Dancing Flames Soy Candles

How It All Began

Originally, candles were made from tallow, which was extracted from cattle and sheep fat. The tallow was melted in huge pots until it was a liquid, then it was poured over fibers of flax, hemp, and/or cotton, which were used as a wick. These candles were used in religious ceremonies as well as lighting for homes and night time travel.

During the Middle Ages, beeswax was used to make candles. These beeswax candles were made much like candles made with tallow. Beeswax was a drastic improvement from the tallow, but limited quantities were available, which made it expensive, limiting it to clergy and the upper class.

In colonial America, the early settlers discovered bayberry wax. They boiled the berries from the bay-berry shrub. This wax created a very sweet smelling and good burning candle; however the process of making the bayberry wax was very tedious and tiresome. It’s still done today. True bayberry candles are cost prohibitive so we tend not to buy them.

In the 18th century the whaling industry thrived, and as a result, whale oil was available in large quantities. Spermaceti wax was derived from the whale oil and was used as a replacement for tallow, beeswax, and bayberry wax. The spermaceti wax candle did emit a rather unpleasant smell, but the wax was hard enough to hold shape in the hot summer months.

Paraffin wax was introduced in the 1850s. Paraffin is a by-product of crude oil. Burning paraffin candles is like having a diesel engine in your home. They should never be used.

Now for the good news
A soy wax candle is entirely non-toxic and non-carcinogenic. Soy is a natural compound that needs no other chemicals added in order to hold fragrance or color. This is why when sniffing a soy wax candle, all you can smell IS the fragrance. The other chemicals are not there to compete with the scent or produce harmful fumes.

It should be noted that many soy candles are not what they seem to be. The law only mandates a small percentage of the wax to be soy-based in order to be called soy wax. Therefore many soy waxes are still mixed with paraffin. Making your own candles ensures premium ingredients.

Soy wax and its properties can vary manufacturer to manufacturer. Melting points vary. Some melting points can be as high as 160 degrees. The wax I use and recommend is a natural low point soy wax. I obtain it from different sources. This type of soy melts at 119 degrees. It can be used as a lotion and massage oil at this low melting point. It is also water soluble and with a little soap, comes out of most materials.

The best reason to make your own soy wax candles is because it supports the American Farmer.

Hi, I’m Cee Tindall. Welcome to my candle blog.

The purpose of this blog is to teach you, the candle lover, who wants to have non toxic illumination how to make your own soy candles.

There will be lessons on how to make your own candles and soy crafts. I will suggest items that I use.

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I’ve been a soy candle maker since 2004. I’ve literally made hundreds of soy candles. I love soy candles! I love making them, giving them away, creating new types of candles and mixing my own scents. I also love teaching others how to make them! I also LOVE to come up with new ways to use soy wax as a craft medium!

I’ve sold hundreds of candles and was in 4 stores, at one time. My farmers market booth was a regular around town for 2 years. I taught soy candle making classes at the community college and community centers before the economy gave out. As my business fizzled due to people not having as much money to spend on niceties, I ‘restructured’ the way I thought of my candle business and decided to blog about it and teach YOU, the interested reader, all my secrets of soy candle making!

Now I won’t lie, there ARE links here to some affiliate sites. I will make a small commission off of things you buy from them. But you can’t blame a gal for wanting to pay her internet bill, right? I won’t force you to click into the affiliate links. My commitment is to suggest the ONLY the BEST products. However, where you purchase your materials is up to you and I hope we become friends.