Soy vs Paraffin

[arw1019]

Will I never get the great throw out of soy that I'm expecting? Should I be testing paraffin or a blend of the two? I think I found wicks that work but Im not getting the throw that I expect. Is soy capable of the that?

[IwantItgreen]

You may have to wait to let them cure longer. The first candles I started with didn't smell either, but now months later when I open the lid, it like "Wow"! Maybe 2 weeks isn't long enough time for a good cure.

[LuminousBoutique]

I get great throw out of soy.. the key is testing (for example, I tested 8 different plumerias until I found the one I loved)... cure helps... and testing wicks and additives. I use soy, a bit of coconut oil, cotton wicks, and only certain FO's. I only have 30 that I "trust" to give me that fantastic throw I want. I also tested for two years before I found my "groove" and trusted that what I was selling was good enough, you know?

I wont give up on soy... but I will admit its hard sometimes. Smooth tops, endless wick testing, pulling a candle every batch to test burn.. sure its more work, but I find it rewarding, so I'm going to stick with it.

[BeckyW]

I agree that "some" scents don't give the same throw as others. I have used soy for almost 9 years and have really never had a problem. Scents like Gingerbread sometimes need a few days with the lid on to get stronger-but for the most part I can burn a candle the next day and see how strong it is.

I have to admit I have never used paraffin container wax-only because I like soy and don't want to worry about repouring etc. I offer over 150 scents and again-some are lighter than others-but that is the scent. I have 4 or 5 places I get scent from and have learned over the years what places have stronger scents than others or just what scents are a stronger blend than others. I plan to always use soy; even when sometimes the tops aren't as smooth as other times-I attribute that to the fact that soy doesn't always do that; pour temperature etc all factor in.

Good luck making your choice!

[Candybee]

Parrafin is probably the easiest wax to work with. At least in my experience. I started out using parrafin and always got great hot and cold throw. But parrafin has its own set of pros and cons. Depending on which one you use you may find you have to do repours; deal with wet spots; sink holes; smoking wicks; etc.

But my customers wanted soy so I started testing it. I found soy more challenging to work with and it took a lot more testing and trying out more wicks and FOs than parrafin. But I stuck with it and am happy with my soy candles. They burn well and have great scent throw.

Unfortunately there is no magic wax. What makes it magic is working with it to find its uniqueness and taming it so you get a great candle. That takes time, resources, and lots of testing.

If it helps I found working with parrafin first helped me later on when I started working with soy.

[Stella1952]

Unfortunately there is no magic wax. What makes it magic is working with it to find its uniqueness and taming it so you get a great candle. That takes time, resources, and lots of testing.

You said it best, Candybee, and I totally agree with you. I am quite satisfied in general with the throw I get from soy (NatureWax C3), but soy is more of a PITA with which to work, judging from what I have read from folks who use both types of waxes.

[annie123]

Soy requires a lot and I do mean a lot of testing...cure time varies from one scent to the next...some candles will have a great cold throw after a couple of days and for others it will take a month maybe more...this is a lot like baking you have to find the recipe that works in your soy. Overall I think that soy makes a more fragrant candle and I would never go back to paraffin.

[*Dee*]

i LOVE my throw i get from the 415! one candle can fill my whole house with scent. that being said its a one level house and not that big lol. the only paraffin candles i have ever burned are yankme and the cheapo ones from stores. i could barely smell them in the same room. but when i decided to start making them, i decided on soy mainly because it was cheaper and i ended up liking it. i have some kick butt scents that are cured and ready in one day and others that can take a week or more to cure to get a good scent throw. some oils i barely can get a throw out of.