UV Inhibitor / Stabilizer

I was completely out of UV Stabilizer (powdery kind used at .2 - .3%). I think some suppliers call it UV Inhibitor. I was in a rush so I ordered some from Cajun Candles because their price was cheaper and they had more shipping options. By the way, the people at Cajun Candles were wonderful to work with, and I hope to order with them again soon.

But I just wanted to check if any of you had opinions on their UV Inhibitor, or if you have compared it to any other suppliers so I'll know what to expect once I receive it.

I assumed it was all the same product but the price difference made me stop and think.

Thanks in advance.

No they are not all the same product. If it doesn't say it takes care of both UV rays, your candles may fade.

Thanks, ChrisR. The supplier I ordered from described their product as "reducing damage ... caused by harmful U-V rays, such as the sun, as well as any flourescent [sic] lighting." It sounds like it covers both the UV-A and UV-B. Although they didn't specifically mention UV-C rays, I'll cut them some slack since I won't be making any candles on the ISS anytime soon.

I've been using Cajun's UV inhibitor for many years with good results. I bought some from another source once and it seemed to work okay, too.

WOW ! Obviously I need to shop around more !!! My first UV I bought from BC south. Was pricey so I only bought the small bag. While looking through Candle Science I noticed theirs was much cheaper so started buying theirs. NOW I stumble on this thread and find Cajun is 10 BUCKS cheaper than CS on the 16oz pack.

Guess who I'll be buying my next batch from ?

Question though...... Both Bitter Creek and Candle Science suggest 1/2 to 1 tsp per pound of wax. Cajun suggests 1/8 tsp per pound. I use 1/2 per pound. How much do you all use ?

Jo

I do everything by weight, so the UV Stabilizer I am used to using would be added at .2% weight of my wax. So if I was melting 16 oz of wax, .002 x 16 = .032 oz of UV-I per pound of wax. I bought a scale off of ebay that lets me measure ounces and grams to such small decimal places so I don't have to rely on any volumetric measurements.

Cajun Candles states 16 oz of their UV-I will work for 800 lbs of wax. So by weight, that would measure out to:

1 lb of UV-I / 800 lbs of wax = .00125 lb of UV-I to use per pound

convert to ounces: 16 x .00125 = .02 oz of UV-I to use per pound

I don't know how that would convert to tsp sizes

So it appears they are recommending a lower amount than my current supplier recommends (.125% vs .2% weight). I guess I'll have to test it for my own needs and see.

I bought a lb, I think, from BCN. It cost way too much but they said it really worked and it did but you need more , like it says. Anyway the bummer is I left it in a place that got really warm and it all melted together. It's as hard as a rock:mad: can't even grind, grate or crush it. Finally added other wax and melted, took awhile, then broke into small pieces. What is this stuff? It isn't anything like wax or plastic. Point is don't store near heat. I have to order from Cajun so I'm getting some new. Thanks for the info...

I use 1/8 tsp PP in all colored and uncolored candles & tarts. A metal measuring spoon works best 'cause the powder has a strange consistency.

I will have to keep up with this thread. That is an awesome price compared to what we are charged here! You will have to let us know how it looks and works when it arrives, and if it looks good I will then have to order. Probably dont need the express shipping option as I still have some left here that I got from NG.

I felt it was very important that I come back and update this thread.

I have received my UV-I from Cajun Candles and the "32 oz tub" of UV-I is actually 8 oz by weight.

I had interpreted their website description to mean that I was purchasing 32 oz by weight of UV-I, not volume.

I have emailed them regarding this and they confirmed that their 32 oz quantity is volume, not weight.

So those are the facts. I am withholding any new opinions I may have on my recommendation until after I finish discussing the issue with Cajun Candles.

But for now, I wanted to give a heads up to anyone who may be price comparing and assuming this is by weight.

Thanks for the update jonsie. So its not the big bargain we were thinking ! I'm still wondering why the huge difference in suggested usage with Cajun saying use 1/8 tsp per pound where both BitterCreek and CandleScience suggest 1/2 to 1 tsp per pound. That's quite a difference.

See, "ounce volume" is based on water. How much volume does one ounce of water need? Water is the standard. Can't base it on lead or styrofoam.

So take 32 oz of water, figure out the volume needed, then fill that space with your UV powder. Then weight it again and poof, only 8 ounces of weight.

Personally, I think this is a violation (or should be a violation) of the weights and measures department in the US. If they sell by volume, they should say CC's or cubic inches, etc.

Imagine if this was based on lead. If you took the space necessary for 32 ounces of lead and filled it with your UV and called it 32 ounces by volume, you would barely have enough to snort up one nostril. If you based the volume on styrofoam, you'd get a huge boatload of UV showing up on a pallet.

I find this kind of advertising to be trickery.

Ever try to compare flashlights? Some say candlepower, others lumens? There is no direct formula that converts candlepower to lumens so you can only compare lumens to lumens and candlepower to candlepower. Not very helpful. If a seller has performed both tests, they may give you both numbers, but if they didn't, you're trying to compare apples to oranges.

I hate it when sellers bamboozle.

An ounce is weight pressing down on a scale. If they put 32 ounces of water on the scale, then removed the water and filled the volume with UV and told you it was 32 ounces, they bamboozled. Its that simple.

Glassware, however, comes in water wight sizes because nobody knows what you are going to put in it. If a glass holds 11 ounces of water, you'll get 9 ounces of wax in it or maybe 200 ounces of lead in it. And apparently, 3 ounces of UV will fit in it. I can appreciate glassware being sold in water weight volume. I cannot appreciate a known substance like UV being sold in water weight volume.

The volume/weight issue also occurs with some FO sellers.

I dont mind if they want to sell that way, I do however agree with EricofAZ that they should say this is how they are selling.

Sorry to hear about your purchase, its definitely a big difference that you have received when compared to what you thought you were going to receive.

jo

If you guys don't mind me asking.. Do you only need to add the UV inhibitor in candles? How about melts? Thanks in advance for the info..

Melissa

I only do melts... and I put it in every batch. For the same reason. To keep the color from fading.

Jo

wait...so is there a difference between uv inhibitor and uv stabilizer? if so, what is it? 

10 hours ago, Rumdrop said:

wait...so is there a difference between uv inhibitor and uv stabilizer? if so, what is it? 

I’ve always known the two terms to be interchangeable for the same product.