Cowboy Country Candle Company
WHY SOY
CLEAN
BURNING -- Soy wax is non-toxic and burns cleaner than paraffin,
with no
petrol-carbon soot which
can blacken walls, ceilings, and furniture, contaminate
ventilation ductwork
in your home, as well as add toxic
carcinogens into the air you breathe.
LONG BURNING -- Soy candles burn slower and cooler than paraffin
wax, creating
a longer burning candle.
RENEWABLE RESOURCE -- Soybeans are a renewable source, unlike
paraffin,
which consists of petroleum.
BIODEGRADABLE -- Since soybeans are vegetables, soy wax (basically
made
from hydrogenated soybean oil)
is naturally biodegradable. Soy wax is also easier to remove from
materials
and other surfaces than paraffin wax.
HELPS THE FARMERS -- Buying soybean products creates important
economic
growth for the agricultural sector of
the US economy.
Soy candles are simply better for you, your family, and your environment.
Paraffin
Wax
There
are three main reasons many people avoid buying petroleum
(paraffin) products:
-
Petroleum smoke/exhaust contains many carcinogenic toxins and produces ugly black soot
-
Petroleum is not a renewable resource and it is of a limited supply
-
Burning petroleum products creates air pollution and contributes to global warming
Paraffin
candles contain up to 11 carcinogenic compounds. These 11
compounds have
been deemed 'toxic air contaminants' by the State of California.
An air
quality researcher, David Krause, has documented evidence that
candle soot
particles contain many of the same compounds given off from
burning diesel
fuel.
In the Nov/Dec 2000 edition of the Emagazine, in an article titled, 'The Inside Scoop,' Kathleen O'Neil writes that a recent study of residents in both residential and an industrial areas found chemical levels in the subjects' bodies indicating they had received doses of pollutants in their homes five to 70 times higher than the highest outdoor levels. Burning candles are listed in the article as contributing their share of indoor pollution.
In the Nov/Dec 2000 edition of the Emagazine, in an article titled, 'The Inside Scoop,' Kathleen O'Neil writes that a recent study of residents in both residential and an industrial areas found chemical levels in the subjects' bodies indicating they had received doses of pollutants in their homes five to 70 times higher than the highest outdoor levels. Burning candles are listed in the article as contributing their share of indoor pollution.
Health
hazards are being created when paraffin (petroleum-based wax) is
mixed with
synthetic fragrance (some not even meant for combustion), and are
compounded
with chemical fixatives, synthetic glosses and bleached cotton
wicks. Health
problems have been more evident in the past five or so years due
to the
increase in popularity of highly scented candles. Hundreds of
thousands
of dollars of home and furniture damage have been reported,
causing a battle
with insurance companies and retailers of the candles.
Unfortunately,
a large percentage of the human population is not aware of candle
ingredients,
although awareness is growing. One reason is that candle
ingredients are
not required to be listed, and labels are often worded in such a
way that
some consumers think they are buying healthy, aromatherapy
candles, when
in reality the candle is mostly a petroleum wax, synthetic scent,
synthetic
fixatives, with a little bit of plant essential oil added in. Even
if a
candle is labeled as being made of beeswax, often there is
paraffin as well.
The wicks are usually made of chemically grown cotton that has
been bleached
using dioxins. Wicks that have a metal, or zinc core, contain
small amounts
of lead.
Most
department stores provide no other option than to buy paraffin
candles.
However, some natural food stores have began carrying plant-wax
candles.
Greenspace's
soy wax candles contain no lead, no petroleum, no
chemical/synthetic fixatives
or glosses, no animal products/by-products, and we use 100%
naturally grown
hemp fiber wicks. Our plant wax is 100% biodegradable and produces
very
little soot with 0% petrol-soot emissions.Candle Care
To get the most from your candles, we recommend following these guidelines:- Before lighting your candles for the first time and each subsequent time, trim the wick to 1/8". This allows the candle to burn until the pool of wax reaches the full diameter of the candle. By doing this, you will get a longer burn, and it will help keep the candle from smoking.
- Burn candles for one hour per inch of diameter. This sets the candle's "memory" to the edge of the candle, and when you light it in the future, it will "remember" to burn to that point.
- Extinguish candles with a snuffer (available in Candle Basics) to prevent wax from spraying across your tabletop.
- Extinguish pillar candles when they have burned to within 2" of the base.
- In an arrangement of pillars, leave at least 2 inches between each candle, so that the heat from candle flames won't melt candles nearby.
- Tapers burn approximately 1 hour per inch of height.
- To remove scratches or fingerprints on pillar candles, rub gently with a nylon stocking - keep one in your candle "kit" for easy last-minute fixes.
- When burning votives, place a teaspoon of water in the container before inserting the votive-this keeps cleanup easy.
