Do you keep an FO journal?

[Forrest]

I have a journal that I started and have been writing down a hodgepodge of information related to candle making. A few months back I started keeping a separate test journal based on information I read on the candle making board and that has been a huge help. So now I’m getting new FOs in and testing them, making various blends and it has become a disorganized mess. So I’ve decided to start a FO journal. I’m looking for advice on how to organize it and what information I need to keep track of. I have a journal I could write in, or I could make a page in Word to be a sort of fill in the blanks for each FO. I’m not sure what to do, but I have to do something soon.

[ncraiders]

If I was to make a fragrance journal I would include the following sections.  Fragrance name,  how much i used, cold/hot throw, info on if it was a blend of fragrances, if i needed to wick up/down due to the fragrance, and if the fragrance morphed in anyway after adding it to the wax..  I would put all this info into a sort of spreadsheet that i could just fill in the spots needed with the corresponding information.  This info would all be handy in case you ran across a fragrance later that you thought you had tried.  It would make it so you might not repurchase scents that did not work for you by accident.  As well as giving you a good way to find the fragrances that worked best in your testing as well.

[Bellevan]

I kind of use a journal. I use it to quickly jot down notes and such, how much dye I used and the like. But a month or so ago I discovered Microsoft's OneNote and I love it. I use it to organize everything candle related. It has phone app versions as well so I can have my notes up anywhere. You can upload pictures to it. It's great. I still use my regular journal/notebook, but I then transcribe everything to OneNote.

[Jcandleattic]

I have a binder of all everything soap and candle related. I use spreadsheets and software, and even handwritten notes, that I compile all into named files, and then about once a month I print it all out (and also put it on my external hard drive so that if my computer ever crashes, I have it) 

Once printed I sort by what it is, soap making, candlemaking, test, test results., etc. 

 

For fragrances specifically I have not only my inventory of fo's but how I used them, in what application, by type (floral, bakery, fruity, etc.,) and I also do the same for any blends I create. 

 

There are times I go several days. weeks, or even months without updating, and I really need to be better than that, but it eventually all gets done. 

[Jcandleattic]

1 minute ago, Bellevan said:

I kind of use a journal. I use it to quickly jot down notes and such, how much dye I used and the like. But a month or so ago I discovered Microsoft's OneNote and I love it. I use it to organize everything candle related. It has phone app versions as well so I can have my notes up anywhere. You can upload pictures to it. It's great. I still use my regular journal/notebook, but I then transcribe everything to OneNote.

 

HA that's awesome, I would have never thought of OneNote. What a great idea. 

[gls]

I also use OneNote for all my candle/FO info.  I’ve been using the software for years, my entire life is organized with OneNote.  I have it synced on my laptop, iPad and iPhone.  Works great for grocery lists too😁!!