Di_in_AZ

Basically try and stretch to dredge up anything that might remotely put the customers off paraffin and agree that your candles are best!

Just goes to show that just because you are a celebrity, doesn't mean you have brains LOL. :D

I still say the EPA is the best resource. Many companies claim to use information based on EPA studies. It has been shown they misconstrue the information. The best place hands down is the EPA. They do not twist facts, they have no bias. If you just do a search under home fragrance, you will see plenty of information on fragrances. They have archived numerous letters sent to the big FO guys regarding the chemicals they use and the hazards. Essential oils can be just as toxic, just because something is natural does not exclude it. Bottom line, I don't believe anything that is being put out there to sell a product.

The one thing that most people overlook is quite simply--moderation. Yes, OMG there are toxins in candles (present in all kinds, due to FOs!). Shall we all stop burning candles? No. There are more toxins coming out of your furnace. Do we freeze every winter, no. Why? Because the volume present is in very low quantities, not enough to impair our health. Please research and read at the EPA, not just on candles, but on other topics. You will find out that most things we eat, breathe, drink, etc. have some toxins in them. You can analyze everything and go live in a hut in the middle of the woods if you like, growing your own food and good luck finding a "pure" water source, but the truth is, a few unscrupulous people deliberately overinflate the dangers to scare people into buying their products. Fact is, their candles have the same toxins present in the FO's. Are they going to kill us? Probably not. If you can withstand 30 candles in one room for 3 hours, you still won't have a dangerous concentration. However, if you make a substantial amount of candles over a period of time, it would be wise to wear protective gear. We all know that FO's can irritate--there are enough posts on here to prove that. In large quantities, I do believe they can be dangerous, but as a candlemaker, you need to take care of yourself, one candle that your customer burns will not harm them unless they have a medical condition that it would aggravate. I do not believe this man is a liar, maybe the candle making did make him sick. But I believe it was the FO's, not the wax that was the culprit. Think of the chemicals that are in FO's and then seriously think about paraffin, it is put on fruits and used in chocolates. What do you think caused it? :undecided

At some point I wonder when someone is going to sue the hell out of these people. Do they think the fragrances they are putting into the soy do not emit toxins? If they go to the EPA they will find out that is the main culprit. Ignorance is not an excuse when you are selling to the public.

Romasoy, please go to www.epa.gov and read. Then read some more. And take the time to notice that: 1) Most of the EPA report is concerning emissions WITH lead wicks. 2) Most of the emissions are from the FRAGRANCES added--they state this very clearly. 3) They also state that they burned 30 candles in a room for 3 hours and tested the air quality, guess what? Less toxin that ONE cigarette. 4) Most of the toxins emitted were from candles that were sooting, they contribute that to--a badly made candle, incorrect burning, drafts. These are my words, you need to read what comes from the government not what these people are misconstruing it to say. When the soy companies bash paraffin, the forget to leave those very important details out of the picture.

I used the different color flame candles on my daughter's cake this year, they were pretty neat.

I haven't seen it but if you google it, I guess some are making these. They are color changing candles. According to my uncle, very popular in the UK. They have an LED light in the base and an optic fiber than runs up the wick, when the wick is lit, the color changing LED in the base comes on. Pretty neat. You can see them here: http://www.lunacandle.com/store/home.php

Very true, kind of scary...but plenty of people won big money when they finally took them to court. I think that is what makes the changes, people don't change until it hits them in the pocketbook.

To be honest, I don't think anyone has been sued for misrepresentation. If someone did file a complaint, I assure you the wording would be changed instantaneously, without the backup, I cannot see how you wouldn't be liable for misrepresentation. Having said that, I am not familiar with that type of law, so I could be very wrong LOL! But, I too, have always thought it was illegal but they do it anyway.

Good idea, I was testing three different vanilla based scents once and had the labels fall off--very hard to figure that one when you have candlenose.

There is a list, under Community on left, then click on Community Links--they have suppliers listed there. They are listed, not with opinions, but like I said, just find one near you and search the boards. The ones that have particularly bad service will definitely pull up LOL

To be honest, that is too subjective for anyone to compile a list like that. People go to different suppliers for different things. Some people prefer one company over another and some swear by the customer service at one place, while another person swears ABOUT the customer service at that very same place. The final kicker is location, location, location--you really have to work your best to get a supplier that is decent and NEAR you. Wax and jars are horrendous on shipping so you will have to shop for your supplier with that in mind. There is alot of good feedback and negative feedback about suppliers on these threads. I would search in the supplier links in that section of the board and then maybe do a search of their name to see what information is pulled up. That way you could start by getting possible suppliers that are located near you.

Thanks, makes sense. I was thinking that the wick would stop when it hit the neck of the tab, but I did not think about it not being secured. One day I will venture into pillars--just still changing things with containers that I don't need any extra testing at the moment. Cheers.:smiley2:

I always wash and dry my hands real well. But, I would have to do it a couple of times during the time I was applying labels. I also would only touch the very outer edges. I hate those things, look nice but extra work.

Top, what is the danger of the wick tab in the bottom? I know they were more concerned with the burn level on the pillars than they were containers. I haven't ventured into pillars, nor burn them. It is probably a real obvious answer that I am just not getting right now:embarasse

The original letters were sent then, there are follow up letters that they were discussing on the CPSC in June, 2006. The voluntary standards just got revised in Nov, 2006. So yes, it has been six years since they raised the issue but if you go to both of the sites, you will see they are actively discussing it now. What can you say...government is s...l....o...w! Like Robin said, it will probably be a while if they enact it into mandatory.

What concerns me is that alot of the sources quoted, were excerpts which were run from newspapers. They are discussing that there are a lot of lead wicks and I can only assume they are talking about imported candles in cheapie stores. The big producers in the US and the crafters like us aren't doing it, but there is no mention, it is just discussed as if the whole of the industry does this. They need to use impartial, factual sources before they change standards. I see the National Candle Association is involved in this, but the ICGA (could have that wrong) should also be involved, it involves all of our business/hobbies.

I think it was discussed here before, it would be a wick that would have an additional tab higher up to stop the flame. There is a lot more information available at: http://www.candles.org/industry.html And the industry standards are here if you search "candles": http://www.astm.org/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/index.shtml?E+mystore

I find this to be quite interesting. The National Association of State Fire Marshals has petitioned the Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding candle safety. They are proposing that candles be self-extinguishing and that the candle industry take some responsibility in fires that are caused by candles being left unattended. They say although the consumer is at fault, that the industry should have to take some responsibility. They also say that alot of lead wicks are still in use, which is misleading because it is only candles being imported from overseas which have these--I have never seen them for sale at any suppliers. They are recommending industry changes. http://www.firemarshals.org/mission/residential/ignition_sources/candles.asp This is the Consumer Product Safety Commission's voluntary standards regarding candles: http://www.cpsc.gov/volstd/candles/candles.html And if you just do a search here, you will be blown away with the pages and pages of recalls: http://search.cpsc.gov/

I like your votive display I had to comment on the Free Smells sign though, because it reminds me of the idiot I made of myself at a show I did. I avoid the word "smells" like the plague. I had a couple walk in my booth and I said, "Come in and smell my smells". They looked at me like I was a real nutter and then we all died laughing. I felt so stupid. What a thing to say! I got a sale out of it but I always say scents now--it just sounds better LOL.

ROFL! That is good

There is a wealth of information on this link: http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/start/financestartup/SERV_BORROW.html I know offhand they require good credit, the ability to repay, a business plan and you must be have 20-40% of what you need in start up costs to put forward yourself before they will loan you the money. They don't just give the loans because they feel you show your committment by having X amount of the money yourself. I just went over this in a class offered by the local SBDC. If you go to the SBA, they have a locator so you can find a SBDC near you, usually at community colleges. They offer classes (with just the cost of materials) and they also give free advice. You will need to come up with a viable business plan first, they can help you get started on that as well. www.sba.gov Good luck!

Nice link Bill Thanks

I second them. I have been using them since I first started--they have a wide selection of items and are convenient for small beginner candlemakers right up to large ones. I have always had good service and they have two locations, so you can order from the one that is closest, although the Wisconsin one has more items.