StanfordP

16 minutes ago, Candybee said:

Wanted to ask, have you tried the apricot coconut wax blend from Candlewic? I'm curious about and so thought I would ask. If you did, would you mind sharing your thoughts on the wax?

I haven’t! I hate apricots (personally), so that’s why I haven’t tried it! 😂😂 But, if C&S stays out, I may have to give it a go. They’ve pushed their in-stock date back like 3 times... ☹️

3 hours ago, Trappeur said:

 

That was very nice of you Stanford to advise what waxes you like.   I wanted to thank you for that....it was most kind.

 

Sharing is caring! Happy to do it!

2 minutes ago, obsessed said:

If you have All seasons wax over there now , they make a lovely cocosoy blend. It is a softer wax , so is not so great in the summer heat, but i makes a beautiful creamy opaque candle. Also , remember coconut wax and coconut "oil" are not the same thing.

We don’t!  I ask them probably once a month if they have a US distributor yet. They asked if I wanted to distribute, but I can’t afford a warehouse of wax... yet. 😂

Although, did here through the grapevine that TrueScents and All Seasons were discussing a partnership. That might bear fruit for us... 🤷‍♂️

33 minutes ago, kandlekrazy said:

Need to bear in mind that premiers have like a zillion sizes so 5 may be equal to 2 in other wicks.

Yep... exactly. I was using one size in 464 and used the same when I switched to C3. But, when I added coco, I did a full scale adjustment. Hence, the 5-size change. 

12 hours ago, ellajoan said:

@StanfordP, how much would you say the coconut oil improves the HT?  And is it blendable with 464 or C-3?  Interested.  

I’ll describe with an anecdote. I gave a candle to my friends using this particular wax blend. It was a small candle, 3.5oz of wax weight. They had it burning in their basement one night while they were working. The next morning, they could still smell the scent from the night before THREE FLOORS UP. The performance is beyond amazing!

Update: I poured my new soy/coco blend, and it’s a little more viscous than my original blend. I wicked down a few notches where I could, but alas, I had orders to fill. So this batch my not be to my usual standard. 

I’m confident the throws will be good. I’m just nervous about the wicking. I threw a little bit of beeswax in there too to harden it up, but I don’t think it helped much. 

I use C3 and adding coconut improves hot throws significantly. I routinely go out into the marketplace and buy competitor candles. Mine outperform every time. 

I like the coconut wax from Candles and Supplies the best. BUT THEYVE BEEN OUT FOR MONTHS!!!  Ahhhh 🤬 haha

So, I tried another wax on a whim, and I’m testing it today. Fingers crossed it works as well, otherwise I’m up a creek. I’ll report back. 

I use ECO and premier wicks, depending on the container. But I’ve wicked down at least 5 sizes on the premiers. The coconut reduces the overall melt point of the candle, so with proper wicking, not only do you get better HT, the burn times goes up too!

7 hours ago, Daisymay66 said:

I can’t believe I’m even asking this question but my curiosity is getting the best of me  I’ve read on here a few times about coconut wax but don’t know anything about it. Could you tell me a little about it? Easily wicked ( like that’s a thing LOL) Does it soot a lot? I’ll try researching also but hoping you could share your knowledge  

I LOVE coconut wax! 🥰 It’s like a miracle wax. It doesn’t crack or sink, it hardens faster, and holds fragrance better. It’s also a purely sustainable product. The agricultural impact of soy (farming, irrigation, land waste) negates any environmental benefit of using soy wax. 

Its tough to wick, which is why I blend it with soy. In pure form, coconut has a melting point of around 96 degrees. So, you gotta wick down. All the way down. 

Anyway, I could go on and on. It’s not cheap, which I blend with soy. But, my candles are beeeeau-ti-ful!

EDIT: I’d recommend buying a 10# bag of coconut wax and experimenting. Start with 5% and go up from there until you’re satisfied. I’d you can get a formula that uses less than 15% coconut wax, your cost per ounce of wax will only be affected by a few pennies. Worth the cost for the huge jump in quality. But you gotta experiment! And you’ll want to wick down, too. Good luck! 👍

18 hours ago, Sebleo said:

 

I disagree. All it takes is for someone else to trademark that company name and Quentin is in a very expensive predicament. Potentially having to change his company name. 

 

The logo doesn’t have to be trademarked. But, if he loves it, he should trademark it to prevent others from doing so. It may be too generic. I would recommend getting with a trademark attorney for a logo. 

 

But, doing the trademark for the company name is a process that can be done on your own. 

I think a little explanation might help clarify my point:  registered trademarks serve a purpose, definitely. But for a new company with zero brand equity and no name recognition, it’s not worth it to drop that kind of money right out the gate. Any worthy business attorney would recommend spending that money on developing your product. (Plenty other attorneys would recommend getting the trademark because that’s money in their pocket). 

When you start catching on and creating a name for yourself, THEN you trademark. The risk of someone stealing your name as a startup is so small. In the meantime, your marks are protected by first use in your geographic area. When you start expanding to multiple locations or cross country, that’s when trademarking becomes increasingly valuable. 

Ultimately, do what makes you feel most comfortable. If you’ll sleep better at night knowing you’ve got coast to coast coverage on your marks, then do it!

A soy wax blend isn't necessarily parasoy. A blend could be anything else blended with soy (palm wax, beeswax, coconut, other hydrogenated vegetable oils, and/or paraffin). Honestly, scent-throw anxiety gets me all the time! I actually quit using 464 entirely because I wasn't satisfied with the throws (though not saying yours don't smell). As for the marketing -- there's no regulation of candle labelling beyond standard labelling laws. I cringe every time I see a soy candle marketed as "vegan" or "organic" or "100% soy" <-- which BTW is very difficult/if not impossible to find... majority of "soy" waxes are blends with other vegetable waxes, even 464 isn't 100% soy wax...

I agree with @moonshine. Don't dilute your brand if you want to stick with vegetable waxes, but there's no harm in blending another wax in there to get better scent throws. Technically, your blend should contain at least 25% soy wax to call it "soy wax". I personally use coconut wax... LOVE IT. It ain't cheap, but my scent throws are mad good!

A local place that I use (but also sells online) is Penn Herbs.

On 11/27/2018 at 4:47 PM, Quentin said:

On 11/27/2018 at 11:57 AM, Sebleo said:

One thing to consider with your company name and logo. Do you want to trademark just the name or the logo too? I know I have seen pillar candles being used in logos before. Doesn’t mean you can’t use one too. 

 

I would recommend before going forward with this logo to try and make sure you aren’t infringing on a claimed mark. And that it’s available for you to trademark. 

 

You can can do a search on Us pto.gov.  Go to trademark then do a TESS search. 

 

Trademark names are easy to search, but it think it’s trickier to search for logos. 

 

 

Oh man! So many details keep popping up. It's maddening. Thanks for passing that one on to me. You're right that candles appear in lots of logos. I think it all comes down to how you configure it. For example, lots of furniture stores might use a chair or bed as part of their logo. Still, I better look into it. I guess the next question would be, where do I start when it comes to getting a registered trademark on the name in particular. Supposedly, the logo company did a search of some sort. I better double check with them. In the meantime, if anyone knows please let me know.

Trademarks aren't worth it at this point. First, it's expensive ($250+). Second, the logo is too generic. Take the $250 and invest it in your biz. In 5 years, if you're killing it and going nationwide, then trademark! Good luck!

5 hours ago, ellajoan said:

So in the jar I currently use (Flint 8 oz with 2.75 diameter), this is what I'm thinking for my C-3 no frag, no additive, test burns.  I'd love your input, having never used C-3 before.

 

Premier 760 or 765

Eco 12

HTP 104?

CD 10?  or CD 12?

For the Premiers, 760/765 is a great starting point. Might need to go up to a 770, but it's really container specific. Post results!! I'm excited to see what you discover!

4 hours ago, GailC said:

Oh my goodness, their containers are expensive!  I try to keep the price of my jars under $1.00 each and that's including shipping.    

AGREED!! When I saw $6 per, I nearly fainted!! 😂

Hey everyone — I came across DreamVessels (oddly, on Instagram) this morning. And I was wondering if anyone has any experience with them. Their containers look nice, although pricey, but they also seem like a relatively new company. 

Any thoughts? http://Www.dreamvessels.com

My mistake... I automatically assumed you were talking about candles! Oops!!

For soaps and cosmetics, CFR 701.12 would be the one to follow. 

On 10/29/2018 at 2:49 AM, Sebleo said:

 

Where is this “organic” soy wax people keep talking about?!  I get asked all the time if my wax and oils are organic. 

 

And I wonder how many people have thrown away candles with zinc wicks thinking they are lead!

It's crazy!! I've seen other makers market their soy candles as organic!! 🤨 There is no way in hell that any soy candle is organic. Even if the soy beans are grown organically, the hydrogenation process strips any certification. Not to mention fragrance oils... Definitely not organic. And, then the wick has to be organically produced too. 

Don't get me started on the "vegan" candle movement! 🙄😂

Whenever I want a straight scent, I usually start at SaveonScents. Looking at their site, they DO have a pure hazelnut, but it appears to be a beast. They recommend using it as a blender. http://www.saveonscents.com/product_info.php?products_id=1564 Not sure what you're going for, but worth looking at.

I generally have mixed success with Wellington Fragrance. So, if you give them a shot, order a sample first. Their oils smell great! But, performance in candles is hit or miss, even with the "premium" grade.

8 hours ago, mycandlecraft said:

For this wax I pour at 120 to 115 degree. The room temp is around 66 F. Its cooler area and fall is here :-). The weird thing is, it happens to random candles and not all. So I made 3 yesterday with cranberry scent and one of them got cracks and other two are fine. Same, I made vanilla nutmeg last week and one of them got cracks after 2-3 days and others are fine. I am thinking to buy wax warmer large one and put candle in there, hoping it would fix it?!!!!!

 

I dont know what would be the best way to do this. 

I think 66 degrees is probably a little too chilly for the room temp. If you can get to 68-70, I'd try that first. Next, 444 is a harder wax (than, say, 464), so with the decreases in ambient temperature, you should expect more surface flaws generally.

A good temporary fix... Take a heat gun to the outside of the jar to "soften" the cracks. But, ultimately might want to experiment with a "winter wax blend"... something with a lower melting point. Throw in some 464 or coconut wax and see if that works. 🤷‍♂️ Ultimately, cooler ambient temps will cause the wax to shrink faster, which is most likely where the cracks are coming from.

On 6/4/2018 at 1:17 PM, Sebleo said:

Under fair labeling you have to list your full address on the label unless you can be found in the white pages. Then you only have to list city, state and zip. 

 

For those that run a home based business, what do you do? Put your address on the label? If you got yourself in the white pages, how did you do it?

Fair labeling requires the name of the packer/manufacturer and location of the business. Location is not necessarily address. So, you can simply put City and State. 

Also, if you’re a sole proprietor, two recommendations. (1) get products liability insurance stat! And, (2) register with your Secretary of State’s office in your jurisdiction. 

Part of reasoning behind FLPA location requirements is to allow consumers to locate you if they have a problem with your goods. Registering with the SOS satisfies that for most places. Good luck!

Late to the thread, but I always enjoy researching labels. I used to purchase labels from LabelsOnTheFly.com (and still do, actually, for my warning labels). For single color B/W, it’s dirt cheap and good quality. They also have plenty of size options and are quick!

For my product labeling, I broke down and bought a Primera Label Printer. It’s not cheap to operate—I estimate between .25-.33 per label. BUT, the quality is fantastic, and the labeling options are endless! When I compare my old labels to new, it’s night and day difference. 

I’ve gotten good results from premier wicks in the past, especially in tins. But, now I’m doing more straight glass jars, and I’m strongly considering going back to ECOs. 

Im also incorporating coconut wax into my c3, and the premiers burn a little too hot. I need to do a test soon to reevaluate all my wick situations, actually. 😕

19 hours ago, burnsv1 said:

With 464, if you melt it in a presto pot for larger batches, how hot is too hot?  Or does it matter?  I have been using my presto pot for bigger batches and sometimes it gets the wax over 200 degrees.  I'm having a bit of trouble with poor hot throw lately and I'm wondering if there's a correlation?  Any input or advice is greatly appreciated.

I noticed when I was using 464, that if it heated over 200 degrees, it would affect the appearance of the tops. Like Kerven said, it’s like the high temps start to break down the natural components of the wax. I quit using 464 about a year ago—was just having too many problems!

8 hours ago, Paintguru said:

 

Those are really good Stanford.  I'm thinking of stories like those on the website, but maybe on the label, just a short, 3-4 word expression about the scent.  For example "Toasted Marshmallows:  Gooey Campfire Goodness", or something like that.  

I love that abbreviated version!! That’s a great idea. Keep me posted

1 hour ago, MilosCandles said:

 

Where do you find your "influencers" and what do you say to them?

Easiest way is to do a hashtag search for whatever you’re going for. Then message the person directly. I typically say something like, “Hey, I really like your feed and your photos are on-point. I make these candles, and I think you and your followers would like it. Can I send you a few samples to try and post, and if you like, let’s do a giveaway?” 

Early-stage influencers LOVE free stuff. There’s also a site online (something like influencermarketing.com) that let’s you lookup the “value” of influencer posts. I always do my research because some influencers try to get you to pay them for their posts. This site keeps their “demands” in check. For example, if I’m courting an influencer and they want me to pay them $200/post. I can go to this site and see that their posts are only worth $75, and use that as a strong negoitating point.