Most paraffin waxes have a flash point somewhere around 395 degrees F. If you heat the wax to this temp. it will burst into flames, possibly explode. For most applications, you want to pour the wax between 150 deg. and 195 deg, depending on the desired effect you are wanting to create. This is well below the flash point of the wax. FO's have much lower flash points than wax. However, it is safe to add an FO with a flash point of 160 degrees to a pot of wax that is 185 degrees. But do not heat the same FO on its own to 160 degrees or it will burst into flames. For starting out, get yourself a double boiler and melt your wax on the top. Keep bottom water topped up. This way you cannot heat your wax beyond 212 degrees (temp of boiling water). This is the safest way to melt and use wax, especially when you are just starting out. Read as much as you can here before you start... you can save yourself a ton of money and time by doing as much research as possible. Consider getting a kit from one of the suppliers..ie: Peak. HTH Janette