Soy Wax Candles Blog

Where are all the people with really good scents??

This is a very nice picture of a soybean farm being harvested by the newfangled machines that some farmers use today.

(It kind of looks like a Wright Brothers plane with wheels, doesn't it?)

I read that in Ohio, Columbus-based Battelle Memorial Institute, the world’s largest independent nonprofit research institute, is one of the companies leading the way in researching and developing alternative uses for Ohio farm crops including soybeans. The company received $1.1 million from the Ohio Soybean Council to develop a number of soybean-based products, including a soy-based toner to be used in printers, copiers and fax machines. The environmentally friendly ink, among other advantages, will be easier to remove during the recycling process, making for a cleaner, brighter and cheaper recycled paper.

Can you believe it??? Sounds good though, huh?

In 2003, the project received one of R&D Magazine's prestigious Annual 100 Innovation Awards. The awards, considered as the Oscars of the technology world, recognized the most significant scientific and technological achievements for 2002.
The money for the Battelle project was made possible through check-off funding, a system where farmers contribute a portion of their sales to an organization, such as the Soybean Council, to help fund research and promotion of their crop — in this case soybeans.
Battelle also has conducted research into increasing the percentage of soybean oil in PVC plastic pipes, developing soybean-based furniture coatings, and developing a soybean-based, all natural hand cleaner.

They are also generating soybean based fuel substitutes, and won't that be a kick in the pants to the big oil companies?? We can grow loads of soybeans right here in the United States, and wouldn't have to go offshore to purchase fuel. Wow, I am impressed with what I have been reading up on this.

Anyway, although I love my Soy Candles, I am glad that the soybean is being used for other things too! And it can only help the environment in the long run. For me though, the only candle to burn is the Soy Wax Candle! Longer lasting, stronger smelling, better for MY environment!

• Never burn your candles unattended! Number 1 for safety.
• Keep out of reach of Children and/or pets. Little fingers, or tails wagging are not safe around an open flame.
• To avoid glass containers from shattering: never burn a candle that is in a container that is either cracked or chipped. The glass is weakened, and the heat can cause it to shatter.
• Always place your candles on a heat resistant surface when burning. You can use a trivet, saucer or a pot holder in a pinch. You may think that your counter is safe, but some countertops are not heat resistant. Jar candles can get very hot when burning. Also, furniture is generally not heat or flame resistant. Think before you put your hot candles anywhere that might not be safe.
• Keep wicks trimmed to avoid high flames and increased burning time. A large wick flame will make your candles burn faster and hotter, and could produce smoke from the increased wick size. Always trim wicks to 1/4" prior to burning.
• Keep wicks in the center of the container. If your wick is crooked, use a butter knife or spoon to push it back to the center for even burning.
• Avoid burning your candles in drafts. Drafts can occur from air conditioning units, fans, open windows or just from traffic in the area (people walking alot). Burning you candles in drafty areas will make your candles burn unevenly and quicker. If you notice a lop-sided burn, turn your candle every once in a while, so that the other side will melt also.
• Never burn candles around any flamable objects like curtains, drapes, papers, etc. These can very easily catch on fire if they drift into the area of the flame.
• Keep the candle, wax, and wick area free from wick trimmings, matches, or any flamable materials. These can catch on fire when the flame reaches them.
• Do not keep burning your candles once the metal "wick tab" is showing, if one is used.
• Never put a lid back on the container or jar until after the flame has been blown out and the container has had time to cool. This can cause cracks or fractures in the lid, due to the heat build-up, and could shatter if it's glass.

I hope these Safety guidelines help you and that you might have found a tip or two here that you did not know! More information will coming soon............

There is so much information that I can and will provide here for you regarding soy wax candles. First, let me introduce myself......

My name is Kat and I started my own business... Kats Candles about 5 years ago because I absolutely LOVE candles, and was very frustrated at all the candles that I bought. It seemed that they smelled really good in the shop, and also were really strong the first few times I lit them. Then they wouldn't smell at all! No scent whatsoever!! I tried many different brands, and they all seemed to do the same thing, after a few lights, no smell. And they all would burn a hole down the center too! I thought of all that wax that was being wasted.

So I started doing some research, lots and lots of research, and what I found was that most of the big candle manufacturers use machines to pour their candles with paraffin wax with no scent added. Then right before the wax sets up or hardens, they would pour a bit of scent on the top. This explained why the candles only smelled the first few times the candle was lit..... the scent wasn't infused with the wax, only poured on the top! Boy, was I angry! So, I did some more research on how to make my own candles. That way, I could control the scent and make sure that "MY" candles were made properly. In researching waxes, I found out some very alarming facts about the paraffin candles that I had been burning in my home. They were toxic and had been releasing harmful chemicals into the air! Me and my family had been breathing that every day!

That was the day I decided to look for an alternative, and found natural soy wax. It is produced by American farmers, and grown here from our native soil! That sealed the deal for me. No more hazardous chemicals, I wouldn't use lead in my wicks, and my oils for the scents would be all natural too! I went green long before it was popular!

From then on, I started to make my own candles, and I received such rave reviews that friends and family were insisting that I sell them. So that is how Kats Candles got started.

Please visit my website, and read all about the health hazards that most of the candles you purchase in the grocery or department store can and do pose to your families health. There is a button called "health issues" that is very imformative and has lots of information. That way, I won't repeat it all here, you can just pop over and look at it.