Eco-Friendly Candles
By Sara Patterson
It shouldn’t come as a complete surprise that as we begin to focus on recycling programs at home and work that we would also begin to look to use renewable resources in our home candle making. Some people make the switch to all natural products for health reasons and others switch because they like the idea of using renewable resources. Whatever your reasons we’re lucky that there are some wonderful, all natural choices for your new found hobby.
Soy wax is perhaps the first eco-friendly wax that comes to the mind. Many people turn to soy wax candles if they find that paraffin wax candles give them headaches. Paraffin is a petroleum product and as such burns certain chemical compounds. However, soy wax is made from hydrogenated soy beans which creates a nice, basic wax for taking color and fragrance. Soy candle wax has another benefit in that it is produced here in the United States as soy bean crops have increased exponentially. By using soy candle wax in your candles you help American farmers, help soy wax producers, and you are making a cleaner burning candle that is made from a renewable resources. Not bad a deal all around.
Palm wax is another eco-friendly wax that other candle makers have turned to for its all natural characteristics. It is considered an especially excellent base for aromatherapy candles. One thing to keep in mind, especially if being environmentally conscious is a consideration for you is that countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have been known to strip-clear rain forest in order to plant palm plantations due to increasing demands for palm products. This has had disastrous effects on local ecologies. If you are interested in purchasing palm wax just be sure that it comes from a producer who is a member of R.S.P.O.,which works to make sure that sustainable practices are adhered to.
Beeswax is a traditional and eco-friendly way to make homemade candles. Reputable beekeepers don’t harm their bees and beeswax is an infinitely sustainable resource. It also has some fine qualities in that it doesn’t really require an added fragrance. In fact, the sweet scent of beeswax is one of the reasons many people choose to work with beeswax so adding an additional fragrance would defeat their purpose entirely. Occasionally, you will see beeswax candles with added color but just as often you’ll see them in their ivory or natural colorings.
Whichever wax you choose the actual steps for making your homemade candles will be the same except for variations of melting points that may come with each wax. Also, if you are adding fragrances or color to your wax you’ll need to be sure to pay attention to the optimum temperature at which that particular type of wax should receive those steps.
Similarly to buying organic food it can seem that purchasing eco-friendly candle making wax is a bit more expensive than using regular paraffin wax. That is probably true. A few things can be said about this. First, it might be worth it to you to use eco-friendly wax at least part of the time especially if you are making candles for people with health or conscience concerns. Your gift and your forethought will be truly appreciated. Second, the more people that make a point to use eco-friendly candle making supplies the more the prices will come down. It’s a law of supply and demand.
And third, if you are considering turning your hobby into a business you might want to think about eco-friendly candles as a niche market. Think about what is important to the community around you and whether this would be appreciated. For a small investment you could run a test with a small batch of your homemade candles and see how they sell. Give it a try and see if eco-friendly candles are as much of a hit in your community as they are elsewhere.
Sara Patterson enjoys eco-friendly candles. For more great tips on soy candle wax, visit http://www.homecandlemakingtips.com/.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_Patterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Eco-Friendly-Candles&id=3468354
