GarthAlgar

On 4/8/2021 at 3:59 PM, WaxingPoetic said:

Ya know, I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, lol...I’ve never tried CandleScience ! It was always high on my list of suppliers to try, but when it comes time to order, they must just skip my mind, not sure how. I was actually going to order, finally, when I ordered my last batch of supplies, but then I read on the fragrance board that they changed a lot of their fo’s & it seems that a lot of people were displeased by the changes, so that pushed them back out of my mind.

 

I may still give them a try for supplies sometime, though ! Didn’t intentionally leave them out of my post, but I just can’t personally speak for CS yet. Do you have any recommendations for a future order ?

That's funny!  There are so many suppliers and so many GREAT suppliers around that it can be hard to keep track of.  They did change their fragrances, but they argue that they're better quality and better for you.  I think that's why hoards of new makers shop there.  Because CS is reasonably priced and they're a little more transparent about their ingredients than literally every other supplier.  

I suppose that all depends on what you're into.  I don't care for most sweet scents, unless they're blended in very small percentages.  I generally like earthy, woodsy, and unisex fragrances so FO's like Oakmoss and Amber and Caribbean Teakwood are top notch in CT and HT.  Though, I only personally burn those at home because they're heavily saturated in the market.  It's actually annoying how many makers I see selling those scents.  If I wanted to sell them, I would blend them to at least make a little unique.  But I digress.  

On 4/5/2021 at 11:38 AM, WaxingPoetic said:

I agree with the suggestion of checking out the fragrance discussion board...so much great info on there ! My personal favorites are :

 

Wholesale Supplies Plus - GREAT oils, but keep in mind that they are pricey at times, & shipping can be wayyyyy too slow there.

Rustic Escentuals - If you love foody / sweet scents, RE is the place for you. 

Just Scent - Tons of scents to choose from here, & they ship fast.

Majestic Mountain Sage - They can be pricey too, but they have top notch oils & they ship SUPER fast ! They have, in my opinion, the most realistic cotton candy that I've found as of yet.

Flaming Candle - Everything I've tried there so far ( with the exception of their bubble gum, that has a really strange note in there that ruins it ) has been amazing ! Their Sugar Cookie Royale in particular.

The Candle Source - Great, strong oils, good prices, fast shipping ! They have the best Creamsicle & the best Pink Sugar & Love Spell types that I've found so far. A big downside is their super outdated, hard to navigate website - but still very worth that aggravation, in my opinion. 

 

I've just tried a few things from Midwest & loving them so far ! So I think that they'll be a favorite, too. Definitely check out the fragrance board, though ! 

I would argue that Candle Science has one of the best and modern websites of your list.  Though I only go there for very specific items because they are always out of stock (Especially in the last year).  I think a lot of how-to blogs and youtube videos recommend CS as the go to supplier for everything.   

On 3/22/2021 at 7:48 PM, SageSlowdive said:

Has anyone had any luck with Alibaba?

Yes, though it's a lot more complicated than simply clicking and purchasing like you would on Amazon or any other American supplier.  Generally, Chinese factories want to know that you're serious, that you'll be purchasing more than once, and that you'll be purchasing more than the MOQ.  That last bit is just my suggestion.  Ultimately, you want to show them that you're a serious buyer and looking for a long-term business relationship.  There are guides and books regarding the trustworthiness of factories and what to look for which I cannot answer to.  One last (important) thing.  You should expect to pay additional 20-50% of your total on shipping, customs, broker, tax, and filing fees.  So generally, bigger orders are better. 

On 3/25/2014 at 3:04 PM, Becky said:

Prepare to spend lots of money! If your a perfectionist like I am, you will go through slabs of wax and ingredients trying to get it perfect. When you get it right, it is relieving and rewarding at the same time!

If you're going to use a straight paraffin, I would recommend using vybar to allow your wax to absorb more fragrance. Just don't overdo it, as you can "lock" the scent up. Maybe 1/2 teaspoon per pound, no more.

Petro will give better glass adhesion and give you a slightly quicker melt pool. Excessive petro will cause smoking.

Coconut oil is one of those things that may help increase your scent throw. There are a lot of mixed reviews, and I tend to think a little c.o. does help; it seems to give a better cold throw in my opinion.

Adding a little soy seems to help "tame the flame" and slower the burn depending on the soy wax.

Beeswax is nice, as it ionizes the air, but it's just too expensive, and your profit margin could take a hit in this economy.

Crisco was originally made to create candles! Crisco is hydrogenated oil, so keep that in mind as it will up the oil content in your wax formula.

Haven't tried microcrystalline wax, but I know it can vary from taffy soft to hard as a tabletop.

 

Good Luck!

Hope this helps!

I agree with all of your points except beeswax.  It may add some hardening capabilities to softer waxes like coconut, but there is absolutely zero science/evidence behind the "air ionization" of beeswax.  Same goes with salt lamps.  Their both beautiful products on their own, and shouldn't need magical thinking to make a sale.  

Edit:  I'm a silly goose and didn't realize this post was from 2014...  

On 3/18/2021 at 5:01 PM, NightLight said:

Well then we better bring up the topic of “organic soy wax” that I see some Etsy sellers say they use.

Really? REALLY. NOT!

If they can get away with saying it, then I should be able to get away with saying that paraffin is organic.  After all, it is carbon based and requires zero pesticides...

On 3/16/2021 at 8:47 PM, Forrest said:

It was

Phew!  If this posted on Reddit candle making, it would probably be serious. 

On 9/22/2020 at 6:35 AM, Forrest said:

I used to use 6006 because I like to argue with myself, but then I realized that millions of dinosaurs were killed in the production of my paraffin wax, so I'm switching to pure soy, 

I hope this is sarcastic...

There’s a beeswax pillar company that uses some sort of heated surface that also spins, and that’s how they get their surfaces leveled. I don’t know if they’ve modified a turntable or a griddle, but I think about it often.  

21 hours ago, NightLight said:

Problems 600 is a nice wax so Wellington = nice wax.

Hope that was a typo ;]

On 9/1/2019 at 6:49 PM, lovelyscents said:

This is the same as Problend 600 from Flaming candle.  They also carry the parasoy tart wax which is under Problend 650 at Flaming.  Both are made by CJ Robinson, hope this helps.

Thank you!  Good to know!

2 hours ago, Traveler said:

HI - Food-grade paraffin wax is very real. There are probably multiple instances of food-grade paraffin all throughout your home and car. It's been used in all sorts of products for years. (Got batteries in your home?) It is not a marketing ploy. 🙂 

 

I know what food-grade paraffin is.  I only ask what its purpose is in candle wax.  Does that make for a better wax, or does using food-grade paraffin in a candle make it seem more appealing to the consumer? Is there a difference in burn rate or hot throw between "food-grade paraffin" and regular paraffin?  How many types of candle paraffin is there?  These are the questions I am asking. But I am very aware that food grade paraffin exists lol.

Has anyone tried this parasoy from Wellington?

The description has the basic spiel about high fragrance load and color retention, etc.  However, I thought it was interesting they said Well-Pour contains "food-grade paraffin".  Is that a thing, or could that be a marketing ploy?

Also, $69.95 for a 55-lb carton is a pretty good deal, assuming shipping isn't the same price.

8 hours ago, Sebleo said:

 

 

Then you will be offering up your formula for others to buy. Right? Maybe. Not sure how it works. But it’s food for thought. 

Oh good point! I’ll shoot an email and ask. 

On 6/29/2019 at 11:45 AM, Peggy T said:

One of the FOs, Spiced Amber Ale was from Brambleberry, except they have stopped carrying it. 

No kidding, I loved Brambleberry's Spiced Amber Ale!

Since I buy so many FO's from so many suppliers, I wonder if it would be worth it to go out to AFI and have them duplicate all of my already custom blends 🧐 .  Being able to purchase in heavy quantities from a single supplier vs a dozen would do wonders on shipping costs.

If I knew who the manufacturers were, I would.  It drives me crazy that some supplier (I'm looking at you Rustic Essentuals) don't sell their FO in quantities higher than 16 oz.  

I imagine you could get faster results by testing how the actual liquid fragrance does in the PLA containers.  If the liquid eats them up right away, then you can know that it proably isn't wise to store your melts in there.  However, since the FO is so diluted by the wax in the melts, it may not actually have the same effect on the plastic as the pure liquid.  I would give them a try!  

6 minutes ago, c_gills said:

Yup - I'm super low on space too. I think these might stack more closely together so that you can get more candles per rack as opposed to the bakers rack that you have to use the rails.🤔

Totally.  And, you would get some nice back workouts from lifting 25 candles at once.  If you get some, keep us updated on how they do!

I've seen a few candle companies use those as well.  I imagine they stack nicely which could also help with cooling and proper airflow.  I just use a baking rack and transfer all of my candles to that.  Mostly because I have zero space in my basement studio.

Could be that paraffin has been dominating the market for high end and mass-produced candles since the 90s.  Natural waxes are newer developments and I imagine a lot of overseas candle factories are more comfortable with paraffin wax.  But yes, also consistency, shelf stability, and performance help. 

Absolutely, and these are all good points.  The one hang up I remember having with wick stickers was how much of a pain it was to pull that little tab off.  Maybe I just got a bad or cheap batch (can't remember where)  I'll try the ones from Candle Makers Store though!  Thanks!

Fascinating points on the mp of beeswax!  Yeah, I wonder what the company actually does then.  Maybe it's a proprietary glue they created?  Everything else about the company is solid on being zero waste/all natural, so can't imagine they would be dishonest...

Do you prefer wick stickers over hot glue or glue dots?  

Hello everyone,

(first-time post here!)

When I was checking out the specs on another candle company, they had said that they use beeswax (instead of a hot glue gun) as their wicking adhesive.  

From the video showing their candle making process, it looked like that had molten beeswax in a cup and were dipping the wick tabs in it, then sticking them to

the bottom of the containers.  

I tried it with some spare yellow beeswax I had laying around and it did not stick nearly as well as hot glue.  I am wondering if there was something I missed, if that company was telling the truth (lol), or if anyone else has tried this?

So far, I have never seen any other candle company use a 'natural' glue, but I think it would be a cool bit to add to my marketing!

I bought a couple of boxes of C6 from TFC a few months ago and was not impressed.  Normally I use C3, but lately, have been shifting to coconut wax.  I thought C6 would be a nice in between for testing.  NOPE.  It did exactly the same thing that your candles did - cooled from the outside in, underwhelming hot throw, sinkholes, cracks, etc.  I really thought the coconut would help with how the tops cured and maybe there would be less post cure work to do (since coconut cures so perfectly normal).  It's like this wax took the worst parts of soy and coconut and combined them. 

Now I have a 50 pound box laying around if anyone is interested...