Do you know someone who is allergic to soy? It is more common than you think. According to the Asthma and Food Allergy Foundation of America, soy allergies are among the top nine food allergies for children and adults with food allergies. Reactions can range from red, itchy skin to anaphylaxis requiring immediate medical attention with epinephrine.
So if soybeans can cause death in an untreated soy allergy sufferer, why don’t soy candles carry a warning? The answer is simply because they don’t need it. Wax, whether it’s soy, paraffin or beeswax, is very unreactive and while someone may be allergic to soy in food, it’s the digested protein that triggers the allergy, not the combustion byproducts (mainly carbon dioxide). of carbon and water). For the allergy to occur, soy must be digested to enter the bloodstream. If it is burned, the protein chains are broken and they are no longer the same molecules that could cause the allergy.
However, an allergy aggravated by scented soy candles is very common, but is caused by the added fragrance, not the soy wax. No one can predict or determine if you will have a reaction to a particular fragrance. The only way to find out is to burn the candle and observe the result. The fragrance industry does not use fragrance materials that are known allergens. But, just like with food, some people will experience an allergy to a fragrance that the majority of the population does not react to.
The bottom line is that no one should fear that soy wax candles will aggravate their soy allergy. To be on the safe side, avoid particular fragrances if you have known allergies to them, and if you buy a candle that bothers you, take note of its fragrance and discontinue use immediately.