Stearin candles
As the world's leading young company for environmentally conscious crockery and sustainable consumption, we naturally also thought about a product that would give a warm and cosy atmosphere and at the same time be sustainable and not pollute the environment: vegan white candles made from renewable raw materials. These not only have an excellent burning time, but also a fantastic energy balance. In this article you will find out which ingredients are used in our stearin candles, which substances are produced when stearin is burned and whether stearin candles are healthy and therefore a better alternative to paraffin candles.
A light goes on: Why a small candle makes a big difference
Many people appreciate colored or white candles for the warm atmosphere they spread. Candle consumption in Germany not only reaches record levels at Christmas time. More than 200,000 tons of them are sold in Germany every year, most of which are machine-made [1]. Every German burns 2.4 kilograms of candle products every year. According to the European candle association ECA (European Candle Association), in 2016 there were even 8 billion tea lights that were sold with an aluminum sleeve - mostly at IKEA [2]. In fact, burning lights are so popular worldwide that the ECA even launched the first World Candle Day on March 1st, 2020 [3]. With the volume of candle products sold worldwide, it is therefore important to think about their production conditions, their quality and the consequences for health and the environment. Both the raw materials used and the fine dust particles produced during combustion can pollute the environment and your own health. So if you want to live responsibly and buy sustainable and environmentally friendly products, the conscious decision to buy a high-quality organic candle also makes a big difference. Our young team has therefore added high-quality stearin candles to Wisefood's rapidly growing range. These are guaranteed free of palm wax, so you can buy them without a guilty conscience and create a wonderful atmosphere at home.
Which is better: paraffin or stearin?
Paraffin is a raw material for candles, from which three quarters of all candle products in Germany are currently made [4]. It was discovered in 1830 by the natural scientist Karl von Reichenbach and has had a meteoric rise since then, as its non-toxic, non-flammable, odorless and tasteless properties mean it can be used in a variety of ways, including candle products, oil lamps and barbecue lighters [5]. Paraffin is made from mineral oil. As a result, production and thus sales costs are closely linked to the price of mineral oil [4]. Despite this, paraffin products are regularly relatively cheap because they are produced industrially in large quantities. The melting point of paraffin is already 40° Celsius [5]. The normal warmth of the hands can therefore already cause paraffin products to deform. It can also happen that they are exposed to sufficient solar radiation by being located by the window to become soft. Since the use of paraffin promotes the use of petroleum and at the same time harmful soot particles are released when it is burned, some environmentally conscious consumers prefer to choose a CO2-neutral alternative when buying organic candles. In this case, paraffin-free stearin candles can be a good choice.
Stearin is a natural product made from animal or vegetable fats and oils.The raw material is a mixture of stearic and palmitic acid. It was discovered as early as 1818 that stearin can be used to make candle products very well, which then remain particularly dimensionally stable. The melting range, which is higher than that of paraffin, is particularly advantageous. In the case of stearin, this is between 55 and 70° Celsius, which means that the candles are firmer and have greater dimensional and thermal stability [6]. Burned off under the right conditions, stearin products are therefore largely drip-free. If you take care not to expose your candle to drafts, trim the wick regularly and plan for a sufficient burning time, you will receive a safe and long-burning product, while practically no harmful substances are released.
Good to know: In Germany it is currently permitted to add up to 10 percent paraffin to stearin products so that they do not break so easily. The higher the paraffin content, the more likely this is to affect the price [6]. If you want to be absolutely sure that your product is 100 percent organic and that you want to do something good not only for your health but also for the environment, you should buy a candle that is completely paraffin-free. In addition, attention should be paid to which ingredients are used to obtain the stearin. Stearin can also be obtained from palm oil (and palm wax in further processing) or soy wax. However, if natural vegetation has to be removed to obtain the raw material (such as when felling palm trees), the product can no longer be described as 100 percent CO2-neutral.
Which stearin candles does Wisefood currently offer?
At Wisefood we only want to offer products that do not burden the vegetation and have an ideal energy balance. In our steadily growing range, we currently only offer stearin candles without palm oil. You can currently buy pillar candles and table candles from us.
Our pillar candles have a diameter of 6 cm and are available in heights of 9 cm or 13 cm. They are kept in natural white and are of course produced sustainably for you, made in Germany. Since no paraffin was added, the pillar candles are very robust. Our pillar candles come in plastic-free packaging, which further improves the carbon footprint. We attach great importance to the origin of the raw materials in our products and guarantee that our candle products are not only made without palm and soy wax, but are also absolutely free of petroleum. Our pillar candles are sustainably made from rapeseed wax and stearin. They have a burn time of 33 to 46 hours, so you can enjoy them for many days and weeks. In addition, our pillar candles are self-extinguishing and were produced using the innovative SafeCandle system.
If you are looking for fairly produced and environmentally friendly candle products, Wisefood stearin candles are a good choice. When choosing a candle product, however, not only the material is decisive. Many consumers do not realize that they should also consider the type of intended use when choosing the shape of the candle. Firing products heat up at different speeds depending on the firing time and diameter. If pillar candles are lit for only a short time, the wax cannot heat up properly and they begin to burn out hollow. This is particularly unfavorable because then the candle cannot burn enough oxygen. If you don't use a paraffin-free candle, you risk being exposed to a higher amount of pollutants when the candle burns.On the other hand, if you want to be able to enjoy your pillar candles for a long time, you should give them the opportunity to warm up properly. Whether as a decorative candle in a beautiful vase or as a pillar candle - our white stearin candles match any furnishing style and create a cozy ambience for every occasion .
But even if you're only looking for a short burn time, we won't let you down. Since we are constantly expanding our range with great products, we now also offer white table candles, which are ideal for a short burning time due to their shape and can also be used as table candles. They come in sets of 30, are made from 100 percent stearin and have a burning time of 7 hours. Of course, we also deliver these organic candles in plastic-free packaging and made in Germany.
What substances are produced when stearin is burned?
Anyone who has ever watched a candle burn and how it seems to get smaller and smaller knows that when it burns, its components turn into a gaseous state, as so-called invisible combustion gases as a result of a chemical reaction [7]. In addition to water and carbon dioxide, there are other pollutants in the air, depending on the starting product, which can sometimes be seen with the naked eye as soot when burned. When it burns, paraffin releases a few harmful substances, such as hydrocarbons such as benzene and toluene. In order to burn cleanly, however, the candle flame regularly does not get hot enough [8]. The more natural and high-quality a firing product is made, the cleaner it can burn. The only alternative are therefore candle products that have already been made from biologically harmless ingredients. The burning of stearin candles from sustainable production (i.e. palm oil-free) is not only considered CO2-neutral, but also demonstrably less soot and thus pollutants are released.
By the way: If synthetic fragrances were buried, it has an effect This in turn has a negative effect on the pollutant balance, as these are also released during combustion [9]. Beeswax candles also have an excellent burning quality if they are made from beeswax from an organic beekeeper. However, the market share of organic wax candles is only 0.5 percent [2]. In addition, these products are not vegan as animals were used in their production.
If you prefer a vegan alternative and are looking for a biological burning product with an ideal CO2 balance and safe burning, a natural stearin candle without artificial fragrances or additives is the perfect choice.
Can I make stearin candles myself?
Of course it is also possible to make stearin candles yourself. In contrast to a candle made of paraffin, you should pour stearin candles because stearin is much harder than paraffin and therefore difficult to pull. This also means that a few tricks have to be observed during production in order not to be disappointed with the later result. In order to get the stearin candle out of the mold after casting, shrink wax must be added regularly. As the name suggests, this leads to a reduction in volume when it cools down, so that even the hardest stearin candle can be easily removed from the mold. The use of shrink wax also affects the appearance of the candle. If you like a fiberglass-like and crystalline structure on your candle, add at least 2 percent shrink wax to the stearin. With an addition of 5 percent, on the other hand, the candle looks smooth like a paraffin candle.A hobbyist who wants to make his own stearin candles also has to think about choosing the right wick because: If a stearin candle is left on the table for a longer period of time, the stearic acid could attack the wick and result in it no longer being able to burn properly . To avoid this, hobbyists can use a special stearin wick. On the other hand, if the candle is about to burn down, a normal flat wick is sufficient. Only its strength should be chosen a little thicker to do justice to the hardness of the candle material [10].
Shopping regionally means investing directly in the neighborhood
High-quality stearin candles are often more expensive than mass-produced paraffin candles. Anyone who chooses the sustainable organic variant is not only doing something good for their health and the environment, but also for their neighbourhood. Stearine is not the same as stearine. If this is obtained from palm oil, valuable rainforest is lost. In addition, there are high transport costs, which have a negative impact on the energy balance. Locally produced alternatives consist of rapidly renewable rapeseed wax that can be harvested in an environmentally friendly manner. By choosing this vegan and local alternative, you are supporting local suppliers and raising awareness of sustainable stearin candles. Did you know that stearin candles currently only have a market share of just under 7 percent? [11] (And this also includes those products to which a paraffin content of up to 10 percent could be added). Every purchased decorative candle, pillar candle or table candle made of 100 percent regionally obtained stearin helps to increase this proportion a little bit and thus do something good for our environment. By choosing our products, you are making a statement for your environmental awareness and at the same time you do not have to do without excellent quality.
Sources:
[1] Candles - "You can't imitate the warm light" ( deutschlandfunk.de)
[2] 8 billion tea lights. And the environment? - Better living without plastic (better-living-without-plastic.de)
[3] The first World Candle Day will take place on March 1, 2020 (eca-candles.com)
[5] Paraffin – Wikipedia
[6] Stearin – Wikipedia
[7] DO01_3-12-068940_084_113 .indd (klett.de)
[8] Health tip: Candles can make you ill - WORLD
[9] Can candles make you ill? - Health – | ||| | || CODECHECK.INFO
[10] Pouring stearin candles | Tips & Tricks | die-kerze.de
[11] The difficult product candles or - how should I decide? – Ms. Gold