WAHM Forums

Hi,

I just have some quick questions which type of candle would you recommend:

1. Soy or Gel?

2. Which one burns cleaner & longer?

3. Are gel candles dangerous to burn?

4. Are there any pros & cons between soy vs. gel?

Thanks!

Cameo

Cameo,


I am not so familair with gel candles - but here are some benefits of soy:


-Much healthier to breathe


-Burns clean, mostly soot-free


-Cleans up easy (if the wax spills)


-Burns longer


SOY CANDLES ARE BEST IN MY OPINION!

1. Soy or Gel?
I am a die hard soy candle lover.

2. Which one burns cleaner & longer?
A"soy wax" candle is made primarily from soybean oil. Some candles are 100% soy, others are made from 90% soy oil, mixed with other plant ingredients such as corn and carnauba. Soy candles burn extremely clean and do not give off the oily soot that can leave a residue on walls and furniture, and aggravate asthma and other breathing problems. Soy candles will also burn about 25%-50% longer than a paraffin or gel candle. Because the makers of soy candles are often motivated by their concern for health, they generally use other natural ingredients as well, such as high quality natural essential oils for fragrance, and lead-free, unbleached cotton wicks.

3. Are gel candles dangerous to burn?
Gel candles are made from specially processed petrochemical mineral oils gelled with plastic polymers, poured into glass containers. You can recognize gel candles by the clearness of the gel (which is often colored), the rubbery texture, the glass container, and they often have "embeds" in them. Most gel candles are also scented with artificial fragrances, some highly so.





Because gel candles are made from the same petrochemicals and fragrances used to make paraffin candles, the hazards of burning them are similar. However, the greatest danger is that candles that are improperly made or have glass containers that are too thin tend to explode, with tragic consequences.

4. Are there any pros & cons between soy vs. gel?
I think I answered that smileys/smiley4.gif


A little more info:


Most candles, unless otherwise labeled, are made from paraffin, a by-product of the gasoline industry. They produce the same combustion by-products as any other burning petrochemical, though in a lesser amount. Fumes from the paraffin wax itself have been found to cause kidney and bladder tumors in laboratory animals.


(Documented and reported in the Home Safe Home Book endorsed by--
Kelly Preston
Actress and host of the video"Not Under My Roof! Protecting Your Baby From Toxins at Home")

1. I prefer soy candles (but I am biased!)


2. Soy wax burns very clean and for significantly longer than paraffin wax. I don't know much about gel candles, but I did find this website http://www.gelcandlemaking.com/that has some info. As always, take it with a grain of salt since it is just a random site off the internet!


3. Found this on snopes: http://www.snopes.com/toxins/gel.htm


Yes,
< = src="../styles/toxinsky.js">
gel candles do pose fire and injury hazards beyond those presented by ordinary wax candles, so they should be accorded an extra bit of caution if you're thinking of bringing them into your home...There is a special danger inherent to gel candles, but it has to do with the effect of heat on the containers that house them, not with the gel itself. If the material used to contain the goo is not sufficiently resilient, it can shatter (i.e., "explode") as the concentrated heat of the candle's flame compromises it. The glass containers used to hold these popular fragrance candles are sometimes not made strong enough to withstand the heat they are called upon to contain. Heat makes things expand, and in this case it can cause the glass that houses the gel candles to shatter...


4. I have a page on my website dedicated to the benefits of soy wax (and vegetable wax) over paraffin wax...you can check that out if you like http://www.whitelilyproducts.com/soywaxfacts.shtmlUnfortunately, I don't know too much about gel to compare them, and wouldn't want to make assumptions!

Thank you Shira, Tracy & Rebecca for your quick replies! I appreciate the detail explanations to my questions and links that were provided above. I'm going to go check out the links now.

Thank a lot!

Cameo

Cameo-


Check out www.candlecauldron.com (http://www.candlecauldron.com)if you haven't already.


There is also a FANTASTIC yahoo group where you can find so much info on candle making your head may explode. It's candlemakingsurvival


I make soy- and not candles, just simmer jars. Once in a while we burn candles we've bought, but I have concerns with any fires burning in the house with a 3 year old who seems to crash into everything as he runs through the house being spider man. I've burned a few gel candles and haven't found one that has burned evenly- but it could be the maker.


Anyway, I'm sure you can find TONS of answers to the above questions at the two sites I listed.


Jenni (http://www.sparrowsnestonline.com/)

Jenni,

Thanks I'll check them out. Spider man that's cute smileys/smiley1.gif .

Cameo