What Is Soy Wax and How Is It Made?.
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If you’ve been shopping for vegan candles, you’ve definitely come across soy wax.
It’s now widely used for scented candles. But soybeans obviously don’t come out of the ground looking like candle wax, so how do they become the creamy wax you see inside a candle jar?
Keep reading to learn how soy wax is made and why it works so well for vegan scented candles.
What Is Soy Wax?
Soy wax is a vegetable wax made from soybean oil. The oil is extracted from soybeans and hydrogenated, which changes its melting point and turns the liquid oil into a solid wax at room temperature. It’s also suitable for vegan candles, as long as the other ingredients are vegan too.
How Soy Wax Is Made
It starts with soybeans.
After harvesting, the beans are cleaned and cracked before their hulls are removed. They are then rolled into flakes so the soybean oil can be extracted. The oil is refined before undergoing the process that turns it into wax.
This process is called hydrogenation. Hydrogen reacts with the unsaturated fats in soybean oil, changing their chemical structure and increasing the oil’s melting point. The liquid soybean oil can then remain solid at room temperature.
Candle makers commonly receive finished soy wax as flakes or pellets, which are easy to weigh and melt.
Because it comes from soybeans, pure soy wax is plant-based and renewable. You may also see soy wax blends when shopping for candles. These combine soy with another wax, so a candle described as a “soy blend” isn’t necessarily made entirely from soy wax.
How Soy Wax Becomes a Scented Candle
Once the soy wax reaches the candle maker, they melt it to incorporate fragrance.
The fragranced wax is poured into a container with a wick and left to cool and solidify. Soy wax has a relatively low melting point, which is one reason it is commonly used for candles poured into jars and other containers.
Candle makers also need to match the wick and fragrance load to the particular wax they are using. These choices affect how the wax melts and how effectively the finished candle releases its fragrance when lit.
Soy Wax and Vegan Candles
Pure soy wax is plant-based, so the wax itself is vegan.
That doesn’t automatically make every soy candle vegan, however.
Other ingredients used in candle production also matter, which is why you must check how the candle was made if buying cruelty-free products is important to you.
Discover Vegan Soy Wax Candles
Soy wax starts as soybean oil, which hydrogenation turns into the solid vegetable wax used for candle making. Once melted, it can be combined with fragrance and poured into a container to create the scented soy candles we know and love.
If you’re ready to try one for yourself, explore our vegan soy wax candles and find a designer-inspired fragrance to make your home smell incredible.