Marisa11

@BusyBee I just wanted to say that I tagged you in this expecting you to come in with hoards of information and you did not disappoint my friend.

Don’t forget pet owners. Her candles are “pet safe” but doesn’t say how. I am assuming she means the scents she uses. The only wax I thought was “pet safe” is super soft paraffin wax. Gold canyon claimed to have pet and kid safe wax. It was a super soft food grade paraffin wax and I had customers that had their wax on their warmers and the scent pod fell on their pet but it didn’t burn them. I could touch the wax no problem either. It was really similar to like a spa wax or a the fair when you would dip your hand in to make a wax mold of your hand. And a CBD candle seems like a waste to me and doesn’t really make sense. To each their own.

Yes Wes mentioned the Co2, Propane, and distilling methods. I saw the pricing to and I would think if that was how it was being done the time alone would be worth a lot more money than what is being charged. When I told Wes about it, he said he doubted that they produced much scent but that it might be possible. There was a another picture of her cooking some tomatoes in a pan talking about her tomato vine candle. Now I have a tomato allergy (Citric acid, tomato paste) I wonder if that would give me a reaction. She posted a couple other short videos but nothing that gave any real insight on her method. If anything it does make me curious to buy one. One video was showing how to light her wooden wicks because I guess she had some feedback about the wicks not staying lit or not burning properly. She lit some on camera and one wick was dying out and she said that was because it was close to the real blueberries that were next to the wick and they were still juicy but that it would fix itself. If she did find a way to make that happen then good for her and I would be discreet about my methods too if she really was able to produce what she is claiming. She had a video saying how regular candles have all these toxins and that big brands don’t need to tell people because they are not regulated by the FDA. Well candles aren’t considered food or drugs so I would assume they would not be. Now does that mean her candles would need to meet ASTM standards as well as the FDA since she is claiming that because you eat organic you should be breathing organic which insinuates that you are breathing her candles. Now because I have a tomato allergy would I have a reaction to her tomato vine candle? For her wax she states she uses a beeswax/palm wax blend. At least I think that was what she said I saw it in one of her posts that I can’t find right now. Her labels and marketing though are quite impressive.

Yeah and the information on Coconut Apricot wax is so inconsistent so I just take everything with a grain of salt and do my own research and testing. I think with both of these waxes being so new our informative resources are pretty limited. I did do 3 pan tests for the coco apricot I posted my first one in here and need to post the other 2 I completed.

Someone asked her how she got marshmallow in her candles and if she used special oils After she posted the picture I attached This was her response: the marshmallow is a combination of toasted vanilla pods and nutmeg. Depending on what I’m making, the candles are either scented by infusion, oil , steam distilled extraction or a combination of all So I am thinking she is using similar methods like how you can extract oil from Marijuana. I lived in WA for about 7 months and while I was there my partner worked for the first Government owned dispensary. It was amazing to see all the different kinds of things that could be produced by extracting the THC and CBD oil. It is my understanding that it does take a lot of marijuana to produce a small amount of oil. I just asked my boyfriend and he said there are multiple ways to extract the oil. If she is extracting it in a similar way I am wondering if it is viable. I have even heard talk about CBD candles. I would be interested to speak with a dispensary on their thoughts. Hey @BusyBee you live in CA. Get us the low down At your local dispensary on how possible something like this would be.

I didn’t see zinc wicks on your list. I use coconut apricot and have had success with Zinc, Paper core, CD, HTP, LX, and Premier 700 series. All in the smaller sizes. Eco, RRD, and Hemp wicks burn way too hot for me. Wood wicks I only like for the ambiance they are too inconsistent for me I just enjoy the crackling. Cotton core and cottonwood I have but have not had a chance to test scented candles with them yet. Also the NEW big coconut wick everyone is losing their minds over are HSPS wicks that Northwood sells. Apparently they have tested them in coconut waxes with great success. They are pretty new so I have only seen A few peoples results. How have your HT’s been?

@blakyue I use coconut apricot. I spoke with Eric over at California candle supply and asked him if it was actually coconut apricot wax because it has a similar description down to the melt point and small about of paraffin. He said that it was not. One of my friends uses that wax and I know she has had luck with smaller CD wicks as I have with my coco. However I have tested a ton of different types of wicks and I know that she has not tested different types. Which FB group are you referring to? I like the one that is dedicated to users that only use coconut waxes that is usually my go to, to get ideas and some comparisons. I would ask Eric over there for a sample but I decided to commit to coco apricot and make it work.

I have an insane amount of different types of wicks hoarded trying to figure it out. The fo does have a bit of vanilla already but I can add some more. I feel like I wasted so much time focusing on this FO trying to perfect it. I didn’t try other FOs. But once I did I easily found working wicks. I tried Aztec and natures garden in 3 different waxes. I’m not giving up but that texting has significantly slowed down.

My boyfriend laughed at me while we were out for a walk last night and we came across some pine cones and I got overly excited because I had wanted to try and make some for myself. But we picked out 4 nice ones and put them in my backpack. I love using our fireplace the 2 months out of the year we get to use it in Arizona. 😂

I just had some luck with the Premier 700 with a citrus scent. I used a WI-735 which was not big enough. I would possibly go up to a 755 which I think is on my next pan test

I have been getting mixed heating times as well. I have also had excellent luck with HTP. The next pan test I have that I am currently curing has 3 HTP wicks in it as well as LX, and different Premier 700 sizes

Burn Test #3 completed 8/30 (Final) RRD-34 I noticed smoking especially towards the end. Seemed like the Cotton Core, Hemp and RRD-34 had higher flames the entire time. Zinc and CD-4 went out before the test completion. Good news though I learned from that mistake and made 2 new seta of pans using 4lbs of wax instead of just 3 to make sure all wicks complete the 9hr test. Those I made on Saturday 8/29 so I will test them the following weekend. with all new wicks.

Burn Test #2 Completed 8/29

Was told my pictures were not showing. Let me know if there are any issues

I bought a HIGH HEAT glue gun and HIGH HEAT glue sticks from Michaels and that has been working great. I have poured as hot as 195/190F and the only time a wick came loose when I poured was in a sheet pan I was using to wick test. I did not wipe it down with alcohol first but the 5 other wicks didn't move and sometimes I don't use an excess of glue. I have not used the wick stick ums or that red cement whatever it is called. I re-use my jars so with the high heat glue they stay in place and I can remove them with a little heat and muscle.

@Sebleo Did you ever get this figured out? I am having the worst time trying to wick Fruity Rings (Fruit Loops) by Natures garden. it is a heavier FO and mostly citrus notes with a base of sugared vanilla. I have gone through at least 13 oz of FO trying to get this right. The CT is 5/5 on every single candle I have poured no matter the wax type. I have used it in Joywax, IGI 6006, and Coconut Apricot. I also bought some from Aztec but had the same wax burning fuel smell. I have decided to stick with Coconut Apricot I have added FO at Higher temps around 200F I have added at 180F I have gone down to 170F I have done 6%, 8%, and 10%. LX, HTP, RRD, ECO, HEMP, CD, WOODWICK crackling boosters, and zinc, The closest I have gotten to an actual smell that was not burning was in Joywax at 6% in a 3.5' diameter jar with a single HEMP 838 wick. However, I feel like it would still get that fuel smell intermittently. NG base notes for their fruit loops has vanilla. Maybe I can add some silky vanila FO I have. This FO was the one and only FO that I wanted to work and pretty much the reason I got into candle making so i could make this for myself. I do not sell as I have only been doing this for 8 months so I am nowhere near ready or even know 100% if that is what I want to do. I have poured this into so many candles and I have all my notes. I made some votive candles in 1.5oz jars with 6% and 8% loads. All same variables except the FO load and I always cure a bare minimum of 2 weeks. These were poured June 28th, 2020 and I started burning July 20th. I still have a bunch left untested because I had tested about 8 at one time 6% & 8% with matching wicks. I had that fuel smell and I had also been testing on my 5oz and 8oz wickless jars with no luck. So I got frustrated and took a break from testing these. I do not blow out my wicks I always use a wick dipper so I can smell the melt pool afterwards. I made a total of 22 using 11 different wick types and sizes. Coconut Apricot has a MP of 125-129+ not sure why it ranges but I did not make the wax. I have some straight 130MP paraffin and some stearic acid. Has anyone added either of these to your citrus scents to help raise the melt point so maybe it helped wick it? Maybe I will do a another batch but just use the 5oz jars filled to 4oz and add FO at the lowest temp possible. Calwax said not to let it get below 160 ill add at 165/170. This FO has a flaspoint of 158 so I want to make sure that it binds completely with the wax. ill do one with just Coco apricot a 2nd with 5% paraffin added 3rd with 5% stearic acid added, and a 4th with paraffin and stearic acid. All with 5% FO load? Someone told me that maybe the FO just wasn't compatible with the wax. But dang it, I am going to make it work.

Did my first pan test with Coconut Apricot wax Melting point 125-129F . I did a 3hr burn and I also took a time lapse video on my ipad I will see if I can upload that. unfortunately my iPad died before the complete 3rd hour. The Zinc wick doesn't have a size because I purchased a ton of vessels at a low price because they were pre-wicked so I have been removing the wicks. This cured for 8 days I used 3lbs of wax heat up to 190F and poured at 180F no additives. Doing the 2nd test tonight RRD Mushroomed and Hemp and cotton core wick had the highest flames that danced. I performed this test in a place that had the lease amount of draft possible. Temp inside the house was about 78F was a little warmer in there because the back door is near there so it was probably closer to 80/81F just in that area. I have 3 more pans like this that I plan to wick tonight or tomorrow. I was planning on wicking with HTP, ECO, LX, and trying different sizes of the Premier 700 and CD's. I have a jar that is just under 3.5" diameter that I double wick and a single wick jar that is 1.31" in diameter. I have had good luck with HTP wicks and LX, Premier and CD's people have raved about but I still like the HTP better. I have been testing smaller sized wicks in each type with my wick less candles. I am open to suggestions on any wicks you think I should test. I have some Cottonwood, paper core, and some smaller cotton core wicks coming next week I can try in a different pan.

@Hometown Handmades I think that's pretty good. I have been playing with my own blend of tart wax and have a few testers. I also have 4 different types of warmers I use so I can see how each melt acts in different burners. I have a 15 watt wall plug in, in my small bathroom, a 25 watt 2N1 warmer from candle warmers that I keep in my dining room/kitchen, a tealight warmer that i move around different parts of the house, and a Gold Canyon warmer that uses plastic pods that I move between my master bedroom and home office, and a 2nd Gold Canyon warmer that I have in my work office. They each have their pros and cons it probably depends on what your customer base is looking for and what type of warmers they use. I thought I hated the 15 watt wall plug in but 1 little .20oz seashell melt has been lasting a surprising amount of time in there. The scent is a softer scent but I noticed even if the bathroom door is closed I can smell it coming from underneath. I think this weekend ill clean it out and do a power melt and keep some espresso beans handy to clear my nose. The one at my work office is nice because I am down a long hallway and I'm usually by myself so I like hearing the comments people might make. I can't do too strong FO's though ill give myself a headache. @karinz40 Do you find that using less wax in a warmer gives off a stronger scent than using more wax because it gets hotter? I have read conflicting information and I think that in some warmers like the 2N1 I need to add more wax to get a better throw. its only been a few months and I have found it just depends on the FO (No duh). I have only now just started giving my melts to testers to get their feedback so I can adjust my formula.

@ErronB I had some issue with HT as I was heating the wax at too high of a temp. Per Calwax and after additional testing. I heat to 190-185 and add FO Between 180-175 stir for like 15/30 seconds and pour right away. Warm your jars first to help with wet spots if those bother you. I have had good luck with 8% FO What Fo % and what supplier and what wicks have you tried?

@eluchenb 4' diameter still burning strong.

Thank you for posting this. I commented right away when I saw this video and they got back with me. I understand they are talking about their own FO's but it's misleading and just adding more confusion. When I spoke with the manufacturer of my wax the rep said not to pour in any FO below 160 and there was no need to heat my wax past 200 degrees. I think I have another one that is 140 FP. Marisa Fallon1 week ago So should you put a cautionary note on this saying that your waxes do best with an FO above a certain FP if this is what you are claiming? It worries me that people might think that they may need to mix an oil with a lower flashpoint at a low wax temp causing the FO to not bind properly to the wax and cause a fire hazard. I have an FO that has a 158 degree FP but I wouldn’t mix that in my coco apricot at that temp. That would be a fire hazard. I would also be interested in seeing what your chemists would say. Thanks for the information. REPLY Hide reply The Wooden Wick Co. 1 week ago Hi Marisa! The flashpoint only becomes a fire hazard when the oil is exposed to an open flame at that temperature. We've just found that the oils can degrade in composition when added at a temp beyond their flashpoint. Most all of our fragrance oils have a FP above 200F. We've also tested pouring the coconut waxes at a lower temperature for the small amount of low FP fragrances, and have not had any issues with fragrance absorption or performance. Thank you kindly!

Ok so I had much better results by not heating the wax to 200+ degrees and adding the FO at a lower temp. The new candles that I added the FO at the lower temp of 180/175 I have not noticed any seepage. They are curing covered in the same location my other candles were. It has been almost 2 weeks of curing and have not noticed any seeping. Will still keep an eye. However, I think I still need to heat the jars or place in a cool oven because I had a ton of wet spots

Cooling too slowly might have done it too. Thank you

@TallTayl I had this same issue with coconut wax. I even contacted the manufacturer and sent pictures. I think I was heating the wax at too high a temperature and adding the FO and pouring too hot. what was really weird is it only happened to some of the candles not all and one batch was 8% FO and the other was 6%. I am going to re-make but this time heat up 15-20 degrees less and add my FO about 5 degrees lower than that and see if it happens. One of the candles I had was really bad and but I had not made it but I know it was made with the same wax I use so I have no idea what temps they used. Plus I live in AZ and it doesn't get humid here

Update: The candle I made with the HTP-62 x2 in coco apricot wax was absolutely perfect! I couldn't believe it. Great flame no mushrooming. However even at 8% the HT is a little too overpowering but I have a sensitive nose. My partner loved it.