Organic Soy Wax

[mmoo]

Does anyone know of an organic, non-gmo soywax supplier?

 

[JimHallock]

This is a good thing which has been used in making the candle and it is a soybean oil waxing and used instead of paraffin oil and a good choice for eco-friendly environment.

 

[carebear]

This is a good thing which has been used in making the candle and it is a soybean oil waxing and used instead of paraffin oil and a good choice for eco-friendly environment.

:? um,

Anyway - I think eco-soya may fit your needs - I'll do some digging.

 

[carebear]

OK, I'm back. EcoSoya is non-GMO but makes no claims regarding being organic. It's the closest you are going to get, though - I imagine.
http://www.ngiwax.com/aboutecosoya/purityofecosoya.html

Natures Garden is one supplier, but there are many so if you choose this wax you will want to find a supplier that has the best price/shipping cost combination for you.

 

[mmoo]

Thanks, this just so happened to be the type i was using already..

I was a little hesitant to accept that they were non-gmo, pesticide/herbicide free. From the research i've done, it sounds like only 2-3% of the soybeans grown in the U.S. are grown organically and non-gmo. Seems odd that the soybeans that are grown this way would be set aside for soybean candle wax. But if NGI is advertising their product this way, should be safe to pass along this endorsement for sales, no?

 

[carebear]

Oh, personally I think it's BS.

Mike, at Columbus Foods, says far more organic oils are sold than are grown... yanno...

If you believe it, then you want to pass it along go right ahead.

But really, who would care about a soy wax candle being non-gmo? I mean, how meaningful can that be? It's a candle.

 

[mmoo]

Yeah, I don't see that the wax is certified organic either, which I think it should be eligible for, if it truly is grown all free and such. Or, maybe they don't want to pay for the certification either. No way to really know.

Personally, I would pay extra for a candle if it said the wax is truly organic and comes from beans that were grown pesticide/herbicide free. Not sure how much that matters to others or how big a market there is for that pitch.

 

[Superblonde64]

Does anyone know of an organic, non-gmo soywax supplier?

I think Swans Candle Supply is the best I've found. They are located in Lakewood, WA. Good pricing and excellent product.

 

[donniej]

I'd be really surprised if any soy wax actually has an organic certification. As far as I know, soy wax is fatty acids processed out of soybean oil, probably hydrogenated oil. The oil is saponified via lime in a heated pressure vessel forming unsoluble soaps. The glycerin is salted out and the soap is nuetralized with sulfuric acid. The remaining fatty acids are cleaned and separated.

I can't imagine there's anything organic about this process.

PS. I'm not 100% certian that this is how soy wax is made, but I'm pretty confident about it.

 

[Superblonde64]

I'd be really surprised if any soy wax actually has an organic certification. As far as I know, soy wax is fatty acids processed out of soybean oil, probably hydrogenated oil. The oil is saponified via lime in a heated pressure vessel forming unsoluble soaps. The glycerin is salted out and the soap is nuetralized with sulfuric acid. The remaining fatty acids are cleaned and separated.

I can't imagine there's anything organic about this process.

PS. I'm not 100% certian that this is how soy wax is made, but I'm pretty confident about it.

Is there an organic supplier that you can recommend? :?:

 

[donniej]

Is there an organic supplier that you can recommend? :?:

I doubt any exist. But no, I have never seen soy wax with an organic certification but I've never looked either.

 

[Superblonde64]

Is there an organic supplier that you can recommend? :?:

I doubt any exist. But no, I have never seen soy wax with an organic certification but I've never looked either.

is there ANY organic container waxes that you know of that will give an excellent hot/cold scent throw?

 

[donniej]

The only wax I know of which could even possibly be certified organic would be beeswax. It makes great candles but I don't know how well it handles scent. It has such a nice, light scent on it's own that I've never added any to it. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most expensive waxes.

 

[kindredscents]

Try Eco Soya XxBX i think

Well at least i thkn thats what is called. it has really helped with the bloom and has a smoother melting point. I also like that they stripped away the chemical process to make it organic (or so they say! good luck!

 

[craftsmaster]

This is a good thing which has been used in making the candle and it is a soybean oil waxing and used instead of paraffin oil and a good choice for eco-friendly environment.

Not only that, but soy wax melt more slowly than paraffin. Because of this a soy candle lasts about 50 percent longer than a paraffin candle of the same size. Soy candles also produce less soot (that black residue that we continually wash off our candle holders).

 

[ticklemepink]

The only wax I know of which could even possibly be certified organic would be beeswax. It makes great candles but I don't know how well it handles scent. It has such a nice, light scent on it's own that I've never added any to it. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most expensive waxes.

As a beekeeper I can assure you that there is no such thing as organic beeswax.

When a beekeeper calls their beeswax, honey, or propolis organic they are referring to the non-use of pesticides within the hive to treat varoa mites and other bee ailments. There is no federal body that certifies honey as organic because bees gather pollen and nectar within a 2-3 mile radius, visiting thousands of sources laden with pesticides and herbicides bringing those chemicals back to their hives, into their honey and beeswax.

Unless you can procure the source of your beeswax, not just from YOUR supplier but from the source that supplies your supplier and find out for certain if they are keeping bees within a 3 mile radius not polluted by pesticides, herbecides or any other synthetic chemical (like those that runoff into water sources), than you are guaranteed not to have an organic product.

This is an older article but pretty much sums up the facts on organic honey or other hive products.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/394198_honey31.asp

I have been on the hunt for organic soy wax as well (hoping I could find it outside the U.S. but that is proving very doubtful) and although there are claims that organic soy wax exists I have yet to find a supplier. In fact, all reliable information points to the fact that there is no organic soy wax. With 98% of the soybean industry being GMO in the U.S. today and with hexane being used to process soy oil into wax, it is highly doubtful that organic soy wax exists.

 

[lukeandlather]

GMOs, and the chemicals that go into them actually damage the soil and eco-systems they are grown in. They, like pesticides are harmful to the environment. Not enough studies have been done to determine if GMO is harmful or not to humans. Just b/c you're burning an candle and not ingesting, doesn't mean it's not damaging the eco-system.

 

[cmzaha]

Its a candle!! no one is eating it! All the hype about organic is just that, for the most part hype...

 

[Jenn2980]

Its a candle!! no one is eating it! All the hype about organic is just that, for the most part hype...

Right, no one is eating it, but pesticides are causing havoc to our soil, water sources, and the eco-system in general. I would imagine that the OP is looking for organic soy wax for the same reason I am - being environmentally conscious. It's not about worrying about the candle being organic because, like you said, it's just a candle, but buying the GMO wax is supporting that environmental damage and lining the pockets of companies that go against my beliefs and lifestyle. It is certainly not just "hype".

 

[HoneyLady]

Ya, this is one of those topics that makes my head ache. :crazy:

Folks, there is NO SUCH THING as organic soy (or any other) wax, because the USDA does NOT regulate wax production. If it says it's organic, it is mislabeled -- possibly deliberately and fraudulently.

OILS may be organic, but soy rarely is raised organically unless it's in your garden. Less than 2% of the soy in this country is raised organically, and that goes into food products -- beans, tofu, etc. The rest is non-organic.

The oils are processed into wax with hexanes and other really nasty chemicals that would preclude any organic certification.

Over 98% of the soy grown in this country is GMO, "Round Up Ready" seed from Monsanto et al. "Round Up Ready" means it was specifically bred to withstand regular applications of the herbicide Round Up. Yuck. And folks, Round Up and other HERBICIDES will kill bees just as well as Sevin, Malathion, 2-4-D, and the new neo-nictinoid PESTICIDES.

As a beekeeper like ticklemepink, I am faced with this question a lot. We are allowed to label our honey and beeswax "organic" IF we can guarantee that EVERYTHING our bees collect from is being raised organically. Since bees fly up to 6 miles in radius from the hive, we would have to own an area at least 12 by 12 square MILES of land certified organic. That's thousands and thousands of acres.

If you see honey or beeswax labeled "organic" it is IMPORTED, period. Foreign suppliers can apply for and receive "organic" labeling from the USDA for the asking. Since the USDA has no foreign jurisdiction, and cannot "prove" it's not organic, they grant the label rights. But American producers have to have 7 years worth of documentation and jump through multiple hoops to receive the same.

Bees consume 6-8 pounds of honey to produce one pound of beeswax. It is a highly intensive process. Beekeepers collect wax from the "caps" used to cover honey in the comb. Destroying a hive by collecting all the comb and honey is against the law.

Personally, if I use another wax, I use paraffin. (Which I do rarely, and only by request.) Yes, it is a by-product of the petroleum industry, but they are not growing GMO petroleum just to harvest paraffin.

All my soaps contain honey and beeswax, and I sell candles as well. But soy is NOT the environmentally friendly choice people think it is. It is anything but.

Please know I am offering insight, not trying to start a war.
Pax et bonum.:smile: