Candles made from soy wax do not produce as much soot as paraffin candles, and do not give off harmful toluene and other carcinogen fumes that mass produced paraffin candles do. Paraffin is petroleum based produced from a byproduct of oil refining. As such, manufacturers are often not concerned with the purity of their paraffin wax, since it is secondary to their main products; gasoline, motor oil, paint thinners, etc. Unlike paraffin candles, soy wax spills are easily cleaned up with hot water and soap. Even the containers the candles were in can be cleaned and reused! Soy candles help our environment, because they are a renewable and biodegradable resource. The production and burning of soy wax candles can greatly benefit the American agricultural community. If soy wax replaced common paraffin wax, an estimated 60 million pounds of soy beans would be required for annual candle production. Soy candles burn slower and last between 30% and 50% longer than a paraffin candle of the same size. Soy wax also does not require any additives, such as hardening or binding agents.