Traveler

Thanks for the input everyone! I just scratched my head over that one. I'll just keep testing pillars at 6% for reasons of safety as well as cost. I appreciate all your thoughts on the matter - it helps!! :-)

Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that this is a good batch! Excited to hear your results!

Hi all, I am beginning to work with Ecosoya PB wax...so forgive me if this is a dumb question. I bought my wax from CS. On their website it says this wax has a maximum FO retention of 6%. But on the Ecosoya Website it says that this wax has the ability to hold up to 12% FO. Why would there be such a discrepancy? Is 6% the most the wax can hold for a pillar candle but if you are making tarts it can hold up to 12%? Just curious. Any input would be enlightening. Thanks! Traveler

CS and Willow Woods are both awesome. (The Clean Cotton from Willow Woods has real staying power in the Odor Eliminator Base from NG.)

I started out with 464. Loved it. After a year of testing I finally perfected 5 scents in 16oz Apothecary jars that burned safely and threw scent really well. I had everythign written down. I went over the steps multiple times to make sure I had it correct. So I poured the 5 scents for an upcoming State Fair as a way to introduce customers to a new soy candle line I had wanted to add. I boxed the candles and stored them in a cool, dry closet in my home for 8 days. Here in Florida, my home is air conditioned and I have had no issues storing other candles here right before an Event. Plus I had tested these soy candles for months....left them all over the house with tops on, tops off...burned in diffferent rooms. Never maxed out the FO load...learned early on that isn't how you get an awesome hot throw from a candle...so all in all, I came to a point where each candle behaved the way I wanted it to. I didn't have any reason to suspect any more issues. However, the morning I was scheduled to go set up at the Fair I pulled out my candles to start loading them in the car and I was horrified to discover that the 464 wax had literally puffed up inside the jars (5 boxes of Apothecary jars!!) and completely covered the wicks. And all of the Lilac scented candles had FO seeping out of their tops. That was a pretty depressing moment. All that work and time and money down the drain. CS could not diagnose the problem since the candles had been stored in a cool, dry closet with no exposure to heat or humidty. So I chalked it up to a loss and went back to square one. I just can't use 464 again. I don't trust that the same experience won't happen again. But then CS turned me on to Palm wax and I have had so much fun working with this wax it made up for my bad soy trip!! It really showed me how one chandler's favorite wax can easily be another chandler's frustration. One wax does not fit all ;-)

Sandalwood Cardamom sounds like something else I will have to try! I was wondering about that one. I have been testing straight Sandalwood FOs but maybe a blend would be more fun for customers! And Pear Vanilla sounds like something I just want to eat...right now. Oh. FO samples just kill me. It's so hard to limit myself to just a few. I want them ALL:cheesy2:

@nmhoneybear - Thank you! I was eyeing both Lemon Blush and the Rosemary Lime...but the Sunshine Lollipop sounds FUN!

Hi everyone, I love their Backwoods Blue, Honey Gingerbread and Cashmere & Pearls. I saw that Connie posted a message on her homepage saying to get orders in by 2/5/11 because her husband is going in for surgery. So now I am putting together a quick order. Anyone have spring/summer type scents from Backwoods that they could recommend? (I use soy, paraffin, para-soy and palm waxes.) I figured I would get a sampler pack and start playing. Thanks in advance for any input!! Traveler

Hi Steve, Those of us who use GG Palm are very interested in how this gets resolved for you. Definitely keep posting, it is very helpful and a good learning experience for those of us who have not been certain which Vendor to turn to for the right wax. Thank you for keeping us informed!! Traveler

@CareBear...me too! I kept scrolling down reading about "embeds" and wondering what the heck it had to do with the scam? LOL! Thought I lost my marbles for a minute...checked my tea cup to make certain it was only tea in there!:smiley2: I keep looking at this post in the hopes that everything turns out OK for the folks on here who did get those letters.

I love the smell of her Mysore Sandalwood but it did not throw well in 6006. It did throw nicely in tarts made out of straight 4794...if you use any paraffin waxes you might find it works well. Her Honeysuckle and Green Fig is really nice. So is her Pink Papaya (very citrusy and zingy!) I like the scent of her German Chamomile as well. Soothing and pretty without being a "floral". Much more herbal spa-like. But these last 3 I mention I am just going off the scent quality by itself. Have not had time to test them in wax yet.

Backwoods Blue from BW is really nice. Men will actually buy this in a dry oil body spray. And it is very popular in candles. It is a little woodsy, a little clean, a little sweet. I never got to smell the Blue Sugar by Aquolina before they pulled it off the market so I cannot say if this is a good dupe - but it is really nice.

Candybee & Wessex, Oh gosh! I wasn't trying to imply that Wessex should "settle". I was simply reporting my experiences so far with the different looking GG wax. Thought it might help a little to know that the burn/scent throw seem to be good. I recognize that my circumstances are clearly different and I am able to use this wax "as is"....if I could find the original GG palm I would be thrilled. However, I am discovering that many suppliers do not actually make a test candle from each batch of this wax that they get. I know that Aztec did not make any test candles from this batch because they sent my bag out to me the same day it arrived at their warehouse. I am at a loss as to which vendor to turn to anymore, since it seems they could all be getting bags of this same palm wax mixed in with the "right" stuff. ...and I do agree, Candybee...this does seem to be more like the regular crystallizing palm wax now that I review my notes. And my circumstances being what they are, I can make use of this wax, I recognize, however, that not everyone can. I hope, Wessex, that you are able to get the actual GG Palm and that your situation is happily resolved with Aztec and IGI! Sorry for any misunderstanding.

Hi, I got a bag of GG Palm only 3 weeks ago from Aztec (it was a new shipment too, since they had run out of GG Palm and were waiting on a new skid to arrive) and even though the wax has the much smaller crystallization (just like the bags I had from CS before), all of my candles burn exactly as they should and they still have great scent throw. And yes, I did smell the "crayon smell" you mention when I opened the bag, but that goes away once the wax is melted...it seems to be having no effect on the actual performance of the wax. I made my candles the way I always have and so far, other than the difference in crystallization there is no other discernible "issue". I too had several bags of GG Palm from CS that were also "bad"...but I had the exact same results...the candles looked different but the burn and scent throw were exactly what I expected. So I continue to use it. I am testing some new scents in it this week...and again...burn and scent throw are behaving as I expect...but the crystallization pattern is "dense" looking. So far that seems to be the only difference. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you have a better experience with this batch of wax than you did before!

Hi SouthernGal - It sounds as if it has to do with the H.R. 5786 - the Safe Cosmetics Act, that some officials were trying to push through to regulate the entire Cosmetics industry. I gather there are concerns about ingredients causing allergic reactions, items not being properly labeled, false claims that certain cosmetics will get rid of wrinkles, certain creams and lotions will get rid of psoriasis, eczema, (when they do not) etc., fradulent labeling or lack of labeling regarding what is actually in these products, etc. All of this has raised concerns about standards of safety in the industry. This is not just aimed at small businesses. It is aimed at large corporations as well. The problem is that small businesses cannot afford a lot of the regulations being proposed...and big businesses don't want more regulation...so everyone is involved. Anne-Marie Faiola at Brambleberry has gotten involved along with Donna Marie Coles Johnson at the Indie Beauty Network and both these women (along with many others) have been pushing to have this legislation shelved or at the very least, modified so that it does not force small business owners out of business. (If you Google "Safe Cosmetics Act" you will find a ton of information about the act. But Donna Marie at Indie Beauty (www.indiebeautynetwork.com) has really been keeping on top of this - so if you are seeking information from a knowledgeable source, she would be someone to contact. You could also call WSP and find out more about their involvement and what they are trying to achieve. I thought movement on the Act had slowed down, but perhaps it is starting to pick up again. I know that's not much info but it is what I have learned so far - HTH Traveler

Thanks for the great input, everyone! I'm definitely going to give them a try when I start ordering. (Plus it is always fun testing stuff from a new supplier ;-)

@Radellaf - CS has also stopped selling Stearic. (In case you were getting it from them as well).

Check with Aztec (www.buywax.com). It's listed under Pillar Wax. :-) I have started getting more supplies from Aztec now that CS has started dropping items. It was just incredibly frustrating to lose my Palm wax supplier right in the middle of the holiday season with orders pouring in from customers. So I'm a bit leery of CS right now. The upside is that Aztec has been good to work with and you should find their shipping rates comparable to CS....I hope! Good luck!

@Isbennis - I have never tried them. Just curious to see if anyone else had. I'm currently saving up my pennies to do some "Sample" shopping next month. It would be nice to have a supplier of FO in the same state ~ I could possibly save a little on shipping! :-) Of course, if I do try them I shall post my results. Who knows? Maybe their FO's are awesome and I've been missing out this entire time!

Gorgeous! I love how it all goes together. Your labels are terrific!

http://soapsupplies.net I don't know why I did not see them on the Supplier Abbreviation List before...must have just skimmed right over them. They seem to be a small company but they list several of their FO's for both candle and soap use. If anyone has used their FO's for candles or soap I would love to hear if you would use them again. Thank you for any input :-) Traveler

I thought CS Meadow smelled like fresh cut grass when I sniffed my tester the other day! Now I shall have to go try it...I cannot believe the number of men who consistently ask for a candle that smells like fresh cut grass! Here I am, trying ot find something Unique and Original and New...something with a spa-like herbal freshness to it....and really...they just want me to put their lawn in a jar. LOL!

I like both companies but I have had more consistent success with NG's FOs. I have no idea why...it could be my wax,wick, jar combos...it could be the way the FOs are manufactured...it could just be all in my head.

Hi, I have never used thier oils...but if I were testing for new Spring scents that are different from run of the mill florals Iwould want to sample the following: Amber Sands Bavarian Edelweiss Creamy Cinnamon Chai (Cinnamon anything sells all year round for us!) Hinoki (it sounds "warm" and seems like something guys would enjoy as well.) Persian Lime Blossom They also had a Ginger Wasabi that sounded intriguing...and a Ginger Lily. I think most bakery scents seem to throw decent in soy so if I were you I would just have fun playing with the ones that sound unusual, Hope that helps with your decision making ~ Enjoy! :smiley2:

I love your work. Your talent just blows me away. Awe inspiring job!!