Let’s talk about our main ingredient.
Wax is a crucial component of our candles as it is what fuels our candles to burn. Since wax is essential to us, we've decided to dive deeper into our main ingredient's history, chemistry, and sourcing.
Ever since our founder started experimenting with candles in her kitchen, she originally chose and utilized soy wax because of its natural credentials in the industry. Since the inception of Mala in late 2019, we've always been on the hunt to improve our products and offerings while prioritizing the quality and sustainability of our products. Upon research last year, we stumbled across the lesser-known alternative of coconut wax, and as the title suggests, we're officially migrating over to a coconut-soy wax blend! Let's look at the benefits of incorporating coconut wax into our soy candles:
Why we love our new coconut-soy blend:
At the beginning of our small business journey, we found soy candles more environmentally-conscious than traditional paraffin wax. One study in 2009 found that burning paraffin wax releases potentially dangerous chemicals, such as benzene and toluene. Although we continued to use natural soy wax for our candles, we started to run into a few issues. Due to the state of our soy wax, we were largely experiencing either pitted tops or frosting when the wax would solidify. Pitting is a standard feature of soy wax - it generally indicates that the candle is made with all-natural soy wax. Even though pitting doesn't affect how a candle burns, we understand that it may not be the cutest feature. (And we’ve been hearing about it in our DMs ;) ) On the other hand, frosting is when a white crystalline layer forms on the surface of the wax. Frosting generally occurs when the wax used to make a candle tries to return to its natural state.
So, after a lot of research and a LOT of testing, we discovered an additional ingredient that can help improve and reduce these things from happening, while staying sustainable - which is coconut wax. Here is what we found:
- Coconut wax helps to produce a more even candle burn, with less maintenance. As well, it will fix the grainy texture by creating a smoother appearance on the surface.
- Coconut wax candles have an outstanding scent throw. This means, depending on the fragrance, your candle scent will effectively fill a room.
- Coconut wax is clean-burning, meaning they produce no harmful chemicals when lit up, unlike traditional waxes like paraffin or palm wax that can be unsustainable. We love an eco-friendly and non-smokey candle!
- Coconut wax is eco-friendly and ethically produced! The wax is collected from a plant source and is grown on a small scale which means we can ensure the integrity of the land that the coconut wax was harvested on.
- Coconut wax is also one of the slowest-burning waxes out there, meaning your candle will last a lot longer than a traditional candle. More candle time = more self-care time.
- From our testing, coconut wax performs more consistently with natural wood wicks in particular (provides a stronger, more reliable burn/flame than 100% soy).
Coconut-Soy Wax Sustainability
At Mala, we recognize the importance of sustainability and our environmental responsibility toward keeping our planet healthy: our supplier’s coconut soy wax is 100% natural and biodegradable, and ethically sourced in the USA, as well as responsibly sourced from those committed to protecting sensitive environments, ending deforestation, and promoting responsible working conditions.
We recognize that every type of wax may have some drawbacks regarding the environment. We aim to continue monitoring our coconut wax's extraction processes to ensure ethical standards are met as demand continues to increase. With that being said, our goal has been to incorporate eco-friendly and sustainable ingredients for our scented candles to better the planet. That means we know we're doing our best to support a sustainable future for every candle we make and you enjoy. We understand that the road to pure sustainability is beyond our reach, but every step counts! In the meantime, we believe that a natural blend of coconut and soy wax is the best option for our candles to strive towards excellent product quality while ensuring sustainable sourcing practices.
If you have any burning questions about our candles, feel free to shoot us a message at hello@malathebrand.com!
Sources
- https://www.keapbk.com/blogs/keap/waxing-poetic-why-coconut-wax-makes-a-better-candles-than-paraffin-or-soy
- https://www.haywardscore.com/articles/the-truth-about-scented-candles/#:~:text=Most%20candles%20are%20made%20of,are%20known%20carcinogens)%20when%20burned.
- https://www.candlescience.com/learning/the-problem-with-palm-wax/
- https://citizensustainable.com/coconut-wax/
