Support a Farmer, Buy a Soy Candle

March 16, 2010

French Quarter Candle lights my way each morning

My soy candle burns creamy, slow and smooth. I found this candle while poking around in the French Market in New Orleans a few weekends ago. I had endured gray skies and long underwear for about as long as a Southern girl can, so I jumped in the car with some friends and headed even further south to NOLA. What a blessed trip. Yes, I know, we used untold amount of fossil fuel to get there, but I figure if it kept me from murdering someone, it was probably worth it. And, when we got there, we parked the car and walked virtually everywhere!

My soy candle was the only (inedible) purchase I made for myself on our little weekend tour. It is made by French Quarter Candles. And, it really is 100% soy. So what exactly is so great about a soy candle? Well, I was actually wondering the same thing. Marketing is a strong motivator, and soy candles are marketed pretty heavily these days as eco-friendly, earth-friendly, but I wasn’t really sure what I was buying.

Rita was so patient with me as I picked out just the right fragrance!

I really bought  this particular soy candle because the lovely Rita, who was selling it in the market, was so friendly; the sky was so blue and the packaging so pretty and eco-friendly, I couldn’t resist! Plus, the scents were soft,  enticing, and not over-powering. But, when I got home I did a little research to see exactly why I should have bought a soy candle. Here’s the run-down as I see it.

• Soy candles are made from a renewable resource, vegetable matter. (uh, soybeans). Paraffin wax found in most candles is made from fossil fuels.

• Buy a soy candle, help out a U.S. farmer. The majority of soybeans are grown in the U.S. Can’t say the same for petroleum.

• Soy candles really do burn up to twice as long as paraffin wax candles. Some people claim that they burn cleaner, but I’m not so sure that’s true.

• Personally, I love the creamy texture of soy wax. If you buy a pillar candle that claims to be soy, just know that you are really getting a blend of soy wax and paraffin wax. 100% soy wax is extremely soft, and must be formed in a container. French Quarter Candles come in a recycled glass container. I love that!

• The wick in the candle I purchased is 100% cotton. I thought that was nice, but really… what difference does that make? Well, it seems in the past, many candle wicks actually contained lead. That is not as true today, but it’s comforting to know that I’m not releasing all kinds of toxins into the air I breathe.

My soy candle sits on my dresser now and I burn it every morning as I do my morning stretches. I finally settled on the Mango Chai Tea scent which is light, fresh and calming. I couldn’t have picked a better souvenir.

Want to see more of our New Orleans trip? Visit me on Flickr, to share in the New Orleans fun.

Filed under: Eco Around the House,Inspiration,Uncategorized