The soybean plant is a type of legume native to East Asia. Although used for thousands of years as an effective way to add nitrogen to the soil during crop rotation, the many beneficial of the soybean plant has lead to it being used as a cheap sourse of animal feed, the source of soybean oil, and as the most effective source of protein per acre known to man. An acre of soybeans produces at twice as much protein than any other type of vegetable or grain crop, fifteen times as much protein as an acre used for grazing for meat producing animals, and five to ten times as much protein as the same amount of land set aside for dairy cattle.
With the recent surge in demand for bio-diesel by environmentally conscious consumers soy production has begun to reach new heights. Currently (2009 numbers) the United States leads the world at soybean cultivation with 32% of the world's production capacity. Of the that, the vast majority of soybeans are destined to be used in bio-diesel production with over 80% being cultivated specifically for that purpose.
The use of soybeans (and soybean oil) in such applications as Soy Candles helps remove polluting parrafin candles from the market, encourages farmers to invest in soybean production, and helps wean all of North America off the use of petroleum products.
Are Soy Candles a Vegan Product?
The strictest definition of Vegan is that set down by Donald Watson in 1944 when he started the world's first Vegan Society: no animal products are allowed. Period. All of the Soy Candles that I make here at Simply Ducky are Vegan (that is, I have verified that no animal products are used in their creation) except for my specific beeswax/soy blended candles.  All of the products on this site that are Vegan can be identified with this symbol. If you have any questions about a particular product and how it relates to Vegan dictates, please contact me. Safe Soy
"...paraffin-based candles -- the most popular kind -- emitted toxic chemicals like toluene and benzene. Soybean candles did not, according to the study..."
As a non-petroleum product, Soy burns much cleaner and without the carbon emissions you will find with Paraffin. Soy Candles are also devoid of the trace amounts of various carcinogenic agents that are emitted every time you burn any petroleum product.
With a lower melting point and burning temperature then Paraffin, Soy Candles burn longer and slower then Paraffin.
As Soy Wax is created from hydrogenated soybean oil, it is far easier to clean up spills of Soy wax on most materials then Paraffin. Soy Wax is also biodegradable, making it a much friendlier product to dispose of and have around small children.
Unlike Paraffin which is a petroleum product, Soy is a renewable resource and the use of Soy Wax helps North American farmers further grow and develop Soy crops which are being leveraged into other products such as bio-fuels.
Soy Products Ingredients
I've listed here the various ingredients you will find in the Soy products I make. I do not use any additives in any of my Soy creations.
I use EcoSOYA brand Wax to make all my Soy Products.A product that is of the highest quality and is free of harmful additives. It is also listed as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Below are some of the advantages of EcoSOYA Wax.
- 100% vegetable, made with Pure Soybean oil.
- All natural and biodegradable.
- Contains no petroleum, paraffin or beeswax products.
- Contains no pesticides and no herbicides.
- Contains no toxic materials.
- Contains no Genetically Modified Material.
- Not subject to animal testing.
To achieve the kind of soft colors I enjoy in candles, I use vegetable based Dye Blocks in my Soy Wax. This type of dye is both non-toxic and natural, making it safe to have around the house.
The majority of my scented products are made with Fragrance Oils - a blend of natural and synthetic oils that are formulated as skin safe. This is the same type of scent used in foodstuffs, many perfumes, skin care products, and shampoos. Please see the Scent Sensitive page for more information.
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