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beekeeper_sd

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  • Website URL
    http://www.SimplyBeeLightful.com

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  • Makes
    candles soap b&b
  • Location
    South Dakota
  • Occupation
    self employed
  • About You
    I am a beekeeper and a candle maker. I make all kinds of candles and b&b products using beeswax and honey. I love trying new formulas and making my products.

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  1. Well, since I am a commercial beekeeper by trade and sell everything from candles to bath and body to honey and honey food products, I wanted to encompass everything, keeping in the "bee" theme, sell "delightful" products yet keep things "simple". Thus Simply BeeLightful was born! Wal-lah
  2. Don't use cooking spray. I tried it once and it left little pits in my candle because it bubbles when you spray it on a surface. I agree with Faerywren, I have made molds from pvc pipe before and simply cut the pipe in half, used rubber bands to hold it together and it worked surprisingly well. I made a large square mold once out of a plastic deck post cover. It also worked really good. It can be done!
  3. Try Mannlakeltd.com They are a beekeeping supply co. and have very nice molds.
  4. I would never burn beeswax in a glass container either but I guess that's just my opinion. BTW we do not use chemicals in our hives.
  5. As a commercial beekeeper I would have to argue with the analogy that beeswax obtained from a commercial beekeeper is laden with harmful chemicals. Most beeswax rendered from commercial beekeeping operations is "cappings" wax (the wax bees use to seal their honey comb with). As such, it stands to reason that most commercial beekeepers are not tainting their honey and wax with harmful chemicals. For one thing, it's illegal to use miticides and antibiotics used to control disease while honey supers are on a hive during a honey flow. Therefore, honey supers generally do not contain honey comb that has been treated with chemicals. So, although there may be a lot of commercial beekeepers using chemicals to treat their bees for diseases, the vast majority of beekeepers do not regularly melt and sell their foundation wax. And, most commercial beekeepers use plastic foundation that is coated with beeswax and is not melted down.
  6. I too am a commercial beekeeper and have been making beeswax candles for some time now. My recommendation is: Don't do containers, especially glass! The candles burn way too hot to be burned in glass. I have done some small tins but was never happy with the way my beeswax candles burned. I use silicone molds for all my 100% beeswax candles. They worked beautifully and I never have to repour. The most important step in making beeswax candles is to let the candle cool in a fairly warm room. I never pour candles unless my room is at least 75 degrees or higher and, actually, 80 degrees or more is better. Yes, it gets hot working but the candles do not crack and do not need to be repoured. Good luck and enjoy the beauty of this wonderful wax!
  7. Make your own, it is so easy! Also tubes are better than tubs IMMHO. From Nature with Love has wonderful oils and butters for making lip balms.
  8. I love your labels. Is the background pre-printed or did you add that with the label design?
  9. Ditto. I think I poured the beer in my pitcher that I mix my lye solution in and let it sit in the frig overnight to let it go flat. I was disappointed that I didn't get more beer fragrance as I was attempting to make a beer shampoo bar.
  10. Not trying to be rude or anything but why do you want to make soap "hands off"? That's the best part about making soap! I love watching the process and knowing that I can make wonderful hand made soaps with my own little hands! lol
  11. I use it in all my soap (of course I'm a beekeeper so it just comes naturally) and I still get wonderful lather. I does harder the soap but I'm not sure about preventing ash. I had not heard of that until now but now that I think about it I haven't had my soap ash for a long time. I think it just depends on your recipe and, once you get that down, unless you have really bad environmental issues, you're not going to get ash in the first place. Oh, and I also add honey to my soap (again, the beekeeper thing).
  12. I made my beer soap to use as shampoo. I like it!
  13. I do make a citrus, pumice soap. Love it. Just like Lava. I got my pumice from From Nature With Love. You don't need to order a whole lot because a little goes a LONG way.
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