Paraffin vs. Soy Wax Paraffin: We have always
recommended paraffin for cleaning brushes for no other reason than
that it was the cheapest wax available. But paraffin is derived from
petroleum, and we needn't tell you that the cost of petroleum has been
skyrocketing. In addition, we all know that petroleum is one of the
biggest environmental contributors of carbon dioxide. So this
combination of increased price and environmental impact has caused use
to search for potential alternatives. Soy Wax: We at R&F as well as a number of our customers have
been experimenting with partially-hydrogenated soy wax as a
replacement for paraffin. The results have been encouraging. Soy wax
is non-toxic and burns cleaner than paraffin. Soybeans are a
renewable source, unlike paraffin, which consists of petroleum. Soy
Wax is naturally biodegradable. Soy wax is also easier to remove than
paraffin wax, so after the color has been cleaned out of the brush,
the brush can be washed with soap and water and is reusable in other
mediums.
