Making Soy Candles Sustainable, renewable and totally biodegradable, soy is pure and natural. In fact, it is so pure that, with the fragrance removed, it could be used for cooking. Nothing is wasted when soy beans are squeezed to extract the oil as the leftover pulp is fed to cattle. Non-toxic and non-carcinogenic soy wax burns cooler, resulting in up to 50% more burn time. Burning 95% cleaner than paraffin wax means that it is also basically free of soot. ... http://www.squidoo.com/MakingSoyCandlesAtHome Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:47:48 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:14:06 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/MakingSoyCandlesAtHome Making Soy Candles Sustainable, renewable and totally biodegradable, soy is pure and natural. In fact, it is so pure that, with the fragrance removed, it could be used for cooking. Nothing is wasted when soy beans are squeezed to extract the oil as the leftover pulp is fed to cattle. Non-toxic and non-carcinogenic soy wax burns cooler, resulting in up to 50% more burn time. Burning 95% cleaner than paraffin wax means that it is also basically free of soot. Although soy wax is a little bit more expensive than paraffin wax, people who have used it and are making soy candles quickly become addicted. The majority of the world's soybeans are grown in the United States, specifically in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana. It is true that soy candles burn cleaner than paraffin candles, although all candles give out soot, paraffin candles emitting black soot and soy candles white. While soot is not harmful to people, white soot is a little cleaner than black. The only thing that is really different about making soy candles and paraffin candles is the wax. Otherwise, they both use the same techniques and equipment. You can use a double boiler to melt the soy wax. Ideally made of stainless steel or aluminium, a double boiler prevents the molten wax from overheating and catching fire. The wax is melted in the top pan, while water is boiled in the larger bottom pot which is placed on the stove top. Heat the soy wax to 150 to 180 deg F. Be careful not to keep the melted wax above 150 deg F for too long because it could burn which will give the wax a yellowish appearance. Once the wax is fully melted, you can add your preferred colour. You may now remove it from the heat and add the fragrance. It is best to judge by weight, say 6% of perfume to wax for a reasonably strongly scented candle. Simply, that means add approx 1.5 ounces of candle fragrance per one pound of wax. If the fragrance concentration is too high, it may bleed through the candle. With the soy wax at about 140-150 deg F, you can pour it into the mould to cool. Be careful not to pour the wax at too low a temperature or the candle could crack. Do not use water for quicker cooling as this could also cause the candle to crack. It's imperative to always use the correct temperatures when making candles so follow the temperature guidelines implicitly. Using a thermometer in all your candle making is a must. making soy candles Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:14:06 -0600