Peggy T

I don't think I did a great job explaining myself. I am having several on-going issues with my candles that I am trying to resolve and they arent really related to HT per se (but obv HT IS important). I'm really asking about how to go about setting up a better system to test a bunch of different variables. If, for example, I want to test an 80% 464 and 20% coconut wax, as well as a 70/30 and then also try these at 6 and 8% FO for the eight fragrances I carry. If my math is right that would end up being 32 separate candles and that's assuming I only make one of each option. Then I have to figure out where the heck I'm going to test that many candles at once. 🙃 So I'm trying to come up with a methodology that makes it easier to make 32 or more different candle formulas.

Wow! I don't think I could afford to stock that many. I buy FO in 10# containers and each of those are around $120. Not to mention the space to store it. I've converted my garage to a studio but I'm spilling out at the seams. But maybe that's the best take home message; if it works for you then keep it up! 👍

I've had issues on and off with my candles recently; some of it is burn related and some is FO seepage (and not a high % of fragrance). One of the challenges is the amount of time it takes to test out so many different variables. I'm wondering if there's a more efficient way to test a lot of candles?

Update: I remelted the candles and poured them again. The seeping came back. Maybe I still didn't stir enough but that seems a bit crazy. Honestly I'm ready to throw in the towel. Trying to research these issues is so challenging. There just isn't a lot of technical information out there. My gut says this has got to be because of the 464 wax. How the hell (sorry, y'all) can I run a business if every different lot of 464 is a crap shoot? Is there ANY wax that is stable and reliable??? To be clear, I know there's no such thing as a perfect wax but, seriously, is there one that's better?

I am at the far other end of the spectrum. I have 8 soap scents and 8 candle scents (yes, the same). I found that too many scents led to people not being to make up their mind. Plus it was expensive to buy 20+ fragrances in bulk.

I tried it both ways.

Sometimes trimming a wood wick shorter will help, even though that seems counter intuitive.

I've had a difficult time logging on lately. When I enter my user name/email and PW, it says they're incorrect. Sometimes I will get stuck in a circular loop where it doesn't accept my name or pw and just sends me back to the same page as though I didn't input anything at all. I know my PW is correct because the system has locked me out several times so I've had to change it. Anyway, I obviously DID manage to log on but it took quite a while and I still can't log in on my phone.

Short Version: I know one of the most common reasons for seeping fragrance on top of a candle is that too much FO was used. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the case here, as I only used 8%. What else might be causing this?? Long Version: My candles are 80% 464 wax and 20% Easy Beads Coconut wax with an HTP 105 wick in a ceramic jar that is about 4" tall and 3' wide (approx). On March 8th & 24th I made two batches of candles that came out just fine. Look great, burn great. They had some sink holes initially but I did a second pour and/or heat gun and they solidified up just fine. Fast forward to March 29th when I made 3 separate batches all on the same day. Everything was generally the same except I opened a new box of 464 wax for these and each of the 3 batches had a different FO (8%). Minor other variations that I don't think could have been an issue: I made these candles in my garage studio vs the first two rounds which were made in my house. (I move my production indoors during the winter but by the 29th the outside temp was in the mid-70s so I moved back out). I usually pour these at a pretty hot temp (around 185) because of the coconut wax. On the 29th I poured it a bit hotter as I was hoping this might help with the sink holes. I also poured each candle more quickly because I was trying to get a lot done in one day. I still got the sinkholes but again, fixed them with the heat gun. Everything seemed fine until Sunday when I went to move them into their boxes. That's when I noticed all the FO on top. It just returns if I wipe it off. Four of the FOs are from the same supplier (AFI), but one is not; so 2 of the FOs from AFI worked fine (the batches on March 8 & 24), 2 had seeping issues, and the last one with a problem was using an FO from somewhere else (Lebermuth). I'm at a loss and beyond frustrated. I will add some pictures in a sec (they're on my phone). This is a problem I had previously in November but in that case I thought I had determined the source of the problem. I had poured the candles individually into the cardboard shipping box the jar came in and thought that this insulation and slow cooling time had messed up the chemical structure of the wax making it so that fragrance couldn't hold. At this point the only thing I can think of to try is to make some test candles yet again--some that are exactly the same as the bad batches and another that is entirely 464 wax to see if its the new wax LOT that's problematic. If anyone has any other ideas, I'd be welcome to hear them. I'm losing sleep and money over this!!! Thanks!!!

I need to figure out a better system for this. My jars are ceramic and don't have a label at all (all the pertinent info is on the packaging). The only free space I have is on the bottom of the jar and that is where I put the warning sticker. I've been writing the batch number directly on the jar under the warning sticker but if I need to access it, I have to peel up the warning sticker and that thing is sometimes hard to get off.

I have some concerns but I don't know yet how it will all play out. I have a guy in China who sources packaging for me. He's always been amazing and I was going to get his help to get several more packaging components (gift boxes, paperboard tubes, stickers, etc) BUT he came to the US for the holidays (his wife is American) and hasn't gone back yet because of Corona. I'm not sure when they will go back either. I need to talk to him and get his 2 cents on production.

It's no biggie, I'll just write in the translations.

Wow this is great! One question: what is Rauchbildung? Thanks

I think points #3 and 4 are really important. I've been making WW candles for about 6 years. They are temperamental beasts. I include a little card with my candles that emphasizes the importance of trimming the wick before and sometimes during a burn. WW candles prefer a shorter wick which seems counter intuitive but is the case.

I have asked about it here before too. The challenges I have are more complicated than a particular FO but are (I think) related to my candle vessel which is ceramic as well as my wax (a blend of soy and coconut). These two factors make it really hard to wick my candles satisfactorily. I don't post very often but I use crasftserver for research as well, generally reading other posts on ceramic containers or coconut wax etc. Thanks!

Thank you everyone! These seem like some potentially great resources and I will definitely reach out to them. @TallTayl if you decide to offer this service, please let me know as I'd be very interested. 🙂

Is there such a thing as a company you can work with to help develop/troubleshoot a candle product? If there is, I'm sure it is pricey but for now I just want to know if it is even a thing. I'm getting frustrated with the inconsistent performance of my candles. I've tested, retested, taken notes, tweaked things and am about at the point of calling uncle. But before I do that, I am wondering if there is an expert consultant I can partner with to help me solve issues specific to my situation. Thanks

I've seen these in a store. IDK if they're treated with some kind of flame retardant but they are definitely wood. 🤦

Thanks. That helps! Now I just need to find someone to show me how to use the 3D printer.

Yeah, I'm leaning toward passing on this. Plus, I see WSP is running a sale on pomace. I'll have to check their COA though to insure it's not adulterated like happened to you. But to answer your question, I was going to look into oil recycling for biofuel if I needed to dispose of it. But it's a moot point since I don't think I'll get it.

Is there a video that shows how to use this to center the candles? What do the pins do? I don't know a thing about 3D printing but I have free access to one at a local maker space AND I could use a centering tool!!

I have never, ever seen one of my customers even notice a wet spot. All they care about is scent.

In case y'all are wondering the outcome of this (and I'm sure you are LOL), I convinced the owner to pay for shipping it. I calculated the cost through USPS and it was $25 (less than I expected actually). I told her I'd deliver it for the same price but I couldn't get up to her part of the state until the end of the week. She decided shipping was fine. Whew. The traffic where I live is gawd-awful so I really didn't want to drive. It would take me close to 3 hours IF I timed it perfectly. But I do need a long term solution so I'll check in to FedEx freight. Thanks!!

A friend has an entire unopened drum of pomace olive oil and asked me if I want it. The hitch is it's about 3 years old. Earlier that same day I had been pricing out a drum of pomace from Soaper's Choice so this potentially could save me a bunch if it's still OK to use. As far as I can tell, the only way to know for sure is to smell it but I've never worked with pomace so I'm not sure what normal pomace smells like. Should I pass on it? I've obviously looked on the internet for its shelf life but most manufacturers seem to just default to 18-24 months and I don't know if that's actually true. Thanks

TLDR: I would welcome any shipping tips and tricks from folks who wholesale candles. The longer version: I will try to stick to the basics and not vent about the store owner who is driving me nuts. 🙄 I only have about 5 wholesale accounts and they're nearly all reasonably close to me. If they're within 10 miles, I will deliver for free; if its between 10-20 miles, I charge a nominal fee to deliver. I do have one account that is about 100 miles away but she always orders the same thing (my resin soap dishes) and pays for shipping. But....now I have a new store which would like to carry my products (and by new--I mean this is a new store completely, not just new to me--the owner is also new). OK- I can't help it: one teeny tiny vent--she wanted a discount on my wholesale prices because I happened to be running a retail sale at the time she placed her order. Umm, no. Anyway, the store is 30 miles from me but the owner doesn't want to pay to have the products shipped because they're mostly candles and therefore bulky and heavy. She wants me to either cover the shipping myself or deliver the order. I explained my shipping/delivery policy which is on my line sheet, she just chose to not read it or disregard it. Basically she's a PITA but I am not at a point where I can turn away wholesale accounts. Plus she is ordering my new candle line which I really want to get in more stores. But I don't want to start an arrangement I will regret later. So....with that all in mind: does anyone have any tips for shipping larger orders to stores? This is something I really have to figure out, especially as I plan my wholesale empire. LOL She's ordered about 16 larger candles (all in glass or ceramic containers so heavy and fragile) plus a variety of other soap/gift products. I guess by "tips" I mean ways to package orders efficiently (and safely), places to get deals on shipping boxes (if I don't use carrier packaging), double boxing, insurance...All that sort of stuff. Are UPS or FedEx better than USPS; I've always used USPS' flat rate or regional rate for retail orders. Generally I ship through Shopify or ShippingEasy and they've served me well but I need to figure out all my options as I scale up. I guess to sum it all up in a different way, what do you wish you had known about shipping wholesale when you started? Thanks.