OUR CANDLES
COCONUT WAX
What is it?
Coconut wax is a natural wax made from coconuts. After coconuts are harvested and cracked open, the meat is removed and cold-pressed into an oil. The oil that is extracted from cold-pressing is hydrogenated (combined with hydrogen) to change the oil’s liquid state into a solid wax.
Why we use it:
Coconut wax is an amazing, creamy, smooth, bright white wax. It’s a biodegradable renewable resource which burns super slow and clean, while releasing zero carcinogens or toxins.
SOY WAX
What is it?
Soy wax is a vegetable wax made from soybeans. Soybeans are harvested, cleaned, cracked open, de-hulled, and rolled. The oil that is extracted from rolling the beans is hydrogenated (combined with hydrogen) to change the liquid state into a solid wax.
Why we use it:
Soy wax has a ton of cool traits: it is renewable, biodegradable, and burns slower and cleaner than petroleum derived waxes. It does not release carcinogens or toxins when burned, and cleans up easily with soap and water. Also, with the majority of the world’s soybeans being grown right here in the Midwest, we love having the ability to support American farmers by using soy wax in our blend.
BEESWAX
What is it?
Beeswax is a natural wax created by honeybees! Worker bees eat honey and convert the sugar into wax, which is excreted through special glands in their abdomens. Bees use the wax to create the honeycomb in which they live and store their honey. When honeycombs are harvested for honey extraction, the wax is separated and cleaned for use in various industries, including candle making.
Why we use it:
Beeswax is a seriously impressive wax. It has a unique composition which really helps our candles perform beautifully. It’s a natural, biodegradable, renewable resource, which burns slow and clean. Beeswax releases zero carcinogens or toxins and is actually thought to cleanse the air by releasing negative ions as it burns.
PARAFFIN WAX & PETROLEUM JELLY
Why they use it?
Paraffin is the top choice for most candle manufacturers primarily because it is cheap. It also holds fragrance and bold colored dyes well. Petroleum jelly is added to soften the consistency of paraffin wax.
Why we don’t:
Paraffin wax is made from what’s left over after crude oil is processed. We’re not super into the idea of burning “petroleum barrel sludge” inside our homes and breathing it in. We worked to create the perfect blend of natural and vegetable waxes so we could have wonderfully performing candles without having to use paraffin wax or petroleum jelly.
ADDITIVES & ARTIFICIAL DYES
Why they use it?
Candle additives (vybar, uv stabilizers, stearic acid, etc.) are used for a variety of reasons, but the synopsis is they change the look and performance of candles. For example UV stabilizers keep colored candles from changing when exposed to sunlight, and stearic acid allows for candles to be more easily removed from molds. Artificial dyes are used to color candles.
Why we don’t:
We wanted to strip it back to the basics and make as clean of a candle as is possible. That meant working with suppliers who produce pure, additive-free coconut, bees, and soy waxes and blending the waxes together, in just the right proportions, to create an amazing candle without any of the commonly used additives. We chose not to color our candles because many artificial dyes are derived from petroleum. We also just prefer the natural look of our wax blend.
CA-65 LISTED CHEMICALS & PHTHALATES
First off….what are they?
Phthalates (pronounced f-THAL-lates) are natural and synthetic chemical compounds that can cause reproductive harm and damage to kidney, liver, and lungs.
(Source: NIEHS National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
CA-65 is a list of 900+ natural and synthetic chemicals which are known to cause reproductive harm, birth defects, and cancer.
(Source: OEHHA California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment)
Why they use it?
Phthalates and CA-65 listed ingredients show up in candles because they are included in many of the fragrance oils that have been used in the industry forever. The chemicals provide scent to the oil or change its consistency. Eliminating these hazardous chemicals would be extremely costly to companies who have had their fragrance compositions established. They would have to completely reformulate and that is a cost-burden most don’t willingly take on.
Why we don’t:
Finding clean candles without hazardous and toxic ingredients is what launched the creation of KCMOCO. candles in the first place. We knew that phthalates and CA-65 listed chemicals weren’t something we wanted to put into a product we burn inside of our homes and share with our loved ones. We worked with the best fragrance suppliers to source only premium grade oils, free from phthalates and CA-65 listed chemicals from which to create our custom scent blends.
METAL CORE WICKS
Why they use it?
Metal core wicks hold themselves upright and keep from falling over. Their rigidity makes the process of pouring the candle easier. The U.S. banned lead core wicks in 2003 because of adverse health effects. So candles are not legally made with them anymore. (::Pro Tip:: Watch out for super cheap or old candles on this.) Now zinc and tin are often used in place of lead.
Why we don’t:
Tin and zinc wicks are not currently considered to be unsafe, but we opted to use paper and cotton core wicks in place of any metals.