You don’t have to buy something. Consider a gift you make, grow or design. Let those creative juices flow!
Consider the gift of your time. How about giving her a massage, cooking dinner or painting that room she asked you to do last year!
Give her what SHE wants, not what YOU want her to have. Recall all those conversations when she talked about something that she really likes. She’ll be so surprised you were actually listening!
So why have soy candles become so popular among those of us striving to live green? Are those paraffin wax candles really bad for you? Well, here are a few facts to help you understand the differences and similarities.
Paraffin wax is a heavy hydrocarbon produced by refining crude mineral oils. It is made from the light lubricating oil distillates obtained from the oil refining process. By contrast, soy wax is a vegetable wax made from the oil of soybeans. The oil is hydrogenated which makes it solid at room temperature
Both paraffin and soy candles produce soot. All organic compounds when burned will emit some carbon (soot) due to incomplete combustion. Soot from soy candles may be white and not always obvious.
Petroleum based paraffin wax is a limited resource. Soy wax is a renewable resource. Grow more soybeans… produce more oil.
Soy candles burn longer.
Soooooo… there you have it. I tried my best to be unbiased but I prefer soy candles!
Parabens Preservatives that are linked to breast cancer.
Phthalates Used as plasticizers and known to cause damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system.
Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulfate Used as a foaming agent and is considered a skin irritant and carcinogen. It is absorbed into the body via skin application and mimics the activity of estrogen.
Propylene Glycol and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Made from the same chemical that is used to create anti-freeze, this chemical easily penetrates the skin and is linked to damage of the liver, kidneys and brain.
Petroleum By-Products Examples: mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin, polybutene, triclosan, polyethylene These chemicals interfere with the skin’s natural functions, clog pores, and are highly likely to be contaminated with carcinogens.
