coconut

Ralphie said it was the Lifebouy that caused it.

Where are you testing the candle? Air conditioning can really affect scent throw.

I only had this issue with high melt point wax. I used the double boiler method and mixed up scent and wax with my pot in the hot water.

I checked my spreadsheet. I had to go down to an HTP 31 on vanilla and on Amish Harvest had to use an HTP41 and cut back to 4.5%. This was in a 4 ounce jelly jar. Took me months to figure it out. An old tip is to just poke a hole in the wax candle and stick in the wick. You can test more combinations that way. Also, the candle may catch up on the second burn.

What FO are you using?  Heavy FOs can be very hard to wick and burn just like you described.  I didn't use parasoy, only paraffin, but often used wicks made for soy.  Had good luck with my premier wicks.  But on heavy FO's, sometimes I had to go down to 4.5% to be able to wick them.

Yep, pretty much that easy.  If they stick in the molds, pop them in the freezer a while and they usually come right out.  Only way you could mess up is too use too soft a wax, which might melt in the package instead of the warmer on a hot day.  I used Astorlite V which has a high melt point, and the melts could get funky looking if I let the wax cool too much during the pour.  But really, that's about it as long as you follow the guidelines mentioned by WaxingPoetic.  Also, you can often find old posts better by doing a Google search as those pick up really old posts.  HTH.

3 hours ago, birdcharm said:

 

As an example, on the EcoSoya manufacturer's product page, they state: 

 

"We designed all the EcoSoya manufacturing processes to purify our waxes so thoroughly as to remove any presence of pesticides, herbicides or Genetically Modified Materials (GMM).  These processes have been verified and confirmed to be 100% effective by experienced third party Accredited Laboratory analysis of each of our waxes.  All results have proven that our manufacturing processes ensure EcoSoya CB-135, CB-Advanced Soy, CB-XceL and PB contain NONE of these substances. We use good, old-fashioned, farm-grown soybeans to create all our environmentally friendly EcoSoya soy waxes."

 

On their pesticide-free file, it states:  "no components found within detection limits"

>>>
"We would like to use soybeans that are strictly organic or non-GMO but due to supply issues we can’t guarantee it.  We do guarantee that our waxes themselves do not contain any pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified material. During manufacturing, the waxes are cleaned of any of these items if present, resulting in a very clean and green product."

 

So, I would say that this particular company takes care to offer a "cleansed" product, and I've read similar notes on other companies' sites, so I don't feel that there is much of an issue in terms of having any reactions to pesticides with the soy waxes.  Yet, it's not to say that they aren't used.

 

 

That is good news. If only our food supply was that pure.?

Make melts first. That gives a good idea of the strength of a FO. It also helps to pick suppliers of good reputation such as Peaks, Candlescience or Lone star. There are others too, just search the board. I always used one ounce of FO per pound of wax. If it was not enough I did not keep that scent as I found using more FO per pound made the candle impossible to wick.  Keep in mind a melt will give more throw, faster than a candle. However, it gives you a starting point.

Within the past months Chrome stopped supporting java and in the past couple of weeks, both. Chrome and Firefox stopped supporting Silver light. If one browser doesn't work, try another. Oh and Microsoft Edge, the default browser in Windows, doesn't play well with a lot of sites.

On 3/25/2017 at 3:23 PM, birdcharm said:

 

I had to look in my notes, but just to add for reference (from my notes):

GW415 - Blends with other waxes, such as paraffin or beeswax.

GW464-   Does not mix well with beeswax, but mixes with paraffin. 

 

I'm not sure of the source for the above, but I made a note of it.

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The thing is that a candle can be 100% soy -- but, imo, it's not 100% "natural" -- for instance, soy cannot be considered "organic."

Also, it's likely that most of the soy wax that is available contains GMO soy beans, and, in turn, has had any presence of pesticides removed.

I have read that GMO soy has been engineered to not be killed by Roundup. Can Roundup be removed from wax? Herbicide drift has been reported by farmers coming from fields adjacent to their own. I had to quit eating all soy except soy sauce, and I don't know if I am allergic to soy or if it is related to the GMO issue.

13 minutes ago, glasllyn said:

I think it's my computer, then.  It just isn't letting me select "more carriers." It also won't let me type when those ads up there ^^^ in the black boxes are running. Or do you have that problem, too?

 

Have you tried a different browser? Firefox and Chrome recently stopped supporting certain plug-ins.

23 hours ago, glasllyn said:

There's just SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUUUUUUUUUCH. I guess what I'm trying to say here is I have ten pounds of it, and I hate waste.

 Maybe I can get lucky with a few particular scents for melts? I have great throw with a few. That said, I agree with you all, and if you happen to make melts, I would very much like to hear about your favorite wax. 

LOL!  After my scent issues, I gave to Goodwill about 150 lbs. of jar wax.  I haven't yet been able to part with my favorite wax for melts: Astorlite V.  This wax is a little hard to get, only a few suppliers sell it.  But, it comes in pellet form so it is very easy to work with and has truly awesome throw. One tartlet which is about an ounce of wax can scent about 500 square feet easy.  I would be happy to sell this wax as I too, hate waste. Don't really have a place to store it when I move. I have two full cases and one about 3/4 full.  Be glad to send you a small sample if you pay shipping or a larger sample for cheap if you pay shipping.  It has a fairly high melt point so it doesn't get icky like the container wax I used, and pops out of the molds easy.  A few minutes in the freezer and it comes right out.  Sadly I've given up scented melts along with the candles.  A friend was thrilled as we gave him my stockpile.

On 3/27/2017 at 6:03 AM, Moonstar said:

Ive never tried this one ? what makes it creamy ?

 

Here is the description: Absolutely fabulous sweet, sugary, buttery vanilla.  It smells most like what vanilla tastes like, to me. No off notes. Peak's French Vanilla is very good too.  Some vanillas just have a funky smell to me, but not this one.

Goodwill will take candle wax. Otherwise, I would stick with melts. Making a good safe candle takes months of testing and it isn't worth it for a discontinued product, IMO.

Lonestar's Creamy Vanilla.

Never saw a site like that, but great idea. When I was making candles, hubby used to open the drawer to the FO cabinet to let the mixed scent come out. That was his favorite scent.

I used to keep the bottles inside a lock-n-lock container, then inside a metal file cabinet. This contained them fairly well. I keep an inventory in a spreadsheet. I was a small time chandler though. One 4-drawer cabinet held all my FO.

If you search for J223, you will get a lot of info on this wax.  That was the old name before IGI bought it. Don't remember why but it didn't work out for me.  I'm sorry, but I never used wood wicks.

2 minutes ago, glasllyn said:

 

What happened to you, coconut? Physically, I mean.

My allergies went berserk which sent my asthma into overdrive. I spent several nights in a chair gasping for air all night. The pulmonologist was not much help as he didn't understand allergies. It was not one thing; it was a combination of the mold, dust, and the FO's aggravated it. I think the air in this town is bad too. Oh and food allergies I did not know I had. Soy of all things. I bought another house and will be moving this year I hope. We did remediate the mold and the FO but there is still a lot of dust. I am doing better but still have a ways to go to better health. You cannot be too careful how you pour and where you store.

I had to give up making scented candles altogether. I used to make them outside wearing an N95 mask, and stored the FO's and finished candles in my house. I never had any real issues because I had jalousie windows that leaked like crazy. Then I moved to a much tighter house. I wasn't even making candles but got sick as a dog between the FO's and a small amount of waxy tools and product stored. To be fair I had some issues with mold in the HVAC system too. Got rid of the FO and even my container wax which was evaporating about an ounce a year. I had to paint the closet with Kilz because I could not get the scent out. I don't know if I will ever be able to make candles again. So be careful folks, and that includes where you store FO.

Ha Ha, that's what I'm afraid of! I think once I get moved I just may give it a try. If you see a green cloud over Florida, could be me.  

Wow, thank you all for all this great information. You guys are awesome and very kind to share this knowledge.  TT, you make a good point about the wind. Sponiebr, good info on the cold water. I would have to refrigerate my water to get it cold but that's fine as I have more than one refrigerator. I will not be attempting to make soap at my current home but at my next one I hope to have more options for a workspace. I made scented candles for 8 or 9 years, outside in my covered lanai at my last home. Since my allergies went berserk I have had to give up scents, which started my quest for unscented soap. If I can replicate that setup, I think it might work out. I had a full outside kitchen with sink, stove and refrigerator under a roof in a screened space. It was the best way to keep things separate from the house kitchen. The new place has a sink in the garage too so that offers options as well. For now I am trying to learn as much as possible and explore whether or not I am up to the challenge. I never knew soap could be so complex. This seems like real alchemy to me. 

Thanks so much for the info.  If I ever get the courage to do it, I'll mix outside since it is always warm here.  I would definitely use a respirator and goggles or a face mask.  I do wear glasses but I don't think I would like to wear a respirator the whole time of stirring soap and putting it in the molds. I wanted to be sure the lye didn't release fumes during it's mixing with oils and being stirred into soap. I've worked with paint stripper before, but that's a little different.  It's already mixed when you get it.  We'll see....might stick to the rebatching, that was kinda fun.  

I have never made soap from scratch. I am still learning and reading about the science of it all. One question I cannot seem to get an answer to is about lye fumes. I have read about how lye produces lots of fumes when it is added to water and mixed. My question is this: once the initial reaction is complete, does lye continue to outgas while uncovered and when being mixed with the oils? If you were making unscented soap, would you still have air quality issues while mixing and molding soap? Thank you and please forgive a stupid question. 

On 2/25/2017 at 5:28 PM, Candybee said:

They probably shred the soap after its saponified but when its still moist enough to shred easily. That could mean that the soap may not be fully cured. I would check with BB and ask if it needs to 'cure' or at the very least get an idea of how long after its made that they shred it. Sitting in a stock room can also impact how long its been curing. If its not fully cured then that could be why it felt drying. Also, no telling if the other batch had cured longer or less. Unless you know for sure you could be using a soap that is drying if not fully cured.

 

I normally cure my soaps for 6-8 weeks before use. Cured soaps are harder and milder and more moisturizing. They should condition your skin and not dry it out.

 

I would take your test bar and put it in your linen closet for now. Wait at least a month or two and try it again. It should be milder.

That is great information, I thought it might not be fully cured but did not know that could make it feel drying.  I have several other bars put aside from the batch so I will leave them and try in a month or two and post back if it seems different.  Thanks for the input!