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!

For a couple of years now I have been trying to minimize the amount of unnecessary chemicals I put on my skin and on my hair. In my list of favorite books I talked about The Green Beauty Guide written by Julie Gabriel. Side note: every time I think of this book I think of sitting at the beach vacationing because I read this while on vacation in Costa Rica over 2 years ago! Now back to the topic at hand, this book really opened my eyes to the outrageous amount of chemicals we put on our bodies and not only is that bad enough but some of these chemicals have been proven to be carcinogens. The fact that these chemicals are even allowed to be used on every day household products is extremely worrisome to me but that is a big topic for another time.

Since around the time I read The Green Beauty Guide I have been a lot more conscious when purchasing any type of beauty or skin care products. One of the ways I do this is reading the ingredients list and even doing a quick online search whenever I see a questionable ingredient listed. But my main rule of thumb when it comes to the products I use on my skin and hair and what I eat is that I cannot pronounce it I do not want it on my skin or in my body. Yes, there are times I give in and use products that may contain harmful chemicals or eat foods that I know are not so great but those are the exception rather than the rules.

Before I go into the products I have used and now swear by I want to tell you guys a little bit about my skin and hair. I have combination skin (oily t-zone) and I am prone to the occasional breakout especially during THAT time of the month. My hair is naturally curly (even though I typically blow dry it) and if you are familiar with curly hair I am in between a 2C and 3A hair type and I have A LOT of hair not in terms of length (I have my hair a little past shoulder length) but in terms of quantity. Let’s put it this way, whatever the average number of hair strands on a head are multiply that by 2 or 3! Not kidding.

jojoba oil

The first thing to note about jojoba oil is that it is not really oil but rather more like a wax. This oil is non-comedogenic, non-toxic, and non-allergenic and it is an anti-bacterial. Jojoba oil also has a high content of vitamin E and natural minerals. I have been using Jojoba oil as a nighttime moisturizer after I wash my face by applying 2-3 drops or just enough to cover your face with a very thin film of the jojoba oil. In the mornings I wake up with baby bottom smooth skin.

rosewater

Due to the high levels of anti-oxidants and vitamins found in rosewater it is a great product to use for anti-aging purposes. I use rosewater as a toner a few times a week by simply using a cotton ball to gently apply the liquid to my skin. I used to use a drugstore toner and for a while I used it almost every day and I did not find that it was helping my skin in any way. While I do not think toners are necessary I do like to use rosewater a few times a week due to the anti-aging qualities it has along with the added benefits of it having anti-oxidants and vitamins.

coconut oil

This oil has become such a household name in the past couple of years and for good reason! Aside from using this oil as a substitute for olive oil when I cook I also love, LOVE using this for my hair. Coconut oil is another natural product that is rich in minerals and vitamins and very inexpensive. Using coconut oil does take a certain level of planning on my part – meaning that when I want to apply coconut oil on my hair as a mask I need to plan to leave it in my hair for at least a couple of hours. So I use that time to do a few chores around the house – it’s a win-win! In order to prep the coconut oil I melt it but putting the jar or container in a bowl of warm water for about 20 minutes – once I see there is enough melted oil to cover my hair I take the container out of the bowl and begin applying the oil to my hair in sections. As I mentioned above, I have a lot of curly hair that tangles VERY easily (which is why I usually keep it blow dried – held me manage my hair much better). After washing my hair when I use the coconut oil (which is about once a week) my hair is SOOOO silky smooth and I can untangle it so easily it feels like a dream!

raw honey

The first thing to note here is that not all hone it created equal – there is your typical honey that you can find in a liquid form and then there is raw honey that has a much more of a solid and crystalized consistency . As also mentioned above I have acne prone skin and using a raw honey mask once every couple of weeks for about 15 minutes has really helped me clear out my acne. It is important to use raw honey here and not conventional honey because raw honey is an antiseptic and anti-microbial that targets the bacterium that causes acne in the first place.

aloe vera

I have to thank my mom for this one. For some reason I was very hesitant to try this on my skin but moms know best! I was looking for a product that would help me get rid of some acne scars I had caused myself during my teenage years and after trying several products to no avail my mom told me to try the Aloe Vera gel from the actual Aloe Vera plant. My scars have just started to slowly fade away (I’ve applying Aloe Vera inconsistently aver the past 5-6 months). However, I am sure that with consistent use this plant can heal any scars you may have on your skin whether it is on your face or other parts of your body.

Do you use natural products on your skin and hair? If yes, do share below your experiences with natural products!