FireStarter Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 So I was in a small mercantile shop yesterday, browsing and checking out what they had for candles, as I am considering approaching the owner with my own, and I ran across these guys' candles and jotted down their website: http://www.sunbeamcandles.com/item_list.php?category_id=8These are the only candles this small store carries, which tells me that they are shipped all the way from New York, and they only carry a few on their display.. but I have to wonder, how does one make a "pure soy" pillar? The only other candles this company have are beeswax candles, so I wondered if they were mixing the beeswax with the soy, but then they would be falsely advertising the fact that they are "pure soy". Just curious.. What do you all think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mparadise Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 if you read the webpage, it says soy with "other natural oils" so they aren't really "pure" soy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 It's the usual semantic mumbo-jumbo that's used to sell virtually all soy candles. At least their website doesn't talk about all the fictional benefits of their wax. Just a soft-sell for the benefits of buying from neo-hippies (greenies?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaturallyTru Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 OOhh...they also have "Solar Powered" candles! They possibly could be using "Pure Soy" as the name of their candles. Which would give a false impression (intentionally) that they are PURE soy wax. Psychological Marketing.Trudi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireStarter Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 Lol NaturallyTru - I noticed that too when I first saw their candles.. I was like huh?? I think you're right.. they're using "Pure Soy" as a name for their soy candles. So then I had to ask.. what is nonGMO soy wax, because it says 100% non GMO soy. I did a google search and found that this is soy from "non genetically modified plants?" Meaning??? What they let them grow naturally? They don't use pesticides? I'm not sure I understand this. Isn't it enough that soy plants are grown here in the U.S.? :rolleyes2 But back to the point.. still, if they are using 100% soy.. then how do they get those suckers to stand up!!???MParadise - I don't see where they say they use "other natural oils".. in their soy pillars.. I must have missed it.. (I am almost 8.5 months pregnant so that's my excuse haha!) but that would for sure disprove their "pure soy" ploy! And TopofMurrayHill - I agree.. I just still can't get past the concept of a 100% soy pillar. I'm baffled. Hah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mparadise Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 LOL, that sounds like a wonderful excuse to have!!It was right after thier little note about non GMO:Copied from their site:"Pure soy candles are perfect for our chemically-sensitive customers: unscented, additive-free, and hypoallergenic. (They're also biodegradable.) They're crafted from nonGMO soy oil (derived from soybeans grown in the United States) and other natural oils."Definitely de-bunks their "pure" soy claim huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 (edited) So then I had to ask.. what is nonGMO soy wax, because it says 100% non GMO soy. I did a google search and found that this is soy from "non genetically modified plants?" Meaning??? What they let them grow naturally? They don't use pesticides? I'm not sure I understand this. Isn't it enough that soy plants are grown here in the U.S.? :rolleyes2 But back to the point.. still, if they are using 100% soy.. then how do they get those suckers to stand up!!???They don't mean 100% soy. They mean 100% soy wax. Soy wax is made from soy oil + anything. That's one of the most popular obfuscations.As for the non-GMO, most soybeans are genetically modified. The modification I've specifically heard about is "Roundup-Ready" meaning that the sort of herbicide you'd use to rid your lawn of weeds doesn't affect them. That means you can kill the weeds in the fields without killing the soybeans.I'm not aware of any specific product they could be using, but I've never searched for that sort of thing. I wouldn't be surprised if non-GMO soy shortening for food applications is available. A blended candle wax made out of it would be more surprising. Edited October 22, 2009 by topofmurrayhill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) The only source I can find for this alleged non-GMO, orgasmic miracle soy wax is Swan's, which makes claims that even Accublend, whose waxes Swan's sells, does not make on their own manufacturer's site! While I applaud the variety of waxes that Swan's carries, they should be ashamed of the unadulterated bullcrap they use to hawk a relatively decent product!As for the 100% soy claim - many additives are derived from soy, such as soy lecithin, soy oil, etc., so they feel justified in calling their stuff 100% soy, as if that makes it somehow more "pure, all natural" and totally wonderful.PUH-LEEEEEZE!!! I just ate a chili dog (the dog was kosher even if the chili I made wasn't...) and it's fighting its way back up just thinking about all this blarney! The last time I researched this issue, the vast majority of soybeans used to make soybean oil could not be certified as non GMO. The process used to separate the oil from the rest of the soybean uses hexane. While other certified organic materials can be used in the wax, the bottom line is that unless the oil is expeller pressed or steam extracted, it can't be certified as using organic methods (remember to look for that term "certified organic" as well as the USDA Certified Organic logo). The soybeans themselves have to be non GMO to be certified organic and the soybeans must be grown using organic methods. This issue is completely bogus and people who advertise their "organic" candles are just plain lying to their customers and taking advantage of their customers' ignorance of organic methods and materials. Even the Organic Consumers Association, leading the fight against mislabeling organic personal care products, has a listing of bogus, all-natural, 100% pure candle vendors (enter organic candles in the keyword field)... Jeeze Louise!!!:rolleyes2:rolleyes2:rolleyes2As for the "botanical oils," I lost it and spewed on that load of road apples in the following thread...http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?p=798008#post798008As soon as someone puts FOs in "organic" candle wax, they just defeated their purpose anyway! I use veggie waxes because they are a renewable resource and they are a challenge. I make no claims about "pure," "100% soy," "green," "eco-friendly or any other deceptive environmental blather. I have too much respect for the organic foods movement and honest environmentalism to do so. Others do not feel the same way and use ANY hype they can to sell their candles to customers who are way too trusting in their attempts to live a "greener" existence. Whether shopping at a "green" site or anywhere else, the caveat emptor rule applies - let the buyer beware!As for soy wax being "water cleanup," funny that the MSDS states that the wax is non-water soluble... I don't know of any oil that is water soluble...Of course, when soap is used, it DOES help to emulsify the oil enough to get it down the drain and into the pipes where it can harden and gum up the works... :rolleyes2What angers me most is that there are too many vendors parroting what they read and not fact-checking for themselves - or who just plain don't give two craps about their claims as long as someone buys their stuff. They are beneath contempt and deserve to go out of business for their dishonesty.Obviously, I am doing something wrong by attempting to be honest in marketing my candles. I'm gonna go research how I can distill "botanical oil" from poison oak (grown organically in my yard) to include in my 100% all natural pure palm wax candles... That'll give new meaning to the term "chemically sensitive":laugh2::laugh2:OK. I'll shut up and go back to my corner now. Edited October 23, 2009 by Stella1952 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 As for soy wax being "water cleanup," funny that the MSDS states that the wax is non-water soluble... I don't know of any oil that is water soluble...Of course, when soap is used, it DOES help to emulsify the oil enough to get it down the drain and into the pipes where it can harden and gum up the works... :rolleyes2The only claim I've heard is that you can clean it up with soap and water, which is perfectly true. Straight soy wax is grease, pure and simple. You can throw your candlemaking stuff in the sink and wash it like any other pots and pans, or use the dishwasher. Of course, if you wouldn't pour bacon grease straight down the drain you wouldn't want to do it with soy wax either. With a larger quantity you'd want to scrape it into the trash, or you could dilute it with plenty of hot water and dishwashing detergent. 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.