jazzbo848

i live in a humid climate and i set the bars on a cookie cooling rack directly in front of a fan or a/c and let them "cure" for a couple of days before i wrap them. that has cut out the sweating for me.

cheryl

i use 3/4 sfic shaving soap mixed with with 1/4 either gm or shea sfic soap base. i then add about 1 tbsp. pp of kaolin clay. i mix the clay with a small amount of hot mp base and stir until the clay has no lumps and is mixed well into base. i then add that to cooler base and stir until the base is thick and the clay is evenly suspended through out the mixed bases and the i pour it into whatever i am using as a mold or into a container.

hth,

cheryl

i use mainly mp. the only time i used hp was when i was shipping some "fish tank" candles in summer.

the method you use to suspend embeds can also play a part in how long the embeds "float" and also where the candle is placed after it is made...i.e, if it is put in a sunny window, the embeds will sink over time.

i would suggest you start with mp.

hth,

cheryl

have her take a vitamin b supplement. many people have trouble absorbing the b vitamins, and the b's do play a part in nail health. in fact a general vitamin as well as the b's probably would not hurt. very often as we age, we absorb fewer nutrients from our food than we used to do.

i make a cuticle/ nail oil from ako, avacado oil, rbo, wheat germ oil, emu oil, tea tree and lavender eo that seems to help some people.

is she wearing gloves when she washes dishes or does cleaning? someitmes those products can really wreak havoc on hands and nails.

cheryl

you really should use the high neck tabs to keep the candle from burning to the bottom of the container. gel burns hotter than soy. and also unlike soy, you want your gel candle to leave about a 1/8th inch to 1/4 inch rim around the side of the container to cushion it from the heat of the candle.

i would suggest that you start with simple candles to learn wicking, how to use color (you can use wax color blocks), how many bubble you like and how to work with fragrance.

the only time i have seen gel candles cloud is because 1) there was wax on the wick or 2) the fragrance was polar/and or too much was used.

please be prepared to test, test, test.........

cheryl

many premade bases have a preserevative system built into them, but you need to know what they are because you could destroy them by heating the base up or adding too many other ingredients. your supplier should be able to give you this info. and be sure to research, research, research, and test, test, test..........

cheryl

even using distilled h20 and salt, mold can still grow, i tell my customers to add vodka to the h20 when they refresh them..............

cheryl

are you using premade bases or making your own?

what preservatives are you using?

cheryl

kangarooblue sells it also, along with lots of other stuff!

cheryl

i have found that it depends on the fragrance and the amount you used (within the safety range)

cheryl

you can also use some sfic ( brand name) shaving soap in your bar.

but it is important to start with a quality base.

also how much colorant and scent did you use?

cheryl

you can also go to the suppliers that sell preservatives and see the reccomendations (sp) that they make.

cheryl

sorry to bring the discussion back to non consumable uses for ever clear, but could it have been for smelly gellies?

cheryl

i use baby oatmeal.

cheryl

you really should not use fo on pets. it is a leave on product and they lick themselves and would ingest the fo. and eo's are tricky too.

cheryl

can you whip mp, plop it into pie pan and pat it onto bottom, up sides, and then pinch the edge with your fingers? thet is how i make my wax crusts.....

hth,

cheryl

i use 3 -44z wicks..

cheryl

if yu are only using butters and oils, you do not need ewax or stearic.

can you give your recipes? it would make it easier to analyze........

cheryl

yep, you can use the freezer over your frig................

and relax.......whipped butters are very tweakable....what works for one, does not always work for someone else. the percentages i gave you are just a starting point...........

cheryl

when i make whipped butter(s), i use anywhere from 70%butter/30% oils (winter) to 80%butter/20% oils (summer)

for a 1 lb (16 oz) batch, try this.....

12 oz. shea butter

4 oz. oils (say 1/3 fco, 1/3 shea. 1/3 hemp)...but i will tell you that if you use more fco or vco, the final product will be lighter.

melt shea butter until just liquid (others just soften it, but i melt)

add oils and mix well. put in freezer for about 15 minutes, take out and whip the snot out of it, blending the sides in well for about 5 minutes. repeat freezing and whipping until the mixture starts taking on th consistency of whipped topping. and apprx. 1 tbls corn starch an fo/eo in proper % and whip more.

it can take an hour of whipping, but don't worry, your ka stand mixer can take it!

cheryl

what ratio of butter to oils are you using?

what oils are you using?

are you melting it?

are you putting it in the freezer between beating sessions?

how long are you whipping it for?

are you using corn starch or dry flo to keep it from being greasy?

cheryl

where are you located?

www.candlesandsupplies.com (pa)

www.biomax1.com (oh)

shipping is a consideration.....

cheryl

have you tried

www.oilsbynature.com ?

i have used them and was pleased with them.

cheryl

are you talking about the beads that get solid when you add fragrance of the ones that you make a room freshner from by adding water and fo?

actually neither are the same as gel wax......

cheryl

i had a thought...are your wicks the correct size for the container? if you are wicking too large, it would melt the gel at a higher heat which could cause it to list......

cheryl