We Upgraded

So.....

Its been a little while since our last post. We've been doing so much technical work behind the scenes exploring. We tried and tested sooooooooooooo many methods and ways to perfect what we do.

We changed from Soy Wax to Coconut and Rapeseed.......

Why? You may ask, or may not care but I'm gonna tell you anyway 😂

The last month or two I've been reading a lot of environmental news especially because theres so much talk around about climate change and a lot of major promises from various countries to keep our climate under control.

We all live on this amazing planet so I do think a lot of these conversations we need to have more of...  Even like me if you have no idea on how to become more eco-friendly and sustainable within our homes, having an awareness so we can teach next generations to be that way inclined will be a massive bonus to helping to preserve our planet 😊

I started to learn that with our candles that despite choosing soy as what I thought was my perfect paraffin alternative I could do even better.

Harvesting soy wax isn't as good as I thought and also from these harvesting methods there are times when Soy wax reliability can affect the quality and scent throw 😕 

When I first started I remember having a batch that didnt retain its flame. That same 25kg batch probably only gave me a 3rd of the quality I was after.... Once putting them out to test. I had a few people describe about lack of scent when burning and even the overall burn quality- which was really embarrassing, upsetting and the worst feeling COSTLY especially as I felt so confident about the decisions I had made!!!

We've researched the last 2 months, shopped around and found a new wholesale supplier. Who are amazing and happy to supply to my small venture so we decided that we will use Coconut and Rapeseed wax instead.

 

 

 

I'll tell you why!

COCONUTS AND RAPESEED ARE SUSTAINABLE AND AVAILABLE IN ABUNDANCE!

We all know that paraffin is not sustainable. Paraffin is a common candle wax made from fossil fuels, and that contributes to global warming.

Although paraffin is one of the least sustainable candle waxes available, many other waxes aren't that great for the environment either. Palm oil and Soy burns cleanly and has many features that make it suitable for candle use but it too has an impact on our climate.
This is due to the vast amount of forest in the Amazon and other locations are burned to make way for palm oil farms and soy fields. In the end, although they could be grown sustainably, it isnt.

On the flip side, coconuts do not require pesticides or fertiliser to grow and are harvested by hand and rapeseed grows closer to home, eliminating the need for heavy machinery during harvesting also. The farm that supplies the Rapeseed in our wax also produces rapeseed that can be used as fuel for certain machinery so it shows how amazingly renewable it can be.

Although coconuts could eventually be grown in an unsustainable manner, currently they are being grown very carefully by small independent farms in the Dominican Republic, The Philippines and Indonesia.

Not only does growing coconuts lift these farmers out of extreme poverty, growing sustainably has given them access to better markets and more financial options.
Which makes my heart sing because it can't just be the candle maker/seller be making a profit when these people work so hard to meet the Worldwide demand......

Nearly every type of wax has some kind of drawback in terms of the environment. Still, coconut wax is possibly the most sustainable of all the current options because of the way it is being grown and supported by organisations such as the Rainforest Alliance.

COCONUT WAX HAS A SUPERIOR SCENT THROW

Although a sustainable product may be worthwhile for some people, the beauty of coconut wax doesn't end there. Coconut wax can hold a lot of scent in its wax, as much as 12%. This makes it a great choice for scenting with both fragrance oils and essential oils.

Even just an unscented candle on its own is beautiful and calming because its own natural aroma is very pleasant.

On top of holding a lot of scent, coconut wax also has a great hot and cold throw. When someone opens a jar to smell a candle, they will get a clear impression of what it smells like and can more easily decide if it's something they want to purchase.

Coconut wax doesn't disappoint after it's heated up either. It is superior to every other type of wax in terms of scent throw and can even be used for essential oils, which can sometimes have a weak scent in other types of candles due to how little of the essential oil can safely be used in them.

If a potent scent that fills the room is what you're after, coconut wax is definitely the way to go.

COCONUT WAX IS CLEAN BURNING

Nobody likes soot, which is why a smokey candle is not a favourable trait. On top of this, some types of wax, such as paraffin, can cause a range of health problems related to their smoke.

When lit, candles that are not clean burning can let out tons of toxins in the fumes, including compounds linked to migraines and asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Even studies and research over the years has found that paraffin specifically released compounds known to cause cancer- which NO ONE WANTS!!

Coconut wax really excels in this regard, as they are non-toxic and slow-burning. Coconut wax has one of the longest burn times out there and never leaves soot in your home.

High-quality candles will always make soot less likely than low-quality ones, and coconut wax offers some of the best quality burns out there, because of this, a candle that can burn cleanly without releasing any toxic fumes is, of course, the perfect candle

COCONUT VS. SOY

There are several waxes out there that are used as a safe alternative to paraffin wax. One of these other types is soy wax. Soy wax is made from soybean oil and was originally developed in 1996 by students from Purdue University, who were asked to design a candle made from sustainable materials.

Their solution was soy wax, which we now enjoy in many natural candles today. While soy is made from a renewable resource, it isn't always farmed in a sustainable manner. For me personally- when I started my journey we opted for this as my children are asthmatics and Im a Candle ADDICT 😣😫 So in order for me to burn candles all day long I needed to find that common ground so I was completely happy....

However A lot of soy is grown in a similar manner as palm oil, burning rain forests in order to make way for soy fields and despite sustainable soy is available, and when grown in a sustainable manner is an excellent resource. I couldn't always guarantee that when buying from suppliers or websites and because Maras_melts aims to be as sustainable as we can be. In my heart it would be a bit of a disservice if I didn't find the best farmed wax out there. Also in terms of burnability, soy wax burns a little faster than coconut wax and does not carry quite as much scent so once again. I feel like im winning 😌

Coconut wax really thrives in these areas, but it also has a few flaws. Coconut wax turns back into its liquid state at a relatively low temperature. If mailed out during high heat, for example, a summer heatwave of 100F could be enough to melt the candle itself. Soy wax stands up a bit better at higher temperatures. Technically I'm ok at the moment with our British weather but definitely over time Im thinking of ways to overcome this obstacle if it ever came my way....

You might find an Ice pack in your candle box 🤣😂🤦🏾‍♀️

It's very common for coconut wax to be blended with other vegetable oils, such as soy, rapeseed, beeswax and even apricot wax in order to get the best of both worlds. A blended candle offers a higher melting point to insure the candle isn't ruined before it can be lit, while still offering all the benefits of its scent throwing and excellent burning properties. This is exactly why we blend rapeseed with coconut wax in all of our candles.

Im hoping over the next few months we can get more customer feedback and definitely from our returning customers as they should actually see a difference in their candles now we use this new blend......