candlemaker74 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 ParaffinParaffin is a petroleum by-product, but what does that really mean? First of all, do some research and as we have found, paraffin starts as the grayish-black sludge which oozes out of the backside of the petroleum refineries. It is the substance left over after producing many of the other common petroleum products such as gas, oils, pavement, etc. This grayish-black crud is then bleached with 100% strength bleach (creating dioxins, which are toxic), while we only use 10% bleach in our laundry. This white ooze is then processed into ‘solid’ paraffin using various. carcinogenic, solidifying chemicals, a common one is called acrolyn. Wow... I never knew this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 What is the source for this information? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ring of Fire Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Yes, please, do tell the source. It's really annoying when someone posts something of this nature on a candle board with no references. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grama Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Sounds to me like another paraffin basher. All them thar toxins we breath:laugh2:Guess us paraffin makers need to start posting about all them pesticides used on soybeans and what they do to us. Only teasing about the soy. I make both so I not bashing anybody, just people that come on the board and post such b****:tiptoe: Now as you can see I am tippy toeing away. Had my say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artcwolf Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 google Paraffin is a petroleum by-product and you will come across lists and they all point to Soy vs Paraffin sites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMary Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 The problem with people posting this stuff and all cross referencing each other is there is no original source or study.Now while it's a crude product, you don't want to see what soy really looks like before it's turned into wax either. (I got to do a small tour of a spot in Iowa on my way through to my in-laws once.) Soy is gross looking when being refined (side note sarcasm - especially if that hydraulic fluid leaks in that is used to process it).Nothing, and I mean nothing used in candles is perfection from start to finish. Even the "all natural" wicks start off infested with bugs, dirt, debris, and the occasional animal poo (depending on the farm type). In fact, probably the cleanest process to deal with candles in general is creation of FO's since it doesn't generally involve plants, dirt, refining, mud and muck. Even EO's look icky during the process.Aside from that, regardless of the appearance of whatever is being "bashed" at the time, it's still in the process of refining. The END product is what should be considered and NOT the process, or we'd have absolutely ZERO candles in this world. There are thousands of natural compounds and components in this world dug up, sipped up, pulled up and ripped up that are not safe until refining.And interestingly enough, not of the statements in that copy/paste mention - petroleum is a naturally occurring by product of the cycle of our environment. But people want to compare it to a different by product - such as gas for our cars - and then call it unnatural.I just thank god, we don't use resources for one thing and never have another process to refine anything left over because you know how wasteful that is? Hell, even candlemakers know the value of stretching anything they have. Would you buy 5 FO's of the exact same kind to have end results of say, 1) soap, 2) candles, 3) Bath bombs, 4) body spray and 5) lotion, or would you use the same bottle for all 5? The original FO is the exact same, but the end product is insanely different than each other and all go for different uses.Ironically, you can't make something from nothing. If you really want to trace everything back to the beginning, everything is natural.I just wish people who try to spread propaganda would go up against someone with common sense. There are benefits to both waxes (and all the others), and pitfalls to both. It's personal preference for any single candlemaker. To me, using scare tactics means they don't have confidence in their own product.(Sorry for the novel.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 OMG!!! PARAFFIN!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceangazer1 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 OMG!!! PARAFFIN!!!!!LMAO!! Oh ME Woves him!!! Wouldn't trade my sludge for anything!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin146 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 OMG!!! PARAFFIN!!!!! :laugh2: OMG Thats Funny Regina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grama Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Reckon that's what we'll turn into if we keep inhaling it:p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlemaker74 Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Opps, sorry, I guess I should have given a reference as to where I got it originally.I was wondering about beeswax for candles and did a google for "why use beeswax" or something like that and a lot of sites came up - virtually all said basically the same thing about paraffin. I had no idea it was made that way, was more informative than anything for me. The only problem with beeswax is I am guessing you cant really add scents to it......? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artcwolf Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Opps, sorry, I guess I should have given a reference as to where I got it originally.I was wondering about beeswax for candles and did a google for "why use beeswax" or something like that and a lot of sites came up - virtually all said basically the same thing about paraffin. I had no idea it was made that way, was more informative than anything for me. The only problem with beeswax is I am guessing you cant really add scents to it......?and it kills bees :tiptoe: Everything we do in some way shape or form is killing us...at least we are using the by-products and not just wasting them.BTW cybersix where did you get my high school photo at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen B Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Opps, sorry, I guess I should have given a reference as to where I got it originally.I was wondering about beeswax for candles and did a google for "why use beeswax" or something like that and a lot of sites came up - virtually all said basically the same thing about paraffin. I had no idea it was made that way, was more informative than anything for me. The only problem with beeswax is I am guessing you cant really add scents to it......?Why can't you add scent to it? Have you actually tried it? Oh while we're at it lets not leave out good old Palm Wax, that can take homes away from the orangutans.You could try making your own bayberry wax. artcwolf,I think I dated him in high school. (My kids might say that is a pic of me before coffee)Karen B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 and it kills beesWHAT? Now WHERE does THAT pearl come from?:rolleyes2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artcwolf Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 WHAT? Now WHERE does THAT pearl come from?:rolleyes2That pearl came from something i read in a post here someplace, but then again i'm known for spreading rumors, lies, and propaganda :pand for misreading and misinterpreting what people say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Since I am known for researching, I DID come up with one citation from a vegan site...http://www.veginfo.org/honey.phpThey do not offer ANY science behind the opinions they state in this article. That's not to say it doesn't exist, it's just that many people write articles or make statements with no citations to back up the veracity of their statements. The vegan community does itself no favors by not using due diligence in citing the research behind their assertions.Until I see something more substantive, I think I'll take this one with a grain of salt and a spoonful of honey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 WHAT? Now WHERE does THAT pearl come from?:rolleyes2And here I thought you were taking up for those poor oysters that make our jewelry :lipsrseal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbement Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 The best (and lightest) beeswax comes from the honey cappings, or the tops of the honeycomb cells created by the bees for storing honey. When the boxes (called supers) containing the honey-filled frames are removed from the hives, each honey-filled frame has the cappings removed and the honey removed from both sides via spinning in an extractor. The cappings are cleaned and filtered for use as great smelling beeswax.No harm to the bees, and given all the care/expense bees require these days to be kept pest free and healthy, you should consider hive products such as wax and honey as a fair exchange for maintaining the long term health of the bees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I was wondering about beeswax for candles and did a google for "why use beeswax" or something like that and a lot of sites came up - virtually all said basically the same thing about paraffin. Most all of us know that paraffin is a petroleum byproduct. Which, BTW, is not a bad thing. We are a gas guzzling society and using the byproducts for something useful is better than dumping it somewhere. Anyway... your search words are the reason you got all the same information. Whether the facts are actually true is one thing, but more often than not, the info is going to be biased. I mean think about it... You got someone who wants to to buy and use their beeswax and products so they're going to point out all the positive aspects of paraffin? NOT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnjieBurdett Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 That pearl came from something i read in a post here someplace, but then again i'm known for spreading rumors, lies, and propaganda :pand for misreading and misinterpreting what people say ing funnyLMFAO!! Wasn't expecting that but that was f'ing funny Anjie,x. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 And here I thought you were taking up for those poor oysters that make our jewelryYeah... and how 'bout dem po' oysters, eh?:laugh2::laugh2:Little cocktail sauce with horseradish, some crackers.... mmmmm good! jbement, thanks for the input.:highfive: I dunno how rumours get started, but it frequently is because of folks who don't much know anything about a subject and draw conclusions that just don't stand up to the light of day. Some of the pseudo truths dispensed by various interest groups are not only confusing, they are reprehensibly selfish in their interests. Thanks for balancing and dispelling the myth.Ducky, I agree that people should not lump paraffin in with all the evils of the petroleum industry! Arguably, it is one of the more innocuous petro products around! The soy, palm and veggie oil industries are not a sterling example of "green" when one examines closely.This is a lesson that we all should try to be careful consumers and dispensers of information. Read and think outside the box; ask yourself who is "talking" and why. Above all, follow the money! Always ask yourself cui bono (who profits)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artcwolf Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Thanks jbement for that information, I get my honey from a store i found at the Maryland Renn faire, and their site has a lot of honey info, and i know how we get honey, but never knew about the wax I might have to see if they sell the wax this year when we are at the faire. I think we also have a farm sloe to home...I wonder if i could get killer bee wax to go along with my honey....now i want honey....ing funnyLMFAO!! Wasn't expecting that but that was f'ing funny Anjie,x.Any time Anjie, sometimes i've got to set the joke up and wait for the return :tiptoe: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Di_in_AZ Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 I've posted this a million times on threads like this and I will post it again (I think I should put it in my siggie):The paraffin that is used in candlemaking is food-grade wax, the very same that is used to make your apples shine purty and your chocolates (and various other sweets) shine as well.If you feel quite seriously that paraffin is terribly toxic, please do yourself a favor and quit eating apples and chocolates immediately. In all seriousness, I am glad that in the years that I have been coming to candlemaking message boards, the tide is turning. Most chandlers are aware that this is nothing but propaganda to make soy seem better than paraffin and it doesn't work anymore. There are benefits to be had by both; talk about the benefits to sell your products, not bashing using propaganda. You will sell a lot more in the long run and earn the trust of your customers as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMary Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 If you feel quite seriously that paraffin is terribly toxic, please do yourself a favor and quit eating apples and chocolates immediately. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!! Not chocolate!!!! *overdramatic gasp* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ring of Fire Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 That pearl came from something i read in a post here someplace, but then again i'm known for spreading rumors, lies, and propaganda :pand for misreading and misinterpreting what people say :laugh2: :laugh2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.