Soy Crayons - Safe Coloring Implements Environmentally-Friendly Crayons
A lot of nonfood soybean products have been introduced to the market lately. This is to encourage the use of renewable resources in most of our daily items and implements. Soybean is quite abundant in the U.S., being easily cultivated and harvested. A push into the production of nonfood soy products serves to help boost agriculture, particularly the soybean-producing sector. One of these products is soy crayons, or edible crayons. With ample soybean supply, makers of soy crayons may also find this product cost-effective.
Advantages of Soy Crayons
Most crayons are made of paraffin wax, a petroleum by-product that is not without its dangers. Small children, when handling and using this kind of crayon, may put them in their mouth and chew on them. This may cause some concerns among parents, who would want their children safe and healthy all the time.
This is why the makers of soy crayons took upon themselves to develop and market a product that is biologically safe. These coloring implements have soybean oil as its main component.
Because soybean oil is clear, the color pigments that adhere to it are brighter and more vivid. These translate to a better coloring experience, for both the children who did the coloring and the adults who view their finished art works. Children will also find soy crayons easy to work with, as they glide smoothly and produce a compact result with no characteristic flakes.
Soy Crayons, good for children and environment
Most children would ask for newer crayons once their old ones get broken or become shorter with use. There have been concerns over the disposal of petroleum-based crayons, as they are not biodegradable and therefore litter the environment for a long time. With soy crayons, your environmental concerns would be put to rest, as they are a hundred percent biodegradable.
Where to buy Soy Crayons
Probably the most popular brand of soy crayons in the market today is Prang. This company offers the original product purchased from the students who originally invented soy crayons back in 1993. However, making your own soybean crayons is also fairly easy.
You would need to purchase soybean flakes from craft or hobby stores and preferred color pigments. Materials used include beaker, a hotplate, and candy molds. Place about 166 grams of soybean flakes into the beaker and put in the hotplate set in low setting. The flakes will slowly dissolve to soybean oil. You would need to stir the dissolving mass a few times to facilitate the process. When all the flakes have been dissolved, add about 14 grams of color pigment. Stir to evenly distribute the color. When you are satisfied with the color intensity, remove the beaker from the hotplate and pour the contents into the candy molds. Let it cool for thirty minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your finished product. When completely cooled, you can now remove the crayons and they’re ready to use.
