modhatter Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Was somewhat puzzeled as to where to post this one. Anyway, I am curious about something. For those of you using a 50/50 blend (1/2 soy & 1/2 parafin) what is your thinking? You can't say it is a soy candle for marketing purposes, as it is only 1/2 soy.As I have not tried a blend, do you find that adding 50% parafin cures the ills of soy (problems with wicking and texture) I have recently tried a soy GB444, and other than having to contend with rougher surfaces, what bothers me most about it, is waiting for it to cure. However, in a 50/50 blend, I believe you still have the long cure time issue don't you.Only thing left is the scent throw. Do you find adding the parafin improves the scent throw?Is it for environmental reasons. Didn't care for 100% soy, so using 50/50 is at least half way environmentally friendly?And last, those using a blend, are you buying it all ready blended or just mixing your own.:undecided Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I think you can consider at it from the standpoint of both marketing and performance.Combinations of vegetable- and petroleum-derived ingredients can make very good candle waxes, whereas all-veggie soy waxes usually have some serious problems with aesthetics and stability. The parasoys give you the creamy opaque look of a vegetable wax and should reduce or eliminate issues of curing time, fragrance compatibility, frosting, etc. Also you can at least mention soy to market them, if you find that helpful.Mixing your own is possible but it can be hit or miss. The commercial blenders can often formulate more optimally because they start with the basic raw materials rather than just mixing two pre-blended products together.Some people have opinions on the environmental friendliness factor, but it's a matter of perception rather than fact. There's no demonstrated environmental issue with making or burning any type of candle. It's probably safe to say the most "questionable" part of candles these days is the fragrance oils, but folks prefer to "see no evil" there and obsess over the wax instead.I often think half the people that get into candlemaking, including soy, are mostly attracted by the notion of being able to put in as much fragrance oil as they want, lol, so nobody wants to look at that too closely. However they are all too happy to "educate" consumers that frosting and other defects in the candle mean it's better for the user and for the environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geekrunner Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I primarily use soy with a veggie modifier, but also have been playing with the KY Parasoy (which is in the neighborhood of 50/50) for a line of upscale candle$$ . I like the soy for it's ease of measuring, and cleanup of test jars and messes, but I do like the better colors and appearance of a parasoy candle. And in some cases, certain FOs throw better in a parasoy. It's a challenge to make a good looking soy candle, and in some ways it's more fun to play around and experiment, but in the end we want to find the right wax tha makes candlemaking easy, less time consuming, and profitable.geek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candlebuddy Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 You can label your candle as "soy" or "soy blend" (or so I've been told) ... you can't label it as "100% soy". I personally think labelling it as "soy" is misleading. I use a 50/50 blend from Candle Supplies by Farmhouse. I usually cure for about 4-5 days. The scent throw is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modhatter Posted January 16, 2007 Author Share Posted January 16, 2007 Candlebuddy,Why do you use the 50/50 as opposed to a 100% soy. What is it you prefer with the blend to 100% soy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverOrchid Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I use a 50/50 blend as well and just call it a parasoy blend, for some reason people latch on to the soy immediately, but I make sure they know it's not all soy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudsnwicks Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 You can't say it is a soy candle for marketing purposes, as it is only 1/2 soy.Most people do not ask me for the ingredients in the candle, what they care about is it smells nice. So what blend you use might not turn out to be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 I use parasoys, either 6006 or 223/soy. I will not use pure soy because I can't wait to get a scent throw. I won't wait. I get an order, pour candles and deliver them the next day. I like some soy in my candles because it is cheaper and because some people like the thought of it. Hopefully soy will continue to improve and will soon have some of the good characteristics of paraffin. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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