Midas251 Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Hello everyone, I am new to soy wax candle making. I am here because I was wondering in your experience Is It ok to use essential oils in soy wax candles. I have been researching and for the most part is the general answer is yes but I am left wondering if it is even worth spending money on expensive essential oils rather then fragrance oils. I've read that fragrance oil have better scent throws then essential oils but sometimes i am not a fan of fragrance oils because some of them tend to have a synthetic smell to them. So far i have experimented with an 8 oz candle with a total of 20 drops of a mix of amber and sage essential oils, I am currently waiting for that to cure so i can light and test it. With that being said I have the following questions. Is It ok to use essential oils in soy wax candles? What is the general rule of thumb for the amount of essential oil to 1 lb of soy wax? What is a good temperature to add essential/fragrance oils to the soy wax? What is a good temperature to pour the soy wax into a glass jar? Is It ok to mix essential oils and fragrance oils for soy wax candles? Any help is really appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldGlory Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I started my business in 2001 with essential oils in soy wax. 1. It's ok to use essential oils in soy wax. 2. I would start using 1/4-1/2 the amount of EOs that you would use with FOs - but there is no rule. Some EOs require more, some require less. Peppermint in one that you need far less EO than FO. 3. FOs are made to be used at pretty high temps. I generally add FOs between 160-180. It's important that the FO binds to the wax, and if it doesn't bind you will see little bubbles/puddles of FO in the bottom of your pouring pot. And you will have to heat the mixture until they bind. EOs burn off quickly in high heat so your wax needs to be cooler. 4. Follow your wax guidelines for the temp at which to pour your candles. Websites offer that info. 5. Many FOs are blended with EOs, so go for it. I should add that my business was not great with only EOs in wax and I switched after about 6 months to FOs. When I want an EO in my home I use a tea light warmer to diffuse them. Some of the more resinous EOs work pretty well in wax. What it's worth to you is one thing - what it's worth to a buying customer is another thing altogether. 'WORTH' is relative. Good luck with your journey! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midas251 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Thanks for this info OldGlory, this helps out A LOT!! I think i will give fragrance oils a shot and mix difference scents to make my own unique blend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldGlory Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 That sounds like a good plan. One FO that I use that also contains EOs is Cinnamon Chai from Candle Science. It contains cinnamon and clove - I think I am remembering that correctly. If I could suggest one more thing: be picky about your FOs. Like most of us, you'll find a few from one source that are great, a few from another source, etc. It won't be easy and you can't do it overnight, but over time you will find some really good scents. Build your inventory on those. If this is to eventually become a business, your customers will remember you for the scents you offer. You will find some excellent reviews/suggestions in the Fragrance Discussion category. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midas251 Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 UPDATE Last night I lit the 8 oz EO candle i made and it did not give off any scent at all (at least i didn't smell any). I think i will stick to FO for now until i can figure something out with the EO recipe. For those wondering what recipe i used here it is. Melted my soy wax at 160 F and added in 20 drops of amber EO and 5 drops of sage EO. Let it cool down to 135 F and poured my candle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 I had a tough time with EO soy candles. The flame seemed to destroy the EO so it didn't give off much scent IMO with the exception of the really strong EO's. I started using half the EO or 1/2 oz pp of wax, then I upped it to 1 oz pp and still same results. I did, however have good luck with melts and EO. I just got back into making the EO melts as many customers don't want the fo. I'm using the same ratio of 1 oz pp and they are super strong in the scents I carry. Since EO's are so expensive I only have 8 scents right now...have to buy those lb bottles slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfc Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 i want to make EO soy candles but i'm worried about the scent throw. is this still an issue? has anyone come up with a solution for EO's in soy candles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 10 hours ago, jfc said: i want to make EO soy candles but i'm worried about the scent throw. is this still an issue? has anyone come up with a solution for EO's in soy candles? It’s totally possible to make a nice EO candle, you just have to use a wax and wick that don’t burn so hot as to turn the eo scent into nasty fuel. It takes time and testing, like anything else. The downside is testing is even more expensive than for FO candles with fewer wins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty1_AJ Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 (edited) And some eo's, no matter what I tried, just had that Coleman Lantern Fuel smell to them when burning. Yuck! I prefer those funky ones in soy wax melts. Edited January 6, 2019 by Crafty1_AJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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