Pro's and con's of soy wax

[LilLizzie]

Before I start using soy wax I was wondering what are some pro's and con's of the wax. I've heard sometimes it doesn't have a good scent throw but what else?

Take care

Lizzie

Happy Holidays All

[realmarcha]

Hello Lizzie:

You will probably get more responses to your question if you post it on the Vegetable Wax site.

There are pros and cons to all waxes. I have used soy wax for almost 6 years and have had great success with it when it comes to the hot and cold throw. You just have to test, test, test. What may throw in paraffin; may not throw in soy, so buy small fragrances testers and test away.

I am testing a new soy/veggie wax from Golden Brands (449) and am really liking it. I have not completed my testing yet, but am leaning towards changing to this wax since it does NOT frost with color. I have to get the pouring temperature down to a science so I can get a smooth top, and if this is possible, I will probably change waxes.

There is alot of information on the Vegetable Wax site right now on the Golden Brands new waxes and a ton of other information on all kinds of soy/veggie waxes. HTH

Have a Merry Christmas santa big

[SatinDucky]

If you search through this board, in the different sections, you'll find DAYS worth of reading on this....

[topofmurrayhill]

Pros: You can make good candles with it.

Cons: You can make bad candles with it.

There's no point comparing one candlemaking material to another. It's just a matter of what you're interested in using. If you're interested in soy, dive in and try it. The bottom line, regardless of what your candles are made of, is that making really good candles will require an investment of time, learning, and experimenting. In other words:

Pros: It's soy.

Cons: It's soy.

[siberia]

Heh, Top nailed it quite succinctly. However I do want to add that in my experience, soy is akin to a fine wine....it improves with age.

Each wax has its +'s and -'s. It all depends on what you are looking to create!

[LauraAndrews]

From my point of view, have used both soy and J223...

Con-- It's a little "persnickety" or touchy to work with (have to get just right pouring temp, etc).

Con-- It can be ugly (frosting, cauliflower tops, etc) and is harder to get a really nice-looking candle with.

Con-- It doesn't take color as easily usually, is harder to get darker or brighter colors with in general.

Con-- I think usually you end up having to use more fragrance for a good throw than with paraffin.

Pro-- It burns very clean and people say it lasts longer (although I have not noticed a huge difference in either soot OR burn times).

Pro-- Some people consider it to be more "natural" or "healthier" (probably true for the most part but debatable to some).

Pro-- Is somewhat easier to work with if you want to melt your wax in the microwave or if you want something that cleans up easily with soap and water.

Pro-- Usually comes in flakes instead of slabs.

Laura :-)