My candle addiction began about 12 years ago, since I am currently 28 years old, 12 years of my life is almost half of it! But I digress, there were times that I would have been be embarrassed at letting people see the number of candles I had at any given moment. I could not help but purchase every good smelling candle I came across. And one of my favorite things to do, at least once a week, was to put some music on and clean my room/apartment and light up a candle as a reward (for such a hard day of work), ahhh just the thought of it is so relaxing.

However, over time, I learned about how harmful paraffin wax candles are for those who ingest the fumes. Even still, a couple of years after that realization, I continued to buy the paraffin wax candles I loved so much but, inevitably, every time I burned one I felt a little bit of guilt creep onto me.

That is when my interest in a more natural lifestyle, coupled with my curiosity, need to make things and creativity morphed into making soy candles. So this week I wanted to share with you the things I have learned about soy wax over time and the benefits of burning soy candles in your home:

natural

When compared to one of the most popular type of wax used in candles, paraffin, soy wax is definitely a natural source. In case you are not aware, paraffin wax is derived from petroleum. Petroleum is the substance that is used to make gasoline, kerosene and diesel oil. I don’t know about you, but the thought of essentially burning petroleum in my bedroom made me cringe. Soy wax on the other hand, is made from a natural source, soy beans. Sounds much better, huh?

last longer

Since soy wax has a lower melting point than paraffin wax they burn for much longer. Some studies I have read state that soy wax candle lasts 50% longer than a paraffin wax candle! Talk about a bang for your buck.

clean burn

I have read articles that state the soy candles do not produce any soot at all. I do not agree. I have tested different types pf soy wax and different types of wicks (wooden, cotton) and I found that they all produce some soot. So, while I cannot support the claims that soy wax does not produce soot I can say that they product significantly less soot than the amount of soot that a paraffin wax produces.

non-toxic

Soy wax is sustainable, it is after all made from vegetable matter (soy beans) and thus it is a renewable resource. It could be purely physiological but when I am burning one of my soy candles I feel that the air is crispier than when I burn a paraffin wax candle.

Fun fact: soy wax and tofu come from the same plant!

helps farmers

I am a big proponent of small businesses, farmers and other lines of work that are often undervalued in our society. Purchasing materials that I know help at least one of these undervalued lines of work makes me happy.

easy to clean up

If some candle wax is accidentally spilled or if you want to reuse the jar the candle came in, it is much easier to wash off soy wax then paraffin wax. I re-use jars all the time and some warm soapy water and a regular sponge always does the trick for the jars that contained soy wax but the jars that contained paraffin wax is a different story - I have spent up to 15 minutes trying to wash off all of the wax from one container but it’s almost impossible to get it all off. This is just one more perk to burning soy wax candles over paraffin wax candles.

Now, I can’t write a blog post about the benefits of soy wax without mentioning other types of natural waxes that can be used to make candles – some of those are coconut wax, bees wax and bayberry (to name a few). Some may be better than others in certain aspects but I do not think that anything is 100% percent perfect or that one is that much better than the other. I think it is very important and I urge you to do some research of your own, understand what you purchase and what (if any) harmful effects it could have to you and those around you. Just like with anything we eat, we should also be just as aware about the items we bring into our homes whether they are candles, room sprays, cleaning products, personal care products and the list goes on and on. Happy learning!

So, do you have a preference for a certain type of wax? Soy wax, bees wax or coconut wax? Or maybe you didn’t know there were different types of waxes? Do share below!

Can you guys believe that it is the holiday season again?? Every single year I am always so amazed at how fast the days, weeks and months go by! This year is no different and I’m sure you all get the same feeling as well. I do have to day that this year has been good to me in so, so many ways. I feel very grateful for all of the good things and the challenges that allow me to learn and grow and I thank the powers that be every day for all of the good and remind myself that even when I am feeling a little down there is still so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to. This time of year gives me a chance to reflect and I think about the amazing people I have in my life (including my best friend in pet form, Nina) – these people are with me day in and day out listen to me when I am up and down, care about my days and we truly cherish the time we spend together.

My note to you this holiday season is not make it all about the materialistic things. I know that it is very easy to get sucked in to the marketing and the sales and the false sense of needing everything we see in the ads day in and day out for the rest of the season. While I do like to gift my loved ones presents for the holidays, I also like to be thoughtful about it and I give it to them with big thanks for being there for me throughout the years. I am of the mind that would much rather give one quality item that I know they need or truly want than getting a bunch of presents for the sake of just getting something. What I like to do, is take the time to think back to conversations I have had with each person and think about that one item I feel they will truly appreciate. This shows that you listen and that you care.

So, what I am saying is that giving is always good and giving without expecting anything in return is even better. This year I challenge you all to be thoughtful with your gift giving. Give your loved one’s items that you know they will get good use out of not just something that will collect dust in a drawer for years to come. This requires you to connect to those around you and be present in your conversations with them.

Those are my two cents.

And, since we are on the topic of giving, I am so excited to be a part of a giveaway this year! I have teamed up with Holl & Lane to gift an item to 17 winners as a thank you from us to you! The giveaway will run from Monday, November 28th to Sunday, December 4th. The items in the image below is what is up for grabs, each winner will get one of the 17 items. Awesome, huh?!

The entry is very simple – all you need to do is:

1. Click on this link bit.ly/HLSelfLove and follow the instructions to enter.

2. On the week of December 5th we will contact the winners to claim the prize.

With that, good luck to the giveaway entrants and I hope you all have a festive holiday season, I hope you give with intention and I hope those give to you do it with intention as well.

So now you tell me, what is your philosophy on giving gifts? Has it changed overtime? Share below!