Kaybee23

I have recently seen a video of someone making cupcake type candles using baking soda.  I read a little on it and below is what I found out.  Has anyone tried baking soda in candles before?  It looks like it would be a great benefit, has anyone tried this before?  If so, what wax did you use it in, how much did you add and what were your results?  I am going to try it, but am looking for a starting place and what wax might work the best.  Thank you for any input.

1. Improved Scent Throw: Baking soda has the ability to absorb odors, making it an excellent addition to scented candles. By adding a small amount of baking soda to your candle wax, you can help neutralize any unwanted smells and enhance the fragrance of your candle. This is especially useful if you're using essential oils or other strong scents in your candles.

2. Longer Burn Time: Baking soda can help slow down the burning process of your candles, resulting in a longer burn time. When mixed with the wax, baking soda acts as a heat sink, absorbing and dispersing the heat more evenly. This can help your candles burn more slowly and last longer, allowing you to enjoy their warm glow for extended periods.

3. Reduced Soot: Soot is a common problem with candles, especially those made from paraffin wax. When burned, paraffin wax can release black soot particles into the air, which can be harmful to your health and leave unsightly residue on your walls and furniture. By adding baking soda to your candle wax, you can help minimize soot production and create cleaner-burning candles.

4. Enhanced Color: Baking soda can also help improve the color of your homemade candles. When added to the wax, baking soda acts as a whitening agent, making the wax appear brighter and more vibrant. This is particularly beneficial if you're using dyes or pigments to create colored candles, as it can help intensify the hues and create a more visually appealing finished product.

5. Eco-Friendly Option: Baking soda is a natural and environmentally friendly ingredient, making it a great choice for eco-conscious candle makers. Unlike some other additives, baking soda is non-toxic and safe to use in candles. It's also readily available and affordable, making it a convenient option for those who want to create sustainable candles at home.

On 11/9/2016 at 2:21 PM, Scented said:

 

Long time no see!! Yes, I remember that about LS. How could I forget?

I have been on lurking now and then, looking and researching, still one of the best places for that.  I have started a new adventure in beeswax candles.  Just started and am trying to get my wicking down on the jars I am using.  So much different than all of the other waxes I have used before.  Soy is still my wax of choice, only making them for myself and friends and family.  Still making soap every now and then, and beginning to experiment with lotion bars a bit.  No time right now to market and sell the candles right now, but hope to one day.  I hope you are doing great, and your candle sales are out of site!  Take care my friend!

On 10/6/2016 at 2:08 PM, Cynna said:

I just got my first order from Lonestar yesterday.  I noticed right away their oils seemed more watery, very weak smelling also compared to others.

They are oils, they cannot be watery, if they were you wouldn't be able to use them in wax.  It also depends on what scents you ordered.  Some of the scents I thought were a little week out of the bottle, turned out to be great throwers in wax.  

I live close enough to Lonestar to pick up my order, so I order from them a lot.  I use soy, so some of their FO's are a little weak to me, but that is the soy.  I use a lot of their Fragrance Oils.  Some of my favorites, Fudge Brownie, Creamy Vanilla, Leather, Pumpkin Pie Spice....

Try Lonestar Julie for your Leather, smells like the real thing.  I haven't tried their Lilac, but have just recently gotten several new FO's to try.  

I use the 415 wax with about 3% beeswax and it smooths out the tops of my candles and helps them set up better when cooling.

I am pretty certain that when I had to order soy that I ordered the EZ Soy and it was the same as GB 415, which I can now get locally.

I bought some wood wicks from Lonestar.  They have burned well in my soy candles, and they have done pretty well.  I just haven't used them that long though to tell you much else about them.  

Just a little piece of information.  HTP wicks burn in one direction.  I use GB415 in my status jars and double wick them mostly with HTP83 wicks.  If you look at the wick on both sides, there is a pattern of a right side up "v", and on the other side a downward or upside down "v".  The wick will burn toward the downward or upside down "v".  So when placing my wicks, i place them with the downward "v" pointing outward.  This keeps the heat from being all in the middle of the candle.  If you are getting goodsized mushrooms on them that the candles could be underwicked or have too much FO.  Not all people like to double wick, but it is the best way that I have discovered, to get my candles to burn properly, all the way across and all the way down. 

I've been making soy candles for 5 years.  When I first started, the candle making instructions from the first supplier I ordered from said to let the candles cure for at least 12 hours.  When I give someone a newly made candle, I tell her not to burn it until tomorrow.    Like yesterday, when I gave my friend a pumpkin candle and it was still slightly warm.  When she took the lid off, the whole car smelled good.  She was going to go home and burn it, but I told her to wait a day.  She said she would just take the lid off and sniff it until then.

 

I've never noticed an issue with burning candles after 24 hours.  But I guess all this time, I should have been letting them cure longer? I 

I find that soy candles do best if left to sit for a week or 2 with the lids on them.  i would never move them when they are warm, as the candle is not completely set.  This information should be soy candles 101 for a seasoned candle maker.

Lonestar has the best leather I have tried. I also love their Creamy Vanilla, and they have a good chocolate called Fudge Brownie. I have not been disappointed in very many of their FO's. Would also like to mention that they seal their bottles before putting the lids on, to prevent leakage. Very helpful customer service too.

You are correct rjdaines, not sure why, but the HTP126 was designed to be a hotter wick than the HTP1212 and HTP1312. I don't use wicks that large since I double wick. But something to keep in mind if you are single wicking.

For those of you that have wondered if the HTP wicks and CD wicks were similar, here is a posting from the archives from Alan that shows a tested comparison of both of them. Someone was talking about it a short time ago and I thought I had read something on it at one time. What this post indicates is that the CD and HTP wicks are about the same wick, one is manufactured in Germany (CD wick) and the HTP is manufactured in the U.S.

Title: CD vs. HTP

Post by Crystal on Apr 30th, 2004, 5:24pm Hi is is safe to say that a CD6 is pretty close to a HTP41 and a CD 8 is close to HTP62? I am under the impression that the burn quality is very close, I am wondering if these would be good subs for each other in the time of need? TIA

CrystalTitle: Re: CD vs. HTP

Post by elizabeth on Apr 30th, 2004, 9:18pm Crystal, Alan posted a response on another thread recently in which he stated that CD & HTP wicks are essentially the same wick. He did extensive burn testing and in side by side comparisons, found there to be no real difference between the two. He did go on to say that HTP wicks are crafted in the USA and for that reason, Peak's decided to carry them over the CDs. I have some of both types of wicks and would love to see a size comparison chart. If I run into one, I'll be sure to post it for ya.

HTHTitle: Re: CD vs. HTP

Post by elizabeth on Apr 30th, 2004, 9:22pm Crystal,

Here is the thread :

http://www.candletech.com/cgi-local/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Discussions;action=display;num=1083293450Title: Re: CD vs. HTP

Post by Slow-burn on Apr 30th, 2004, 9:40pm Liz, what size do you use in your jelly jar? An htp 83 works great for me. Don't get a complete melt pool on 1st burn, but do on consectutive burns. Plus the jar stays pretty cool this way. Maybe if we can compare what I have had luck with on htp's and what you have had luck with on cd's we may get somewhere :-/ Although, I am still testing like crazy--can't wait to get that darn basement done!

Edited to add this site, it has helped me with the use of my htp's. But didn't see any cd's? http://braidway.com/Wick%20Page/New%20Rate%20Charts.htmTitle: Re: CD vs. HTP

Post by elizabeth on Apr 30th, 2004, 9:58pm heather, it's been awhile since I've made an 8 oz. jelly. I think I used a CD10 last time I made one.Title: Re: CD vs. HTP

Post by Alan on May 1st, 2004, 11:50am Was going to do this yesterday, but I somehow I kept getting interrupted. This is a loose cross-reference.

HTP-31, CD-4

HTP-41, CD-5

HTP-52, CD-6

HTP-62, CD-7

HTP-73, CD-8

HTP-83, CD-10

HTP-93, CD-12

HTP-104, CD-14

HTP-105, CD-16

HTP-126, CD-18

HTP-1212, CD-20

HTP-1313, CD-22

I would also like to suggest Serendipity, it is one of my favorites. Solice is nice in wax as well, so is Ooey Gooey Caramel as is Amore Dulce. Also agree Lyschel is a wonderful person to deal with.

I have used hot glue on the bottom of my wicks for years and have never had an issue with them coming loose.

I am using 415 wax with a small percentage of beeswax. I usually use about a 6-7% load of FO, some of my Candle Cocoon FO's I use a little less because they are concentrated. Most of my FO's are from Lonestar since I live about 5 minutes away from them. They also carry my wax and my jars, so for the most part it is one stop shopping.

You know several years ago when I first started making candles, and this might be posted on the old board, I think the HTP wicks and CD wicks had been discussed and we were told that they were one in the same. I believe someone had even come up with a chart with which HTP wick matched which CD wick. Maybe it was never a fact in the first place, that is good to know. Thank you for correcting me. I still make them but just don't get on as much as I used to, so I have been out of the loop on here for a while.

Have been reading through all of these posts and would just like to post my experience with double wicking. I only pour one size candle and it is a status jar, about 3" across. Most of them that I pour I double wick with HTP83, HTP73 or HTP93, but mostly HTP83. HTP wicks are the same as the CD wicks, I believe the only difference is the country of manufacture. It has been a while since I have been on here, so I could possibly be incorrect about that part. I get good burns with these and hardly ever any mushrooming. The trick to using these wicks is to look at the wick closely, on one side of the wick you have a pattern of an upward "v" and on the other side the pattern of a downward "v". The wick is going to burn and curl in the direction of the downward "v". So when placing my wicks, I place each of them with the downward "v" facing the outside of jar. They then burn and curl toward the outside of the jar. That gives me a good burn. A lot of people don't like to double wick. But I think my candles look beautiful when they burn, double wicked.

I use the Lonestar liquid dyes and have the same problem. But I find if I make sure I squeeze all of the dye out of the dropper before closing the bottle back up, it helps. I have just gotten extra droppers, and replaced them as needed.

Beautiful rustics, lucky recipients.

I have poured the Moonlight Sonata, and it is very nice in wax. I colored mine a med. purple....but a dark blue would be pretty I think. The Amber romance I would also do in a burnt orange color. The pure seduction I would either do white, or maybe even red.

The first thing that comes to mind for me Chocolate and Strawberry. You could also do a rose scent and just do it in 2 diff. shades, or just chocolate and do it in 2 shades. There are plenty of perfume or flora scents you could combine.

If you wait for your first pour to harden, then pour the 2nd, it shouldn't melt your first layer.

Hi and welcome! Slow is always best when starting out....test everything....and read, read, read. If you don't see the answers to your questions, then ask....lot's of helpful people here willing to help

Very pretty Steve....I have to be in a certain frame of mind these days to have the patience for pillars, but yours have been looking very nice.

I have been getting the same. I am using Swan's Accu10 and and 4786. Great color retention and both CT and HT. Them damn air pockets! I usually do a repour. I might try melting them down in the oven, but doesn't the scent of the candle stay in there? That's always been my worry, is that all my food would taste like candles!

When I have to rewick a tester, I put mine on a cookie sheet in the oven on about 160, for my 415 soy and let them slowly melt back down. Never had a problem with the scent hanging around in the oven, and never had a problem with the wax retaining its scent when repouring with new wicks.

Looks like mottling to me lol! It's definitely a gorgeous blue though! Shoot me a pix of a closer surface.

You can essentially fake a rustic look but you didn't mention you used a heat gun, so you have me intrigued.

I was thinking the same thing, like a mottle.....that is a neat trick. LOL! He will prolly never get it to happen again....you know, that is always how it goes.