Ingredient

Soy Wax

Hydrogenated Soybean Oil

Frequently used in candle making to replace petroleum-derived paraffin, soy wax is a hard material with a very high melting point. This makes it ideal for creating solid yet biodegradable products that do not melt in the bath, or in the hand, and can be reused as often as desired.

No one fully agrees on the origin of soybeans, or when they started being cultivated. What we know for sure is that it’s been a staple food and medicine in China, Korea and Japan for thousands of years. The plant (Glycine max) belongs to the pea family (Fabaceae) and like all plants of this family, it grows pods that contain a range of seeds, also called beans.

To get the wax, soybean oil (obtained from the beans) goes through a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is frequently used in the vegetable oil industry, improving textures and shelf life. The transformation can range from the slight thickening of an oil to its solidification into a wax, as for soybeans.

Lush purchase this ingredient from a Swedish wax manufacturer. It is made in the United States, at one of the many production sites they have around the world. They source GMO-free soy externally and process it into wax in-house. The wax is 100% soy and isn’t blended with any other material as can sometimes be found.