chuck_35550

Glass conducts heat (duh) and given 3-4 hours of storing heat; the jar is going to be hot. The only way its not going to be hot IMHO is if the melt pool doesn't touch the sides of the jar and the wick is cool burning. Hence, you might consider a zinc as a possible solution. I added more soy to 6006 and found cd wicks worked just right. If the jar was red hot, then you need to try an lx or an eco but I bet the zinc works the best. HTH Steve

Periodically, I go on the prowl for a new wax blend. I've tried mixing those waxes with 464 and 415 in several different ratios and didn't care for any of them. The bottom line with your goal is simply to do a lot of testing. I poured the different formulas at about 185 degrees with no wick and using 6% fragrance load. Labeled each container and then made a hole with a skewer and inserted a wick. I started testing several days after the pour and set a timer and made observations about the melt pool, flame and throw (both hot and cold) which were written down. If a wick was not working, I blew it out and with a pair of pliers pulled it out (after cooling) and inserted a new one. None of the formulas were as good as the wax I was using and the cost was much higher; so I stayed put with my old wax. You should get a range of responses from other folks on these popular waxes but the only thing to do is test. Time and money. Color should not make a difference in your final product, so I wouldn't bother to color but certainly you can add color if you like. I think testing is the cheapest way to make a decision but don't expect to get an "aha" moment from reinventing the wheel. HTH Steve

Congratulations!

Without a doubt it would be beef tallow. Its so pearly white and fairly inexpensive but most of all it binds the soap together in a way that palm doesn't.

Put a cloth over the area and use a steam iron set on silk setting to warm up the wax and soak into the cloth. Shouldn't harm your floor but keep and eye on it just in case. Don't use a red hot iron or a heat gun. HTH

Just look out for signs of mice. They and cockroaches love the stuff.

SMR has been out of stock for a long time (woad). How are they different CB?

I'm not sure the public would be familiar with the term itself. Just saying that there were a number of negative articles. Its like paraffin is the most evil substance in the known universe because its made from petroleum. I do know some folks that won't use vaseline or get their kids vaccinated. Go figure.

What about woad?

You might want to re-think that CB. Petrolatum is called one of the dirty dozen additives and is considered a cancer hazard. Just type in the word and a lot of stuff comes up and none of it is good. I've use it in soy based candle blends when the candle is too brittle and adhesion is poor. I don't think it would work so well in a shaving soap IMHO. Steve

I used to get cdns that were heavily coated with a white waxy substance and were very stiff. They burned a little hotter than my cd wicks and they were just right for some fo combinations. I don't know what the process was but those wicks disappeared and the cdns being offered today are really floppy and don't resemble those earlier versions. I wish those others would come back.

Give me a parasoy blend any day. Its the best of both worlds IMHO. I use a 70% soy/30% paraffin blend that doesn't give me hair pulling fits because of this that or the other. The one element you might consider is how heat affects your candles in the summer. They melt real fast in the sun. Have your customers complained about the candles appearance or other issues? I recommend sampling lots of waxes, wicks and jar configurations before jumping off the cliff. I was never able to get satisfactory results for me from any pure soy product and paraffin blends were ok but not entirely what I wanted in a candle. You won't regret the expense of testing everything out there. I blended 413 and 464 and 6006 and on an on and on before deciding. Good luck Steve

I bought one of those little battery powered mixers from Bramble Berry for about $7.00 to mix colorants. Works like a charm. That model is pretty flimsy but it still buzz saws my colorant mixed with either oil, water or glycerin quite well. I have a white soap formula (hate TD) but it makes everything so pastel in my goat milk soaps. Still have a stash of Pop Micas and discovered some other micas that are real nice but Ultramarine Blue is the only way to go IMHO. Try one of those cocktail mixers Top. Steve

I was driven to formulate an amount that would equal a pound. That way there was no waste. Either two 8 ounce candles or one 16 oz candle. the 15 oz wax plus one ounce fragrance oil works for the majority of my oils. Its a tad over the 6% and if Ifound a fragrance I liked enough that required more than the usual; you just add and subtract. Very simple for me and very precise without waste. Remember, that zinc wicks burn cooler and at the time were used for paraffin (before soy) as an alternative to lead wicks. The cooler burning wick extended the life of the candle but was not always the most efficient wick type (mushrooms/carbon build up and smoking) by today's standards. You might try a cdn wick. HTH. Steve

Amen sister! There's a part of me that says I need to get down there and do some work but the sunshine and the spring get in the way. Being on the treadmill is my problem. Even a hamster likes a rest on occasion.

What Tall is describing requires a thorough knowledge of soap making IMHO. I get the heebie jeebies in that area but maybe one day will become expert enough to handle higher lye concentrations. Even still, what Tall says about her formulas producing a ready to sell bar is the same for my soaping. The problem with selling a freshly wrapped soap is that as it evaporates the wrap becomes loose and the soap may look not so fresh. Another problem with out the door bars are the tendency to melt faster in the shower, but honestly this is not the problem. Market testing is the real issue. You don't know what will move until you get it out there. Private label is a buyer who knows their market and is looking for a cheaper but quality product to sell. Your reputation is still on the line if you rush your products and your quality is not always consistent. Wholesale accounts have to be worked on a regular basis and you may have to pull a product that isn't selling or agree to discount slow movers. Smart packaging, smart marketing and quality products are required for any type of sales account IMHO. HTH

You also need to be aware of the conditions when testing. I lit a tester and placed it on a window sill in the kitchen that opened into our sun porch. The candle had a very weak throw and I was disappointed; until I went out on the sun porch and realized that the window drafted in that direction. It was a great candle. The flame creates a draft that forces the fragrance molecules up into the air,whereas a melt does not have a mechanism to push or draft the fragrance (ceiling fans help). Your test should reveal how efficient the candle is from the top to the bottom with that fragrance. Really good fragrance oil should be able to produce desired results at 6% to 7% per pound of wax. Take your time and use high quality raw materials for best results. HTH Steve

Fragrance oil isn't going to burn off. Lower pour temps will get you jump lines and poor adhesion to the jar wall IMHO. If you place a thermometer in your wax and monitor the temp, you'll notice that the temp drops pretty rapidly once it goes into the pour pot. I keep my pour pot on an electic plate to maintain 185 degrees during the session. The secret to a strongly scented candle is to use high quality fragrance oils and to understand how the fragrance is constructed. Top notes, middle and bottom notes react to being heated and are detected in intervals. The formulation is affected by the efficiency of your wicking system and the configuration or shape of the container. Fragrance oil and wax do not blend to become one element IMHO. The fragrance oil is suspended in the wax and that is achieved through stirring or agitation. I stir my pour pot all through the session to make sure that heavy oils do not fall out of suspension and wind up on the bottom. I've even used a hand mixer to blend with, in an effort to homogenize the two oils but the results are pretty much the same. Buy a Votivo candle and experience what a high-end fragranced candle is all about. Well formulated, high quality (no fillers) fragrance oil with adequate wicking in a straight sided jar is the formula for a great product. HTH Steve

I use Dead Sea Salts in my blend but to avoid clumping, use either Dendritic Salt or Natrasorb (tapioca powder) mixed in with the fragrance or essential oil. San Francisco Salt Works has some good recipes. I like about equal mix of Dead Sea, Fine Sea, Pacifica for my blend with the Dendritic added. HTH Steve

My wife is very sensitive to concentrated amounts of fragrance in the house when I'm pouring a large number of candles in the basement shop. She coughs, sneezes and sometimes throws up when exposed to certain types of fragrance. I have a large window fan that blows outward for exhaust, close off all doors to the rest of the basement and to the upper story and try to pour when no one is home. I used to stick my nose down into the pour pot at the beginning but not now. This is just common sense to not overwhelm your senses with long periods of concentrated fumes or vapors in an enclosed area. No reason to get excited or scared about working with any of these raw materials, as long as you understand their properties and use reasonable caution; and yes capitals Top. Can't over emphasize the need to respect the lye monster. HTH Steve

Keep your offerings manageable. Your seasonal fragrances, colors and types of soap (goat milk, salt bars, shampoo bars)and nothing more. That way you always have the soaps on hand. Custom orders always require a waiting period. I recently had an account text me that they needed 41 regular bars of soap as wedding favors. Nope. You could offer an order form (bar size, color(s), fragrance)and inclulde a rider that you require a six week turnaround on all custom orders. Shop owners think you can magically produce anything at the drop of a hat. HTH Steve

Try 85% 6006 and 15% soy poured at 185 degrees into room temp jars, don't cover. HTH Steve

I don't bake or dry my salts. I use combinations of dead sea salt, fine grain kosher salt, pacifica salt and either mix my essential oils with dendritic salt or natrasorb (tapioca powder)to keep from clumping.Personally, I don't care for large grain salts because they take longer to dissolve and can be tough on your tush. HTH Steve

Wow, I've never seen so many silicone molds and mats in one place! You are an enabler! Thanks Steve

I don't know that "toxic" is the word for concentrated fragrances in a small space but rather fumes can be irritants. Lye is "TOXIC". One good whiff is enough to get that point across. I do believe that over time you build up a sensitivity to fragrances and certain ones like florals may cause a reaction. If candles were cancer bombs then any method for introducing fragrance into the air would be just as unhealthy IMHO. Concentrated liver and onion fumes are really deadly to me but the cat doesn't seem to mind.