ladydragon

Thank you Scented... Notes duly taken...:smiley2:

Thanks for your reply scented... They are on my list of suppliers to do a bit of a shop with... Sorry for all the questions but I've not used Mica in soap yet - how much do you add per pound or kilo? I do HP normally - would it go in after the cook? Thank you x

They look absolutely lovely Scented... Swirling is definitely not my speciality... Do you mind if I ask what you used for the sparkle and is it all the way through or just on the surface of the bars?

Thank you for your input everyone... Candle Science have been exceptionally helpful and managed to track down my friend's order... This mystery, soft and squidgy container wax that I'm currently trying to beat into submission is in fact, Astorlite J50... The mottling wax is, as Karen guessed, a container blend that has similar properties to the IGI1288b... So now I need to scout around looking for info on the J50...lol LX22 bit the dust as it smoked very quickly too - and the CS wick guide recommends an Eco12 for this wax in this size container - the Eco8 was doing a jig and smoking after a few hours so I think it's going to be a double wick option next... Thank you all again...x

Thank you all for your input... I was hoping that I might be able to wick this with one wick - can't say I'm a card carrying lover of double wicking - but if that's the only option that I find works then I'll go with that... The honey pot jar from the jar store has a diameter of 3 and 7/8" although it it slightly shaped and tapers inwards slightly towards the base... Nice looking container and I managed to get my paws on a good batch of them so I'd like to get the combo working if possible... The scent throw on this wax only using FO at 6% is great... I *think* 6% roughly equates to around the 1oz pp mark - I just prefer to work in grams for the wax and then grams for the oils - keeping it simple for my little brain...;-) The Eco 8 does seem to have potential - but any longer than the tiniest nub of wick and it's doing the dance and smoking... I can't see my customers trimming their wicks that short to be honest so I think I'll definitely look at the LX as many of you seem to be having success with those... Jane - I'm not sure if I've had the same 'black eye' problem - it's not so much 'black' but when it finished a second burn there was a definite discolouration in melt pool as it set up... The candle is in pink (having a pink n' fluffy phase right now...lol) and the reformed MP had a definite grey tinge to it... Definitely an amazing scent throw with this wax though... I'll give it that one...

Thank you Karen... By the sounds of it this other mystery box of 'Mottling Container Blend' might be the 1288b you refer to as the order for it would have definitely been placed in excess of a year ago I would have thought... 2006 is probably a good timeline... I would definitely have presumed it to be a pillar wax given how hard it is - so glad you have pointed me in the right direction in that... The mystery (possible 4630) squidgy container wax set up beautifully and I popped an Eco 10 in and whipped it out in ten minutes as it was smoking like a tyre on fire from the off... Replaced it with an Eco 8 and for two hours it's burned to perfection - flame just floating over the MP and not moving... MP gradually increasing at a nice rate... Getting me all excited I might be in the ball park... Now, 2 1/2hrs in it's starting the odd bobbing around and sending up a little plume of smoke... In between doing the shuffle it's still burning perfectly... Grrrrr Thanks for the heads up Coconut - seems to be exactly what's happening... Not sure if an Eco 6 would be meaty enough for the diameter of the 15oz honey jar... Back to the drawing board methinks...lol I don't like LX's particularly in containers as they have a habit of falling over for me - so it'll be CD's next if this Eco 8 carries on with it's intermittent bobbing/smoking routine...

Thank you all... I've poured one in the 15oz Honey Pot for now... Unwicked - with a rod so I can drop a wick in for testing... Taken colour from a colour block beautifully... Added FO at 6% just to be on the safe side as I don't know what it should hold - and to say it's bumping as it's hardening is an understatement...lol Any suggestions for an initial wick? I was wondering whether to go with an Eco 10 and see how it goes from there... Also, if there are any suggestions for a more suitable FO level then I'm all ears... Thank you x

Thank lucky stars it's not the prices we're paying in the UK which are steadily increasing at a ridiculous rate... They are beyond a joke and then some... A 50lb box of Eco Soy CB135 for example would be around the £60 mark - that's close on $120 per box...

Thank you Karen... These waxes were purchased around 18mths ago I think... The gentleman who bought them has died and his widow gave me most of his stock as she knew we'd chatted a lot when he was alive... A third box has also come to light which he labeled himself and has stuck a CS Mottling Container Blend label on it... I'm presuming that means it's a Candle Science wax again but I don't see a mottling option for containers on their site... But this would have been a good while ago so perhaps it's one that's gone out of stock now... That's also in slabs but crumbs - they're darn hard for a container wax... Bar for the label I would have presumed it to be a pillar blend... There's about 50lb of that stuff too... The unknown wax is ever so soft - you can squidge it between your fingers and it's not that warm here... But it's not quite as soft as the tubs labeled as 4627 - that's amazingly soft... My regular UK container blend has a greasy feel to it but is absolutely no where near as squidgy as either of these waxes... The mottling wax would be good to have a play with - but I don't want to waste the 4627 (comfort blend - 2 tubs to a box) or this other unknown container wax if I can actually use the wax to make nice containers... Buying in more container wax when I have 100lb at my finger tips doing nothing would be a crying shame...lol

Hi there... I'm hoping someone with a bit more knowledge of IGI waxes might be able to shove me in the right direction... I'm in the UK but I've just inherited a full box of IGI 4627 and and unidentifiable (no label) box of another VERY soft slabbed wax which has a paraffin feel to it... Both boxes came from Candle Science... I'm hoping they might be able to shed some light on the unknown wax but I'm still waiting on a reply... I doubt I'll be able to replace these waxes but the idea of just slinging close on 100lb of wax to one side as unusable brings me out in a cold sweat...lol They both feel an awful lot softer than the regular container paraffin wax that I'm used to using from within the UK... I've had some 15oz Honey Jars from the Jar Store and would like to have an idea of what wicks someone more experienced with IGI waxes might suggest for this combination... I have Eco and LX wicks and am waiting on a supply of CDs and some CSNs... A few starting points for me to then test around would be very helpful indeed... Thank you x

If I was adding tomato puree it would go in after the cook... Work quickly and incorporate well and you should get a nice subtle marbled finish to each slice... I add 5% extra water to HP to help keep the mix smoother and easier to mould...

Same as Carrie... I add mine just before moulding and about 2% FO or 1% EO is good... I also add 5% extra water to make the mix smoother... Any more than 10% and I've been advised the bars can warp when setting - but I've always stuck to 5% extra and the mix is definitely a bit easier to handle and doesn't come out any 'wetter' - just easier to mould smoothly... Definitely don't do a water discount...

For my two penneth worth... It's not my cup of tea - but my brother in law would think it absolutely amazing... The altered header with the palm in the palm so to speak does look better - but would it be preferable to use a picture of a wicked (and possibly lit) candle so it definitely looks like a candle? Just wondering if there's some non candle people might not have the foggiest what it is... It definitely won't be to everyone's taste - but heck, 10/10 for creativity and it would be pretty boring if we all liked the same thing...

I use cup cake liners and glue dot a votive wick in... If you really want a loaf style that's very rustic you could use an inexpensive silicone bakeware loaf or roasting mould... 2/3 fill with sawdust and other flammable stuff like the dryer lint and bed wicks down throughout the length* into the bulk and then pour your wax over slowly to saturate the contents well and truly... If done slowly the wood shavings will start to swell and the whole lot will end up filling the mould... Decorate the surface with pot pourri, rosehips etc if you want - or leave bare and 'woody'... Leave to set and peel off the silicone... One Fire Starter Loaf... Use Knife, Saw, Soap cutter etc to slice... *If you have trouble bedding the wicks in just fill without and when demoulded make a small hole through the middle of a 'slice' and push the wick through that... The wick's just to be able to light and move safely away before it all combusts... Or use wound up newspaper donuts as usual to lay the fire and bed the firestarter blocks between the paper donuts and the wood the same way as store bought blocks...

Dana... I'm not really familiar with the BS butter but If you want to dip your toe in the water more gently before getting involved with emulsified recipes and preservatives etc - why don't you try a whipped shea butter? Soooooooo easy to do and if you don't like the results you can always give it away as someone else probably will... Then tweak a bit more and try again... Whatever you end up with it'll still be good for your skin... And you might trip over a creation of your own that you prefer to the BS one Try this one if you think you'd like it - and any of the ingredients can be subbed out... 60% Shea Butter, 20% Rice Bran Oil*, 10% Avocado Oil, 7% Jojoba Oil, 2% Skin Safe Fragrance Oil**, 1% Cyclomethicone*** and a good pinch of Cornflour (cornstarch I think you call it). Heat the Shea double boiler style to 80 deg C and keep it there for 15 minutes or so then pour into a bowl, add the other oils including the cyclo and FO... Stir to incorporate... Put to one side until it starts to get cloudy and a bit mushy around the edges - like wax if you were going to whip it... Sprinkle in the cornflour and blitz with a hand held whisk - like mixing a cake batter... Dollop into a container and leave for a few hours to harden up some... Slap on and enjoy... * the RBO can be subbed for Olive Oil or any other oil you can get your mitts on to be honest... Apricot Kernel etc... ** Use less if you want and up the RBO by up to 2% to replace it... *** Not absolutely necessary but it does make a difference... The Avocado Oil I love - leaves a gorgeous velvety feel on the skin but quite rich so might be too much if you have oily skin... The Cyclo and the Cornflour will make it more velvety and less greasy on the skin... Whatever you end up with it'll feel nice and be good to your skin - you can make it in small 100g batches to play around with and if you don't like it - raise the oils and drop the shea or vice versa or tweak it around a bit with different oils...

I know I'm in the UK so things might be a tad different - but it does strike me as a bit strange as here the corticosteroid creams are normally prescribed for dermatitis or eczema etc - not for acne itself as the actual steroid creams can cause acne pustules... Kiddies are normally prescribed something like Hydrocortisone which has a 1% steroid in it... As I understood it, Juvenile Acne should be treated like any other person with acne - gentle cleansing etc... Carebear's right though - acne can be a secondary infection to folliculitis or a staph infection on the skin and the steroid cream will treat the skin topically for any itching and inflammation... Short term it should be perfectly ok to use - but if it's primary juvenile acne rather than a sensitivity reaction or secondary infection and it doesn't respond to the cream PDQ I'd honestly be tempted to ask them to look into things a bit more than continue using it for too long... I'm honestly not trying to undermine your lad's doctors - I just really, really hate corticosteroids as my 10 yr old had horrendous infantile eczema in all the regular places and particularly badly in the groins from wearing a nappy - back then we religiously (as per GP/MD instructions) applied the cream and he now has a permanent scar in the groin where the skin thinned from the steroid cream. So VERY short term and VERY thin application would be my mantra now... If you don't make it yourself - perhaps one of the other crafters on this board manufactures a cold process natural soap tailored to be exceptionally gentle for babies and very young/sensitive skin... The kids still get lots of creamy bubbles to play with but the natural oils in the soaps might be beneficial to his skin... Good luck!!!

I pop mine into heat sealed tea bags and then either stack a few inside an acetate votive candle box tied off with a bit of raffia or ribbon; or for a more rustic look loose in a bakery bag with a reuseable tea bag tucked on the top inside... I only use EOs in the bath teas - add to the salts first and leave for a bit before mixing the other nicies in and then packaging into the bags...

I don't know about ball shapes or spheres... But I use the small petite four (mini cup cake) cases for single use massage 'pats' and also for bath melts... Just peel and use AM x

lol... I know the feeling... 'Playtime' is in short supply here too... No problem though - just drop me a line at some point later if you need any info on the UK suppliers or just want a small amount of something sent over that I might be able to help with... AM x

OMG... That is just gorgeous! The day I manage to produce anything half as classy looking I'll be a very happy bunny indeed...

Gemlite does an Orange Blossom and a Magnolia which blend beautifully... Just Scent have got a Mandarin & Mimosa which is lovely - in B&B and Candles...

The Candle Source Nature's Garden Save on Scents Candle Science Don't like it myself so can't comment really but a stalwart few of my customers do... AM x

Got me thinking now Casey...lol We're not allowed over here to use US oils in B&B products unless they are independently tested to comply with EU regulations - waaaay to expensive unfortunately... So I'd not really considered it for soap etc - to me it's very warm and autumnal and got a bit of a spicy kick but still a bit of sweetness there... Definitely more of a food type scent to me - but it is a BBW dupe so someone else might think otherwise... Come October or so it's constantly on the go in my kitchen and the whole family like it which is always a helpful bonus... I used to get it from an Ebay supplier and it took me ages to hunt it down at SOS - but it's a flyer for me and not just in halloween candles... I'm not a real lover of Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Pie Spice or any variations of that type of fragrance that I've tried - but I keep coming back to SCP every year because I like it myself and it always sells well... I don't know how the shipping costs work within the US - but if they have a fragrance I like I do try and buy it from them just because they fill to the top of the bottle rather than by weight and as an international customer I've always found them very reliable... Whether as a US customer it would be worth picking up just a couple of their 2oz bottles ($5 or so) as samplers I don't know... I always get the manufacturers standard grade myself - never really found the need for the ultra or premium... They've got a few reviews on it from other customers in a variety of applications... I quite fancy the idea of trying the PCS from this company too - mainly because of the idea it might be a bit sweeter than the Pumpkin Pie types... I use a preblended container paraffin wax which comes in slabs - not the variety of waxes here that you have in the US... Excellent scent throw in the container paraffin and the Eco Soy - I use about 6% by weight in the paraffin and about 8% in the soy... Another one from them pumpkin wise which is definitely bakery type is Pumpkin Muffin - not as high on my hit list as SCP but still nice and popular with my customers... If you want me to let you know which other oils I've used from them and how I found them in paraffin just let me know - don't want to look as if I'm waffling for Britain and hijacking this thread... HTH... Ann-Marie x

If I'm making it for myself then I use one teaspoon of corn flour (UK cornstarch equivalent?!) per 600g of product... Works a treat... Can't use it in ones I sell though as it's not included in my safety assessment - just make a slightly harder version then and tell the customers a little goes a long way and it will sink in after a few minutes...

Forgot to mention... SLS and SLSA (nicer) can be purchased from www.justasoap.co.uk If you are wanting just a bit to test with then PM me and I can check how much I've got and send you a little bit of SLSA to play about with if you are allowed to receive it by post into Italy... You don't need much - the maximum under my assessment is 5%... If you are ordering a small quantity of anything from the UK at all though try and keep under 2k in weight and request it travels by Royal Mail Small Packet service - it is a much cheaper option for EU postage than standard international but is capped at 2kg... Anyway - let me know if you think I can help... AM x