce it properly and you've got a terrific candle. I don't custom blend because I have to, I blend because I choose to, and I don't have to add any more FO than is typical. Straight paraffins are not known for holding huge amounts of oil. The paraffins out there that hold high %'s all contain additives to help them do so. Paraffin isn't better than soy, nor vice-versa. They both have pro's and con's. I use what provides the many qualities I look for in various types of candles.

[Candle Makin Momma]

I get an awesome throw with soy. SOmetimes too strong at 1 oz pp, so I have to back it down.

[Groovy Chic]

I was a die hard paraffin user for 4 years; then a couple of summers ago I had some free time and started playing around with soy. I didn't go into this with the intentions of changing my wax. Just wanted to test the waters. Were my reasons strictly environmental? No, not at all. You're right, the market changes. You summed it up perfectly, a significant portion of the buying public does try the latest fads. I'm here to make money, most of us are. Be it fad or be it an improved product, we don't know till we try it right? I now only make soyblend container candles. Only speaking for myself, the reason I made the switch is the end product I am now producing. And truthfully, it's not the soy factor that keeps my repeat customer base coming back. It's the depth of the scent and the complexity that they come back for. And when the market changes again, and it will, I'll be right there. Change is a good thing. And justifying the reasons to buy, a product speaks for itself. Easier to produce? Hardly. Worth it? Definitely.

[realmarcha]

When I first started candle making 6+ years ago, I chose soy due to its environmental qualities. I was STRICTLY a soy wax user for 4+ years, and would NOT touch paraffin. What helped change my perspective is when I started testing pillars. I wanted my pillars to burn a certain way, and to burn a specific amount of time. I could NOT find a "natural" pillar wax that would give me what I wanted out of a pillar candle, so I tried quite a few paraffin blends. I now use both waxes, and have found they both have GREAT qualities, and they both have their own quirks too.

What I did find in the paraffin waxes compared to the soy waxes is the black soot. I literally had to paint all my ceilings and the LARGE room I tested my pillars in to get rid of the black soot the paraffin left behind. I also had to wash all my other walls and a HUGE amount of clothes to get the black soot off of them. I did test my pillars extensively and got them to burn with little to NO sooting. While testing my soy wax candles, I did not have the black sooting problems I had with paraffin. I am NOT saying soy wax does not soot; it does, but its tendency to do so is much less than with paraffin, at least in my experience.

I do feel the environmentally friendly quality of soy is a plus, especially in the health conscious society we live in today. As far as scent throw, I find the scent throw in the soy waxes to be just as good as paraffin, and in some cases a bit more potent. Before I got into candle making, the only candles I purchased were made from paraffin, and now that I am making my own soy container candles, votive, melts, etc., I am finding the scent throw to be exceptional. I do not know where you heard that soy does not throw as well as paraffin; this has NOT been my experience. As far as soy being a fad, I do not think this is the case. My feeling is soy wax candles are here to stay. There are too many larger candle manufacturers that have jumped on the band wagon for it to be just a passing fad. Soy has been used in many products over the years, and has become a success in its own right, so I do not see the candle making aspect as a fad; my feeling is soy wax candles will be around for quite some time, if not forever.

In my research and tons of reading, again, I do not know where you are gathering your information on the quantity of fragrance used in soy wax compared to paraffin wax. I have found, if using a quality fragrance oil, soy wax takes no more fragrance oil to have a great throwing candle than paraffin does. As a matter of fact, when I was testing the natural pillar waxes and paraffin blend pillar waxes, I had to use a bit more fragrance oil in the paraffin blend pillar wax to get the same throw I had gotten with the natural pillar waxes.

In closing, I want to say I feel both waxes have their pluses and minuses. Candle making is such a personal choice that the only person who can make the choice of what they like best is the person making the candles. My suggestion would be to try both waxes and see what you like best. If you are or have been a paraffin candle maker, then try the soy wax(es) and see how you feel about it. There is really no way to know until you experience it yourself. I guess its like "walking in anther person's shoes", you just do not know until you have been there. Good luck and I hope I have helped a bit.

[HeavenScentU]

I love both Paraffin and Soy. I have been making candles for almost 8 years and have mastered the art of making high quality scented candles in both types that I use. I don't think Soy is a fad it is here to stay and more and more customers are falling in love with Soy. As with any business knowing your products and what works best comes with lots of R&D(research&development) work. I don't think I will ever stop using both waxes. My biggest seller is still paraffin.

[modhatter]

Well, I'd like to especially thank real marcha and groovy chic for their responces. I found them very interesting. I have been fighting the urge for some reason to try the soy route, but I guess I will give in.

I think I needed a push. And as you said Marcha, you just have to see for yourself. Thanks again for your input.

[Cindy/WI]

I switched b/c when doing my shows I had so many people come up and ask if they were soy candles and when I said no they would walk away. I felt I was loseing way to many sales so I made the switch and happy I did. Happy b/c my sales did go up. HTH Cindy/WI

[BrandNewToCandles]

I like the flakes as opposed to slabs. Plain and simple.

[cjrhsk]

I'm one of those people who are trying to have a healthier lifestyle. That's why I have chosen soy. Everyone I know is interested in soy. I've read alot of articles praising soy candles for their cleaner burning. I'm very glad I've chose to begin my candle making with soy.

[realmarcha]

Well, I'd like to especially thank real marcha and groovy chic for their responces. I found them very interesting. I have been fighting the urge for some reason to try the soy route, but I guess I will give in.

I think I needed a push. And as you said Marcha, you just have to see for yourself. Thanks again for your input.

You are welcome Modhatter. Remember, if you need help figuring out the soy wax world, the Vegetable Wax site is a great place to find it. There are alot of helpful, insightful candle makers, who are ready and willing to pass on their experiences and expertise. Good Luck!

[cgoff]

My girlfriend and I started with Parafin, but we quickly switched to soy for a few reasons. The first ironically enough was price. Where we live near Boston, soy is quite a bit cheaper than parafin. Also, the soy's we have been messing around with (GB 444) is giving us consistent single pour candles which we NEVER got with parafin.

Instead of buying more pillar soy (we did get some Ecosoya PB which is great, but SUPER expensive) we are focusing on finding the right additives to make our 444 become pillar like. So far I have found that adding 4.5 teaspoons per pound of vybar 103 gives them the finish and texture of pillar blend wax, but some of the throw is lost. We figure we are going to keep testing until we find a mix we like.

And lastly...because you work with soy at lower temperatures, when you do spill it on yourself, it doesn't burn anything near what parafin does.

Chris and Lisa

[scifichik]

Several years back, we were container candle makers who used only paraffin. We had a break and on a whim, when we decided to take up the "hobby" again, we gave soy a try.

Having used both, and our experiences regarding the advantages of soy over paraffin have been:

1. Soy prices tend to be more stable

2. We liked the cleaner burn; no more black soot shadows on walls

3. Fragrance throw was equal to or superior

4. Melting time on wax is much better

5. Soy flakes are easier to deal with than slab paraffin

6. We are in the heart of the midwest and feel very good about supporting the renewable resources provided by the American farmer

[chuck_35550]

Where does palm wax fit in this convo?

[Candybee]

When I first started making candles I used parrafin. As I started selling my candles I found out early on that soy was the wax most asked for by customers. So after a while I decided to give soy a try.

By using both types of waxes I learned the pros and cons of each and have to say each has some good qualities. I love the way parrafin readily accepts most FOs and has great H&C scent throw but I hated the wet spots and the blackish soot. I love how the soy clinged to the containers and created a nice creamy candle and a cleaner looking burn but hated the frosting, rough tops, and the extra expense and work of getting it to throw.

I ended up blending my fav two parrafin and soy container waxes to get a custom parasoy blend I liked. After tweaking it I got candles I was proud of and that also started selling well.

Don't believe all the hype you read on the internet about soy or parrafin. There is a ton of misinformation about each and you will have to learn whats correct information as opposed to outright nonsense and half truths designed by unscrupulous marketing and passed on to consumers as the 'truth'. This is particularly a hot topic when it comes to each wax and its role in the environment.

I say go for it. Both waxes have good and bad qualities you only discover after testing and using them. Its up to you to discover how to work with the wax you choose and make a great candle out of it.

[LuminousBoutique]

Don't believe all the hype you read on the internet about soy or parrafin. There is a ton of misinformation about each .

*nods* if you start googling you'll find websites praising soy and slamming parrafin.. normally supported/made by soy candle makers or sellers. You will also find websites slamming soy wax, again by parrafin candle makers or parrafin candle suppliers. Alot of it isnt true, or is stretched, but thats the name of the game. Everyone is going to defend their product and have reasons why they feel like it is superior. We just have to be sure we arent lying about it. I hate when I see Soy called "soot free" (no candle is 100% soot free!!) or when I see *water soluable* (no.. can be cleaned with soap and water, but it will not dissolve in water.) Things like that obviously irritate alot of people, and can misslead customers... but that happens with all industries.

I never changed from Paraffin to soy, I just started with soy when I started testing candles 6 years ago. And I started with the same wax I use today. Sometimes I play around with other waxes or blends fo rmyself, or for friends, or just to see if I like it and would like to expand... but soy is what I stick with because soy is what I have worked with for years and what I am comfortable with. Its what I know I do well. I know how to wick it. I know what suppliers FO's work great. I can make them in my sleep.

Customers prefer it. Ask for it.. so I'm happy with it.

PS... I do not agree that Soy cannot have as good of throw as parrafin. Again thats one of those statements that has been thrown out there many times and I believe many times has been proven false, but remains anyway.

[jennyjo]

uh guys...this thread was brought back from the dead from 2007. However, still a good issue. I don't think people are as "into" the soy hype these days, but I still get those who ask. I am straight up and tell them why I blend the two together.

[kandlenutz]

What a great thread!! I really enjoyed the reading! I use soy, 444 and 464. I like that it cleans easily w/ hot soap and water, comes in flakes, and I dont get the black soot on my walls like I used to w/ paraffin candles. However, the paraffin candles I was using were store bought, not handmade, so maybe there was half the problem, LOL I have thought about playing around w/ paraffin and seeing if I liked it any better than my soy, just for comparison purposes, but then in my area the paraffin isnt cheap so I just havent done it. Also, everyone that I make candles for seems to like what I do now, so "if it isnt broke, dont fix it" right? Thanks again for such a great thread topic:)

[B@BlissStreet]

Thanks for all the insight. My company chose soy for many reasons, but the top is the benefit to the US economy. Michigan has been severely hit by the recent economic challenges, and we felt it necessary to show our support of our local agriculture by using USA grown products to produce our candles. Not trying to be controversial, just trying to take care of our own!

[coconut]

Old or not, I have enjoyed reading the thread. Very interesting.