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Some people use heating pads but what I do is fill the wicked jars and place them back in the cardboard boxes the jars came in with the divider walls. Those boxes are on a flat level wooden bottom of a larger cardboard box and then I cover the whole thing with an old bedspread. I keep the jars in a toaster oven on my bench and pull them out as needed to wick and fill. The candles cool slowly and there is less shrinkage and better adhesion to the sides. I wash my jars before using too. Its not a big deal and doesn't take that much more time; plus you don't have to worry about something plugged in while you sleep. HTH

Try Icy Peppermint from AH/RE "Icy cool, fresh, strong, straight peppermint. A very crisp and clean mint." A little goes a long way with peppermint IMHO. I never could sell Jack Frost. I used to get my peppermint from Tennessee Candle Supply until they went out of business and have used Southwest Candle Supply straight peppermint. HTH Steve

I started with J-50 and moved on to J-223 pretty quickly. I've tested 4630 and it was ok but it didn't ring my chimes. The Harmony blend is supposed to be the next step in that line of waxes but seems like the same old same old to my viewpoint. Using zincs are recommended because they are a cool burning wick and they don't drink up the wax like some other wicks but they mushroom and soot like crazy. I tried mixing with soy and never came up with a formula that was like the secret millionaire formula. I'd go 4630. HTH Steve

"Jelly Jars" is a generic term. There are several configurations that are currently available. If I were to use a jelly jar, it would be straight sided and plain (sometimes called a flint jar) with a regular mouth. Some people prefer the large mouth jars for a slightly larger melt pool but those jars slant downward to the bottom and create wicking problems. You can get square Masons, quilted, blue, ect jars that you would associate with canning. Candles need a jar configuration that draws oxygen downward and circulates for optimum efficiency with the wick, wax and fragrance oil. Labeling can be done on jars with raised lettering but it makes more sense to buy a smooth jar with straight sides IMHO. I buy in bulk and pay somewhere around 50 cents a jar with lid and that's including shipping for 8 oz salsa jars. HTH

I've never used EL but wasn't it the fact that the fos had been tested in the wax that made it such a good combination? I imagine that Lyschel will offer the same service? Otherwise, what would be the point if she's not offering the fos as well as the wax? So the wax is really that good? Steve

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Take a completed candle made by the reading on your new scale and weigh the jar and write down the amount. Take a completed candle made by the other scale and weigh it and compare the two. If the readings are wildly different, its most likely that you have more testing to do. Not knowing what kind of wax you are using and the fo load capacity; it would be hard to predict how much effect too much fo would have on the finished product. Testing is something you will do on a regular basis for quality control. Just simmer down and be happy you caught the problem early and always make sure you have accurate readings by testing with a weight. You should consider investing good money on a reliable, sensitive scale and get used to weighing in grams instead of ounces for total accuracy. Postal (wal-mart) scales aren't reliable IMHO, go to Amazon and look up scales and read the reviews to find out which ones are recommended for what you are doing. HTH Steve

I use a piece of wax paper and roll it up and let it unwind in the mold. Fold under the bottom to reduce leakage and pour in your soap batter or mp with imbeds and fold down the top. The soap just slides out and there is no seam and the ends you cut off anyway and its very easy to de-mold. HTH Steve

I am always amazed that people can get melt and pour to look so perfect. Very professional and artistically interesting soaps. Great job. Steve

You might try Indiana Candle Supply. HTH Steve

Just got a pound of mulberry from Southwest Candle Supply and oh boy is it yummy. Classic fragrance to my nose. Also got a pound of the Supreme Creme Brulee and Pom.....yikes, this is good stuff.

I love amber and chocolate truffle. AH/RE Blue Skies and any really good chocolate (but not too much) is so good together.

Wild Honeysuckle This fragrance is an great blend of bright florals dancing in the spring rain with notes of Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Violet, Fresh Honeydew & Cassis. Southwest Candle Supply

The ky version. It's not too sweet or cloying but a little light. Just By Nature (Southwest now) used to carry Honeysuckle Blossoms which was very easy to soap but a little light. You might combine the two in a 50/50 and see what you think. HTH Steve

Flower Child is the one I've tried and it reminds me of the sixties version of patch. I did use it in a 50-50 formulation with Peaks Scented. That's how come it smellled like b.o. from a hippy, lol. It actually cures out quite nice and tones down after a couple of weeks. It's not pretty patch CB IMHO but it sure shuts up the customers who want a strong dirty patch. It reminds me of a cologne I once ordered from France, very earthy. I'm not above mixing it with Blue Skies either but you have to hurry cause boy does it accelerate. Steve

Did they cure for at least a week before testing? Large fo loads on spice/vanilla fos are going to clog your wick and you might need to go to a 16 on some of those. Test different wicks and start with 6% load and work your way up IMHO. Personally, I found some of those fos a little light and using more was not better. They will improve the longer they sit and cure. I recommend trying 6006 with 15% 415 for a great blend. HTH Steve

So many of the good ones are gone now. Try Pumpkin Souffle' and Creme' Brulee in a 50-50 from Southwest (click on Just by nature to get there) for an outstanding Pumpkin Brulee. Go over to AH/RE and pick up the ky Pineapple and mix 50-50 with the Creme' Brulee for a wonderful Pineapple Brulee (ky Creme'Brulee is as good or better) and pick up the ky Baked Apple HI or the Homemade Baked Apple, the Mulberry HI is very good too. Community Candle Supply has an outstanding Cider Barrel and a blueberry pancake. Pick up the ky Coconut Cream Pie and mix with the Orange Chiffon Cake or Pound Cake. You just can't beat ky for good fall scents IMHO. That's the tip of the ice berg, chime in folks. HTH Steve

I have some friends who love super strong patch and are always complaining they can't get dirty enough. This one seems to have done the trick but I did get some flack from spouses. I need some Raspberry patch for this fall, maybe. I dare you to try it Scented.

You might try AH/RE Jasmine by ky. They have three different Jasmines CB. It soaped nicely with no a/d but it was a little light at 1oz pp, so you might want to take that up a notch if you try it. I would go for samples as they are all soap safe. HTH Steve

Patch Blend from AH/RE doesn't discolor but their Raspberry Patch is so good.

You might try a sample of AH/RE "Flower Child" (Everyone digs this groovy scent! Patchouli, Sandalwood, amber, ylang, musk, violet, cedarwood, and Vanilla notes round out this cool, far out fragrance. Peace, man.) I blended this with some straight patch and it smelled like an earthy arm pit. I loved it but my dw thought it was disgusting. Customers bought it just fine. HTH Steve

Try using Rosemary extract (Rosemary Oleoresin) and vitamin E, as well as lowering your superfat. Today's lard is hydrogenated and there shouldn't be an issue of rancidity. I have some lard bars that are quite old and no sign of dos. My brother makes pure lard soap and never has dos issues that I know about. Do you render your own lard by any chance? Leaf lard is the best but it is very expensive and hard to locate. HTH Steve

Here's what you want CB. "Fiber Craft Creative Handes Peel and Stick Foam from Wally World. I used it to line a wooden loaf mold and it was very easy to do. Just be sure that you pice it together with little or no seam. You just measure, cut and pull off the paper backing and press onto the bottom and then sides. Soap will not stick to the foam and it will last a good long time. Beware on getting the stuff off. It really doesn't wear out but I got a wild hair to change mine out and wound up throwing the mold away. HTH Steve

Tassi Lavender is to die for from Soapalooza. The formulation is very realistic and with that said it is not a fragrance that blows your socks off. Lavender is a hard fragrance to pin down in a wax medium but easy peasy in soap or room applications. Real lavender (to me) is not medicinal or nursing home sour but rather a fresh herbal fragrance that stays in the background or smooths out other fragrances that can be sharp or overbearing. I still have a little of True Lavender from Tennessee Candle Supply that is a dream to soap. Steve