No. Soy wax is a clean burning wax that lasts longer than paraffin and of course creates petro soot free candles! When you extinguish our candles you will notice there is no black soot coming out, and is indeed all white. This is because there is no petroleum by product. Our Soy candles produce a negligible amount of soot because of added fragrances and because only a pure blue flame can be soot free (unless you invent something!).