Review of Hollyscents Vegetable Soy Beeswax Candle Products and Their Impact on the Environment
Hollyscents sells triple scented gourmet candles which are made from vegetables, soy and beeswax. The beeswax in the mixture is a small percentages making these candles burn differently than normal candles. These environmentally friendly candles are a new form of candle that has only been on the market for a short number of years. Many people are not aware that there is a new form of candle available as an alternative to paraffin.
Holly Crosgrey owns Hollyscents where you can attend to enter a draw for a 16 oz jar candle. She also owns Hollyscents Gourmet Candle Business
The difference between vegetable soy candles and other traditional candles is that vegetable candles are almost sootless and therefore less toxic to the environment. Everyone is now becoming more aware of toxic items in the home and these are a choice that is becoming more popular.
Some people burn candles on a daily basis as a form of comfort. Smelling a pleasant scent in the home is relaxing as is watching the flame in a dimmed room. In order to protect yourself, your family and your pets it is a good idea to try and use vegetable or soy candles. There are many distributors who have products you can try and compare by buying a small order online and then trying them out.
The soot in vegetable soy candles is actually created from the scent rather than from the wax. The wax is completely natural. If you wanted to avoid even more soot in your home, you should buy unscented vegetable and/or soy candles.
Another comparable candle for a healthy alternative would be beeswax candles. They normally do not come scented but, as with soy candles, a beeswax candle would have some soot give off if the candle contained scent. Beeswax candles are great candles as well and if you buy them unscented you will also find they are very environmentally friendly. Beeswax candles are a hard form of wax and do not have to be burned in tight holders.
A good wax mixture would be soy, vegetable and beeswax since this combination has been determined to hold the scent the best. The candles marketed by Hollyscents contain this mixture for the sole purpose of having the scent last to the bottom of the jar.
Vegetable, soy candles differ from paraffin candles in that they will liquefy when burned. They therefore must be burned in tight thin glass holders. Many people do not realize this and when they buy vegetable and/or soy candles they expect them to burn in the same manner as a paraffin candle and they become disappointed when they put a vegetable wax votive on a plate and it melts down and collapses. This is why using a tight holder is important. Always read the instructions on any candles that you buy to ensure that you are burning them correctly. The liquefying effect of vegetable soy candles does not mean they are of low quality as might be the case with a paraffin candle.
The soft properties of vegetable, soy candles have another benefit in that if the candles are spilled they clean up very quickly.
The shelf life of a vegetable soy candle would be less than a paraffin candle. Usually nine months is about it. Be sure to burn up your candles within that period. If you come across these candles at a garage sale beware that you may be getting candles that are too old. They will still burn but the scent will have disappeared. Paraffin candles can be used even when many years old because of the hard wax as would be the same case with beeswax candles.
Have you ever considered making your own soy candles at home. Lots of small companies are starting up these days selling soy candles. Ingredients can be bought online and you could save yourself even more money by producing your own candles. The candle jars for vegetable and soy candles burn off most of the wax during burning and the remaining wax can be washed out easily. If you hold onto these jars, you can then use them for your own homemade candles.
Have you ever burned a candle to find out after hours that one of the wicks had stopped burning and the candle then looked lopsided on the top. When this happens the candle frequently does not burn properly after that. It usually occurs because of some unfelt draft in the room. With vegetable soy beeswax candles you can gently tap off the glass of the jar (use a bag to hold the candle) and after the glass is removed break up the candle for a simmer pot. You can remove the metal wick from a votive and drop it into a simmer pot too if you wish. The wick removes very easily. There is never any waste with vegetable soy candles. As well, vegetable soy beeswax candles clean up really easily when changing the wax in a simmer pot. There is no running hot water to melt the wax. Just liquefy the wax, pour the old wax into the garbage and wipe out the pot with a Kleenex and insert new fresh wax. It is that easy.
Another consideration when you are buying candles is the wick. You want to avoid lead wicks since they give off toxins. Look for a candle that uses a cotton wick. The Hollyscents candles use cotton wicks.
I have been using Hollyscents vegetable, soy and beeswax candles now for over two years, as well as, using the other body products Hollyscents offers. I have never had any problem with soot on the walls or the scent not lasting to the end of the jar or any skin problems with the body products. I would never change candle companies again because of how incredible I have found these candles. If those candles were to become unavailable in the future, I would turn to a soy candle rather than a paraffin candle.
