About Our Candles
So, what's in our candles? Sihaya & Co. offers unique, hand-blended fragrances that you won't find anywhere else. These candles are made from a special blend of paraffin waxes specifically created to burn long, burn clean, and maximize scent. They have braided cotton wicks, and as a special finishing touch, feature a sparkling overspray of iridescent, candle-safe glitter!
Why Paraffin?
It's simple! Paraffin wax is safe and has good scent throw.
There have been a lot of misconceptions about paraffin wax since soy came on the market. The idea that soy is safer and more "natural" than paraffin is mostly greenwashed marketing. Refined paraffin is widely and safely used in cosmetic, food prep, medical, and veterinary applications every day!
But isn't soy more natural?
Well, soybeans must be repeatedly soaked in chemical solvent baths including hexane and chlorine in order to process them into wax. Then additional chemicals are added to stabilize the wax and help it retain scent. At the end of the process, it couldn't reasonably or accurately be called "natural." That doesn't make soy wax unsafe, however-- the finished product of both soy AND paraffin waxes has been shown to be safe for home use because they both undergo extensive refining processes to render them so.
But what does the science say?
At the end of the day, every peer-reviewed scientific emissions study done on candles has confirmed that paraffin wax is safe for use and does not produce more harmful chemicals than soy.
Check out the 2007 Oekometric Emissions Study, for example. Or a more recent 2021 study.
“The study found all of the waxes burned cleanly and safely, with no appreciable difference in burning behaviors. Their combustion byproducts were virtually identical in composition and quantity… far below the most restrictive of any applicable indoor-air standards.”
- The 2007 Oekometric Emissions Study
Even though paraffin is a byproduct of petroleum production (meaning that it is recycled from parts that would otherwise be discarded), due to the magic of refinement, the finished wax is completely safe for home use. So while you may see many types of wax marketed as "clean" or "non-toxic" (often accompanied by scary-sounding psuedoscience about paraffin), always look past the buzzwords to the science!
Our view is that since both soy and paraffin waxes are safe, which wax a company uses really comes down to the personal preference of the maker. Because each wax has different strengths and weaknesses depending on the application, many makers use both! For instance, we do blend in some soy when we make wax melts, because soy is a more brittle wax and does better in many molded applications! Creating a parasoy blend for our melts gives us the best of both worlds: the scent throw of paraffin, and the crisp snap of soy.
We really love our paraffin blend, which maximizes scent diffusion, has very consistent pouring properties, and has great container adhesion. That's why we use paraffin.
Tell us about your fragrance!
We use phthalate-free and paraben-free synthetic fragrance oils to craft our own house blends.
Aren't essential oils cleaner, though?
A lot of folks have the conception that essential oils, being "natural," are safer for use in candles, but in many cases, the opposite is true! There are indeed a small handful of essential oils that are safe for candle use (like lavender and citrus). But many essential oils (like most woody and spicy ones) are are not safe to be used in candles, and can create respiratory distress when burned and inhaled, or may even have neurotoxic effects on pets. We definitely don't want that!
We have decided to primarily use tested and safe synthetic fragrance oils for this reason. Also, using fragrance oils allows us to access a wider variety of scent notes with which to create our house blends. All of our suppliers provide IFRA safety sheets for every component we use. That said, many of our synthetics contain small amounts of essential oils as well, and when we purchase those components, it is always from a reputable candle supplier who supplies those IFRA safety sheets so that we can confirm the finished product is safe for use when burned. In fact, one of our biggest suppliers is developing a Clean Scents line that is even more more stringent than IFRA safety standards! That's pretty cool!
A few tips for candle care:
- The wax used in our candles is specifically designed for a high fragrance load, and as such, the melt pool forms more slowly than other kinds of wax. Plan on making your first burn about two hours, and never burn for less than an hour to ensure a long, even burn throughout your candle’s life.
- Always check your wick to see if it needs trimming before lighting. Keeping your wick at about 1/4” inch will minimize carbon buildup that occurs from wick “mushrooming.” Blow out your candle and trim the wick four hours into a burn, as well.
- Blow out your candle when 1/4" wax remains. This protects the vessel from overheating. If you'd like to use up the leftover wax, a candle warmer is a safe way to do so.
- Please light your candle on a heat-safe surface away from flammable items, and never leave it unattended.
- We love to hear from you! If you have any further questions, please contact us at SihayaAndCompany@gmail.com.
Turnaround time for candles is 2 weeks. As they are made in small batches, you may notice some small changes in color from batch to batch.
Our candles are available in candle tin or glass tumbler format.
Tins: Our 8oz candle tin measures 3" wide by 2" deep, and hold approximately 7 oz of wax by weight. The wax is topped with an overspray of iridescent glitter. The candles burn for approximately 30-35 hours.
Glass tumblers: These candles measure 3" wide by 3.5" tall, and contain 9 oz of wax for a burn time of 40+ hours. They are topped with a candle-safe glittering overspray.
The glitter I use is safe for use in candles, and the ultrafine particles will not clog your wick.