I use nature’s garden and candle science for most of my scents.
Candle science twice a year sale is a great one, and nature’s garden scents are excellent and well priced, but I live in the states.
I get my 464 golden soy wax from three different suppliers in the states, I keep an eye out for sales and promotions and buy the 50lb box at a time, because it’s way cheaper to do that than buy a few pounds at a time, and I don’t sell.
Keep your soy wax closed, dry, and out of humid conditions.
Colors are cheapest with the ultra concentrated liquid form. That liquid in those tiny bottles will color hundreds of candles, more is not better.
I prefer CD wicks.
To be honest, soy wax candles are easy. There’s little information and the books that share information, all have about the same information:
Pick container. Pick appropriate sized wick. Get wax. Measure wax. Melt wax. Add coloring. Add scent. Mix. Pour into container. Trim wick. Cure. Burn.
There are of course more words, because that information hardly warrants a book, but it’s the sum of it.
Flashpoint of fragrances is important. Pour too hot, and the lighter components of your fragrance will evaporate out of the wax before you pour it, leaving you with a candle that doesn’t have enough scent in it. Flashpoint is the lowest temperature a liquid will ignite, citrus oils are volatile and notorious for not sticking around because they have a low temp for evaporation and low temp for burning up. Science.
More coloring will demand a hotter temp and a larger wick. It can also prevent a good burn on a candle.
Soy wax is notorious for a ‘frosting’ look. It gets white when it’s really cold and cools down too fast. It’s cosmetic in nature and will not affect the burn. Soy wax will cool down quite quickly and cling to the sides of the container, causing a dimple near the wick. I have not had an issue with burning candles, if they’ve been correctly poured, again only cosmetic.
Make one test candle for each frangrance and box of wax. Have a test container before making a ton of candles.
Nature’s Garden has lots of information that is free on how to make and sell candles.
More scent is not better. I know a woman who made candles with the absolute maximum amount of fragrance, possibly more, that the wax could hold. She could not give those candles away. They burned poorly, tunneled, were fire hazards, etc. they were badly made.
Do not put anything in a candle that can burn other than the wick. If it’s dried and organic or wood or flammable, it’s a bonfire waiting to happen. Ever made firestarters for camping? Similar, only it’s ‘pretty.’
Do not put anything that won’t burn in a candle to make it look pretty. Stones, sand, etc can clog your wick, bury it, and cause your candle to be a complete dud.
Wax can be recovered from bad pours, but takes time and patience.
If your candle is tunneling, not burning all the way to the edges, you
1) are not letting the candle burn the appropriate time for the container,
2) have a wrong sized wick for the container,
3) have too much coloring,
4) did not mix your scent well with your wax
5) too much additives
There are variations that cause burn time and radius with a wick and a candle. These include: scent, additives, shape of container, etc.
Pouring wax. Air bubbles are not your friend. Water is not your friend. Don’t pour more than a few inches at a time, tall candles will collect air bubbles if not poured at right temp, too quickly, or from a large height.
If you don’t have someone to mentor you on pouring, there is a learning curve. It’s going to be different due to ambient temp and your setup to deal with that.
Small candles to learn this is going to be the most efficient for your.
I find a coffee pot from a thrift store, or a double boiler from a thrift store have been sufficient. Wax burns easily, double boiler method is best or a burner that you can set the temperature, I have used stainless steel pitchers and a temp controlled griddle. Whatever works best for you. Thrift store is excellent.
A heat gun, temp gauge, electric griddle, pouring pitchers are all you need for melting wax.
Once you know all the potential ‘problems’ with your candles, you can address with knowledge your customers or friends issues with your candles with confidence and keep returning customers.
, as this is your first post please go to the Intro forum and tell us a bit about yourself.
