katinka

I do wax melts, votives, containers and pillars - so basically everything. You can sell anything as long as you have tested it thoroughly and it burns safely. However, quality is very important, and this is a technique that improves the more candles you make. The main thing is to be patient and not to try and sell before you are 100% sure of your product. Have fun!!!

Might be that you are trimming it too much, because to me the flame is very similar to the zinc (depending on the size of course) and sometimes the LX can get a bit too big if you are doing a marathon burn. The LX's are really nice wicks once you have sorted out the sizing for yourself - the manufacturers recommendation is way out as far as I am concerned. HTH Katinka:wink2:

I agree with Pam - I have all the LX's from LX10 to LX30 and with my 3 inch pillars the LX30 sometimes leaves up to a 6mm edge that needs to be folded in. You really have to wick up with these. I won't bother testing anything less than LX26 and up. Katinka:wink2:

Hi there I am by no means an expert and I unfortunately don't know your wax, but generally mottling indicates that there is unbound oil in your wax. To prevent this from happening, you can use additives such as Universal Additive or Vybar to bind the oil. Be careful of not using too much, because it can bind the fragrance oil to the extent that it affects your scent throw negatively. If it is a pre-blended wax, these generally already contain these additives, so it could simply be that you are using more oil than your wax has a capacity for, so try decreasing the % oil used. HTH Katinka

Thanks to everyone else who has also posted replies!! K

Sorry Top, you shouldn't be discouraged! It really is a beautiful system, and it is also not a powder but little pebbles - almost like the Paraflint, just a bit flatter and slightly bigger. If you produce candles in any significant amount, i.e. more than the 10 candles I do per week at this stage, you should really look into it becuase the variety of shades you can do is amazing and it is also relatively cost effective. Plus you use a computer programme with it, so it is very accurate up to the point of measurement and therefor repeatable. At least have a look at it - I really think it is worth it, just not is small quantities. Katinka

I suppose I could try and find someone who sells them. Do you have any suggestions? It has to measure 0.001g and up. If this proves too difficult, I thought I'd go with a liquid system so I can do drops. Katinka

Can anyone recommend a good dye system for paraffin and blended waxes. I have been using a color system in powder form that requires a 3 decimal scale. Up till now, I have been guessing and only coloring candles for personal use, because here these scales cost about $400. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Katinka

I am sorry to hear that they are not very helpful. I posted a request to be contacted on the sasolwax international website and was contacted by the agent in my country the same day. Both Kaiser Lacke and Wedo also replied sending me the contact details of their agent in my country. No minimum orders there - I can buy wick per roll and colour per 50g if I like. With the wax, I was referred to several distributors that sell in smaller quantities (25kgs at a time) and although the variety is not great, at least I can make my candles. Maybe South Africans are just very helpful by nature! Katinka

Hi there Have a look at the www.sasolwax.com website. If you register under eWax you can get the specs of all their waxes. They are a major German manufacturer of wax with distribution all over the world. You should get contact details as well. For wicks you can have a look at www.wedo.de. They do an excellent range of wicks, predominantly the LX wicks you will find alot of reference to on this site. For colour, look at www.kaiserlacke.de - they do colour both for overdipping and thru colour and the quality is really excellent. All of these sites are the main manufacturers, so although they might not sell to you directly, they would be able to refer you to an agent or distributor of their products. HTH;) Katinka

Now if you asked my husband that question, he would probably say "mentally challenged" which is just a nice way of saying INSANE...

Ok, you asked for it... So, to get back to mud. The clays and mud used in skincare originate from a variety of sources, which obviously has a certain influence on the levels of actives it contains. Now, for anything and I mean anything, to penetrate the skin's cellular structure, the molecular size of the individual particles must be between 5 and 20 microns as this is the size of the spaces between the cells of the skin where the product actually penetrates. This means that all ingredients, including muds and clays, must be micronized by a highly scientific process that ensures that the molecules are small enough to penetrate while still keeping the active ingredients intact. Back to mud: Muds have been used for literally centuries by many cultures to treat a variety of superficial skin conditions. Moor Muds are generally water soluble and contains a variety of active ingredients, mainly minerals, amino acids, phyto-hormones, vitamins, enzymes, natural antibiotics, humic acid and salicylic acid. Rassoul Muds (mostly sourced from Morocco) is a natural brown mud derived from a natural progression of residual volcanic lava and volcanic rock. It is rich in Silicium, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Sodium. What makes this different from Moor and Dead Sea Mud is the fact that it contains no traces of vegetation The Dead Sea is the richest natural mineral source in the world, with a concentration of 32% dissolved minerals and a unique content. The main elements are chlorine, sodium, calcium, potassium and bromine. How exactly Dead Sea minerals aid the skin is not exactly understood, but if you look at the individual elements contained in these minerals, the main function would be aiding cellular metabolism. They also "bind" the natural water in the layers of the skin, thereby having a moisturising effect. Cosmetic science is such a vast subject and my absolute passion - so feel free to ask questions, I'll always try to help. Katinka

And the service is EXCELLENT!!!

I work for an international skincare company specializing in spa products. Obviously we make use of very refined muds and seaweed, mainly from a quality point of view. Something alot of people don't realise is that mud or unrefined (biotechnically untreated) seaweed cannot penetrate into the skin. Dead sea mud and mud from lake sediment is most desirable due to its high content of minerals. Dead sea mud in particular is very unique in concentration because of the fact that the Dead Sea is really below sea level. These minerals only affect the skin superficially because the molecular structure is too big to penetrate any further than the epidermis of the skin. So it really only provides surface comfort, particularly for conditions like eczema and psoriasis and very sensitive skin. Sorry for the long rambling - I hope it is helpful. If you would like more info, let me know. Katinka

Hi My main target market is salons and spas. Other fragrances of note would be anything with Ylang-Ylang, Water Lily, Neroli / Orange Flower, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vanilla etc. I use standard candle scents, becuase using essential oils makes the cost of the candles too high and one of the big issues in a spa is always too keep costs down as much as possible. Soy and paraffin are equally good in this case. I sell 3x3 and 3x6 pillars and I have also had alot of request for tumblers / containers - as plain as possible. HTH Katinka

I package mine individually in a square of tissue paper folded around the tart with a small round sticker to hold it all together and then I place two of those in a cellophane packet with a tag stapled to the top. Just another idea. HTH Katinka:smiley2:

You could also throw in a kiddies toy or two in there. And what about different fabric textures like velvet, satin and raw silk? HTH Katinka:smiley2:

Hi - I got an awesome throw in straight paraffin with 10% stearic - both hot and cold is excellent. Also no fuel smell. Sorry, I know it is probably not much help since you are using soy - can't help you there. Maybe ask Trish - she knows Becky's oils very well. I am not sure what wax she uses though. Katinka:smiley2:

What a nice candle that is!!!

Hi Angela I did tests with zinc vs LX 10 or 12 and the burns on the LX was really good. When I am finished with all the zinc wicks I still have left, thats what I am going to switch over to because I hate the mushrooms! HTH Katinka;)

Hi Sabrina I am SO SORRY - I totally forgot!!! I promise I'll phone them right now and PM you.:embarasse Katinka

I poured some Mimosa Mandarin in straight paraffin with stearic yesterday and both the hot and cold throw in my tarts are excellent. It is really a beautiful oil in my opinion. Katinka:smiley2:

Thanks Trish - I stink at it too!! Katinka:smiley2:

Hi Can anyone help me with renaming JS Cherish into something more descriptive? My nose is not too great at the moment, so I can't tell what I am smelling. TIA:smiley2: Katinka

Hi, as far as I know concentrates are sometimes also referred to as Absolutes or Concretes. This is the pure, unrefined oils generally not blended with any other oils or substances that dilute the fragrance. Almost like Eau de Parfum versus Eau de Toilette in terms of perfume. They are generally extremely expensive because they are so concentrated. I am not sure where you would get them, but I would say be careful as to who you buy them from as quality can really vary and you might not get what you pay for. I hope that helps somewhat. Katinka:smiley2: