Soy Wax vs. Paraffin: Why I Choose Plant-Based Wax for My Candles
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When I first began making candles, one of the earliest decisions I had to make was also one of the most important. Not the fragrance. Not the botanicals. The wax.
It sounds like a small thing. But the more I learned, the more I realised it was anything but.
What Most Candles Are Actually Made From
Most candles sold on the high street, in supermarkets and even some boutiques are made from paraffin wax. It is the most widely used wax in the world, chosen largely for its low cost and ease of use.
What fewer people realise is that paraffin is a by-product of petroleum, derived from the same crude oil refining process that produces petrol and diesel. When it burns, it can release compounds into the air that I personally prefer to avoid in my home.
I am not a scientist, and I would never overclaim. But when I sat with that knowledge, the choice felt very clear.
A Different Kind of Wax
While paraffin is derived from fossil fuels, soy wax offers a different experience. Made from soybean oil, it is a natural, renewable material that is biodegradable and more in keeping with the natural world.
Beyond its origin, the difference is something you can quietly notice in your home:
A Cleaner Burn. Soy produces significantly less soot than paraffin, helping to create a cleaner, calmer atmosphere in your home.
A Longer Burn. Because soy wax has a lower melting point, it burns more slowly, allowing your candle to last longer.
A Softer Glow. It creates a gentle, creamy light that feels more at home in a calm, considered space.
Why I Chose Soy Wax
For me, the decision was never just about performance, but about how everything came together.
Working with real botanicals naturally shaped that choice. These are flowers and foliage that once grew and changed with the seasons, delicate, detailed, and full of quiet beauty. It felt important that the part of the candle designed to be lit and enjoyed sat comfortably alongside that.
Over time, soy wax simply became the material that aligned best with the kind of candles I wanted to create, thoughtful, balanced, and inspired by the natural world.
How This Shapes Every Candle I Make
Every Botanical Pillar Candle I create in my Surrey studio is made entirely from natural soy wax, from the very first pour to the last flicker of the flame.
In my Botanical Jar Candles, the candle core, the part designed to be lit is poured using natural soy wax. The surrounding layer is a clear gel wax chosen purely for its transparency, allowing the pressed flowers and botanicals to be seen in full, luminous detail. It is never intended to burn. It exists only to hold the garden still.
The same principle runs through my Botanical Layered Candles. The top layer, which is always pure soy wax, is the only part that ever meets the flame. The decorative botanical base beneath is created using a mineral wax chosen purely for its transparency, allowing the botanicals to remain clearly visible while preserving their delicate detail. It is there purely to be admired, enduring and beautiful.
In every piece I make, only the purest wax ever burns.
A Small Choice with a Quiet Meaning
The choice of wax is invisible to most people. They see the flowers, the glass, and the architectural shape of a pillar. They smell the fragrance and feel the warmth.
But underneath all of that is a decision to use something cleaner, kinder, and more rooted in the natural world. That decision lives quietly inside every Blossoms of Eden candle. And it always will.
Thank you for reading. Katerina