Soy Candles: Everything You Need to Know

Hi Mimis, Keren here! I hope you're doing well.

If you've been around here for a while, you know soy candles are kind of our whole thing. Every candle we make is poured with 100% natural soy wax, and we get so many questions about it: what soy wax actually is, how soy candles are made, how long they last, why the top sometimes looks a little frosty. So I thought it was time to put everything in one place. Grab a tea, light a candle, and let's go through everything you need to know about soy candles.

What Is Soy Wax?

Soy wax is a plant-based wax made from soybean oil. The oil is pressed from soybeans, then hydrogenated, a process that turns the liquid oil into a soft, solid wax. If you love the science side, Wikipedia's page on soy candles explains the chemistry in more detail. The result is a creamy, off-white wax that is renewable, biodegradable, and vegan.

Because soy wax is soft and melts at a fairly low temperature, it's mostly used for container candles, poured into a jar or, in our case, a ceramic cup. That's also why you'll rarely see a 100% soy pillar candle standing on its own.

What Is a Soy Candle?

A soy candle has four parts, and each one matters:

• The wax: for us, 100% natural soy wax. No paraffin, no blends.
• The wick: a lead-free cotton wick, which carries the melted wax up to the flame.
• The fragrance: phthalate-free fragrance oils, blended into the wax before it's poured.
• The vessel: most soy candles come in a glass jar. Ours come in a ceramic cup designed by Camille, made to be kept long after the wax is gone.

100% soy or soy blend? Read the label

Here's something worth knowing before you buy: "soy candle" isn't a regulated term. Some candles labelled "soy" or "made with soy" are actually blends, where soy is mixed with paraffin or other waxes. Blends aren't bad, they're just different. If you want a pure soy candle, look for the words "100% soy wax" on the label. A little frosting on top is another good clue, and I'll tell you more about that below.

How Soy Candles Are Made

At Mimi & August, every candle is hand-poured in small batches in our workshop on the South Shore of Montreal. The process is simple, but every step takes care:

1. We gently melt the soy wax until it's fully liquid.
2. We blend in the fragrance at the right temperature so it binds well with the wax.
3. We centre a lead-free cotton wick in each ceramic cup.
4. We pour the wax by hand and let each candle cool slowly and set.

Like most soy candles, ours benefit from a little rest after pouring, which gives the fragrance time to settle into the wax. Working in small batches means we can keep an eye on every single cup, and honestly, it's a big part of why each one feels the way it does.

Soy Wax vs. Other Candle Waxes

Soy isn't the only option out there. Here's a quick look at the most common candle waxes:

Wax	Made from	What to know
Soy	Soybean oil	Renewable, biodegradable, vegan. Soft, so mostly used in containers.
Paraffin	Petroleum byproduct	Inexpensive and common in mass-market candles. Not renewable.
Beeswax	Honeycomb	Natural, with a faint honey scent. Pricier, and not vegan.
Coconut	Coconut oil	Plant-based and very soft, so it's usually blended with other waxes.
Soy blend	Soy plus other waxes	Often includes paraffin. The label won't say "100% soy".

The comparison people ask us about most is soy versus paraffin, so we wrote a full guide on soy candles vs paraffin if you want to go deeper.

How Soy Candles Burn

Soy wax melts at a lower temperature than paraffin, so soy candles burn cooler and more slowly. As the wax melts, it forms a wide, shallow pool across the top of the candle, and the fragrance is released gradually from that pool. In real life, that means a soft, steady scent that builds through the evening rather than a big burst that fades.

Two things are completely normal with soy candles. The first is frosting: a white, crystal-like film that can form on the wax as it cools. It's purely cosmetic, and it's one of the most recognizable signs of natural soy wax. We explain it all in our post on soy wax frosting. The second is wax memory: the first burn sets the shape of every burn after it, which is why that first light matters so much.

How Long Do Soy Candles Last?

Burn time depends on the size of the candle and how you care for it. Here's what you can expect from ours:

Size	Approximate burn time
Mini candle, 2 oz	10 to 12 hours
Reusable cup, 3 oz	15 to 20 hours
Reusable cup with handle, 5.5 oz	35 to 40 hours
Reusable mug, 11 oz	75 to 80 hours

These numbers assume a few good habits, which brings me to my favourite little rituals.

How to Care for Your Soy Candles

Three simple habits make the biggest difference:

• Let the first burn reach the edges. Keep it lit until the whole surface has melted, usually 2 to 3 hours. This prevents tunneling.
• Trim the wick to about 5 mm before each burn. A shorter wick means a steadier flame and less soot.
• Burn for 2 to 4 hours at a time. Then let the wax cool completely before relighting.

Our complete candle care guide goes through all seven rules we follow, from the first burn to the last.

How to Choose a Scented Soy Candle

This is the fun part! I always ask myself three questions: where will it burn, what season is it, and what mood am I in? Then I pick a scent family:

• Fresh and citrus for bright, awake mornings, like Amalfi with sweet orange and sparkling lemon.
• Floral for something soft and romantic, like our Lilac, all fresh lilac blossoms.
• Tea and green for calm, clean afternoons, like Botanica with black tea, bergamot and cornflower.
• Woody for grounding evenings, like Foresta with fir needles, cedarwood and green moss.
• Cozy and gourmand for snuggly nights in, like Cafecito with coffee, dulce de leche and cacao.

Not sure where to start? A mini candle is the perfect way to try a few scents before committing to a full size. You can browse every scent in our soy candle collection.

Reusable Soy Candles: What Happens After the Last Burn

Most candles end up in the recycling bin once they're done. Ours don't. Every Mimi & August candle comes in a ceramic cup that's dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe, so once the wax is gone, it becomes your new coffee mug, a little planter, or a pen holder on your desk. Our guides show you how to remove wax from a candle jar and reuse your candle jar.

And if you loved the scent, you can keep the cup and refill it. Our soy candle refills fit right into the cup you already own: the same hand-poured soy wax, a new fragrance, and no new packaging. Reusable, refillable, and made to stay.

I hope this guide answers all your questions about soy candles. And if there's anything I missed, write to us. We always love hearing from you.

See you soon Mimis!
Keren 🌷

Soy Candles: Frequently Asked Questions