Incendia

It is true that many fruits do not taste as good as they used to, and last longer in the stores. But that's not because they are GMOs, but rather the result of traditional plant breeding techniques, where fruits are selected for characteristics of harvest (machine picking, ripe all at once, etc), looks and long-keeping, with taste fairly low on the list of importance. I like to say present day tomatoes have been bred so they can be bounced to market. There is also post-harvest care, where fruits are often held in conditions that prevent further ripening. If it was just refridgeration, that would be OK. But, for example, avocados are shipped across oceans in containers with certain gases that prevent premature ripening. We only know part of how our foods are manipulated. Hence, know where you food comes from. Buy local if you can. Or better yet, grow your own. Again, that's not GMOs at fault, but rather as you say, "farming practices" such as monocultures and over-use of pesticides and herbicides, improper crop rotation, not to mention clear-cutting and basic removal of natural habitat for both plant and animal species. And it's a dead-end street. Sad to say, we may well be past the tipping point. Just ask the honey bees.

Maybe there is some sort of glitch at their end. If anyone emails them, you might want to mention this to them. They are very nice people.

My mother had 5 brothers, all successful muck farmers (drained bogs/swamps) in the Midwest. Not a one of them lived past 55. She said she remembered them coming home covered in white powder - after WWII, and before the dangers were known. I'd be more worried about the various '-cides' used on food crops.( -cide - Latin - the act of killing) than gmo's. As for gmo's in wax, as some said above about blends, I don't think most people care. I'd be more worried about the fact that the soybean oil has been hydrogenated to make it solid - a known health risk. If you eat it.

That is so cute! I like the idea of (almost) matching male/female soaps.

When I was in college too many years ago, people kept saying about eventual over-population and feeding all the people on earth, that 'science will find a way'. And it has. Only people don't much like what they have come up with. 7 billion and counting... ps, if you don't like anything related to a gmo, you'd better be prepared to give up cheese. The first approved genetically modified organism is a bacterium that produces rennet - which is used in most hard cheese making these days, even in pristine Vermont. And it is apparently exempt from labeling laws. Many think the blanket anti gmo reaction is hysteria. Of course that does not mean that in the future something bad might not be produced because when you can mess with genes, the potential is there, but thus far the negative reaction does not seem to be driven by facts. Round-up use is a concern of course, but a number of non-gmo crops are sprayed with round up to kill and dry them out before harvest. Only consume 'real food' and know where that food comes from.

I feel your pain. A few days ago I was tired and added too little FO to a batch. I keep a 'how much' chart in my work area for the amount of wax I am working with, and failed to do the correct simple math. Not as complex a problem as yours. Mine turned out OK however. I was afraid that I was going to have to remelt them and add more, but instead I just added a bit more FO to the second pour. They are just for me or give-aways, so that's not too large a crime. But I really did hate making a silly mistake like that.

Renaming it might be the way to go since actual Bird of Paradise flowers, while dramatic, have little if any scent. I just wasn't buying it. .

I have part of a sample remaining of that too. I had been thinking of blending it with some sort of fresh air or fresh laundry scent, but haven't yet.

Interesting that CCs and CSs vanillas are the two that I like the most. Didn't think to compare them nostril to nostril.

I just went and checked, and for me, 2 pounds is still $7. But there is a small box in the shipping quotes area that says something like 'more options' or 'more carriers'... click on that and select USPS. For me the alternate option was UPS, and indeed that was much higher.

I've never been charged more than the minimum $7.15 (or so) and that included 2 pounds plus a sample or two. To California. USPS. Contact them directly and ask why shipping is so much for you.

Wow! Very impressive!

I'm getting closer to putting in an order to Flaming and wondered if they have a good vanilla scent anyone can recommend. I do like vanillas from both Candle Cocoon, and CS, but have not tried any from FC. I'd love to save on postage.

I love the fact that even though she is terrified by what she purchased, she said she might resell them... She also should never read the warning labels on any sort of medication she is considering taking. Not just cocaine and other toxic natural substances, but as a doc friend says, the plague was natural, as is botulism and viruses. For that matter, so are lions and tigers and bears. (Is nature trying to kill us?) Accurate information is a good thing, IMO the more the better... but not everyone has good reading comprehension. I also like to know the opinions of people I trust. Life can be dangerous, but weigh your risks, and make your best possible decision. Or live in a seamless bubble and not experience much of the richness life has to offer.

I know not nearly as much as others here.. but for the heck of it, I was willing to give it a try. I made a 90% soy, 10% beeswax, and it created a very nice smooth finish. And a nice, slightly off-white color. My beeswax was lab-grade yellow. Fortunately I'm my own customer, and 'natural' does not matter to me, ...so I'll stick with less expensive paraffin. YMMV .

Guess I'm living on borrowed time... So.... Where's that chocolate cake? Or did Wellnessmama condemn that too?

I guess you haven't been following the Walking Dead thread here. There are lots of us walkers wandering around.

Many of the members here are professionals and sell their candles and other products. But there also seem to be a good number of hobbyists who just are having fun doing it. If candle making is a hobby for you as it is for me, what are your goals? What kind of candles do you make, and out of what, and why? Do you make a variety of candles, or have you found a size/formula that works for your uses. Do you work out of your kitchen, or in a separate space? Please share what you do, and what you do with all you make. Inquiring minds want to know. I really enjoy making candles and, on and off, have dabbled for many years. To the horror of the professionals, I use mostly old, recycled candles/wax from yard sales or from friends. I don't really care if I can repeat my results, as would be necessary if selling them. I just want candles look nice, smell good, and that I can burn many of, ...and this works for me. In fact, I enjoy working with wax that can be challenging at times. I do prefer to keep colors separate, but mostly I mix lots of wax together. Sometimes I do buy wax, both paraffin and soy, but not that often. I do use mostly paraffin, but I just love the look of candles with lots of soy in them. I'd love to try some rapeseed and palm wax too, but that likely wont happen. Over time I have made many kinds of candles, including long tapers. That was fun, and they burned great. For the most part, other than votives, the size I most use is in the range of about 3 inches tall and wide. Container candles are fun to make, but I don't much like burning them because they are more of a challenge for my gorilla methods, and I don't really like a constantly flickering flame. Right now, I'm focusing on making votive candles. They are fast, easy, and mixed waxes work well. They burn nicely. As a bonus, they don't last a long time. That way I get to try all the various FOs and new mixtures from all those little bottles. And votives are easy to give away. I like to burn them in those little glass oyster votive/tea light containers. The look is very appealing to me. That is what I do... If you are willing, please share what you do as a hobby candle maker too.

I too live in a dusty area. I think however with health concerns, it is not figuring out which is the worst irritant we come in contact with, but rather what is the cumulative effect of all of them together. Currently it is the height of our pollen season. And mold because its been wet. And it's windy so there is also dust. And in this house, cat dander. You can't really separate them - you breath in all of them at once. As for concentrations of FOs, I think a standard 6%, and for some, higher, is not anything to sneeze at. Especially if you read the other health-related thread linked above (second ? post of this thread), and read about the significant physical reactions some candle-makers have had, including me. Add to this, all the other irritants we take in and it may add up. And perhaps like smoking cigarettes, it may take years for negative effects to be seen. FOs are relatively new to the scene, but are now one of the primary reasons for choosing to buy a candle. Over my lifetime of making candles, I 've melted down many used candles. It's only been in the past decade or so that scented candles have become very plentiful. Vanillas and pine and bayberry have been around, but then the butterscotches crept in... and now... you name it. The suppliers are coming up with more and more creations to tempt us to buy and use. (and it's been fun) This topic is very difficult to discuss in a place where many of the participants have a financial interest and sell the very things we are discussing. But the meme is out there, that burning some candles may be harmful to your health. And for many people, true or not, it will always be there. Just like 'vaccines cause autism', which has been debunked for years, but some still believe. That said, last night I was burning 5 candles, and for several hours.

I think you mean 'land of no water'. It is very nice here however. No doubt about it.

Crikey! I'm thinking that as summer approaches, I may move my base of operations outside. (Maybe the FOs will keep the raccoons away.) .

Uh... Date night ambiance? Are you into necrophilia? That's not a come-hither setting, it's a wake. That big lump on the bed is not pillows, that's a body lying in repose after a life-time of burning all those candles. .

As I said in a post above: "Call me a 'crunchy' (I also used to eat granola and still hug trees), but I think there are some health-related things to consider when burning candles." I would probably be better labeled 'crunchy light'. .

I have two more orders I want to make of scents from samples that I REALLY like and must have more of. But after that, unless there is a really good sale, I've got to stop ordering new ones, and just put into wax ones I already know I like. Since I don't sell my candles, and only use or give them away, I've got to draw the line somewhere. Besides, I've got 2 other expensive hobbies to feed... plus my Amazon addiction.

You betcha... One of the roles of essential oils in nature is to some extent, toxic. There are several roles for essential oils - from pleasant lightly scented flowers to attract pollinators, to the adaptation via essential oils and other natural chemicals, which both prevent animals from eating the leaves, as well as preventing germination of seeds beneath species with these compounds (to lessen competition for limited water). In dry environments such as those found in Mediterranean climates, one of the mechanisms for plant survival is the production of essential oils. In plants such as lavender, various sages, eucalyptus, verbena, thyme, rosemary, and others - plentiful essential oils are a deterrent to other organisms. In fact, in dry years, bare zones where no other plants grow (seeds don't germinate), can be found around plants such as these. The phenomenon is called allelopathy. There are more chemicals involved than just EOs, but they are a significant player. But, hey, they are 'natural' so they can't be dangerous to humans. They have been used for centuries, and I'm not saying they are dangerous, but I think some of these compounds in some circumstances may not be totally benign.