LuminousBoutique

Warm soapy water, and steel wool is what I use to get labels off in general... but I dont know that a ton of people are using them... they are nice for testing new scents though. remember that not all jars are rated for use as candles... so it could be a liability problem! Not to be the wet blanket.. I'm just cautious. I know. wet blanket none the less.

Thank you!

depends on the recipe, honestly. I do a water reduc on some of my soaps, and they are hard as a brick in less than a week. Personally I think you should be able to press down hard with your thumb on the center of the bar after cure (4-6 weeks) and not be able to make a significant dent. I dont really know what to compare it to though. Since you mentioned cheese.. perhaps a very aged parmesan? I trim the edges of my bars because some can be almost sharp when cured. Cure is simply reducing the water content.. your soap is (generally) safe to use after cutting (especially if you have checked the PH and done a zap test) but I wouldn’t use it because the more water it has in it, the quicker its going to waste away in the shower or bath... but the longer you cure it the harder it will become and the more water it will lose. It also depends on how much water you use in your recipe. The more water, the longer it will take the evap. out.

I would never even bother with an individual warning label for tealights, whew what a pain in the butt that would be! Personally I package them in a box of 6 or 12, place a tealight specific safety label on the bottom of the box, and also a small one on the front label that specifies the net weight, fragrance, ingredients, company info and so on.... asking customers to please read safety instructions before burning. Heres a link to the ASTM industry standards on labeling: http://www.candles.org/industry.html And a link to a post on here you will find useful: http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86552&highlight=candle+label+requirements The most important thing I put on ALL my tealight packaging is to use them in proper, certified, candle holders/tealight cups.

yes... its a learning curve of not overheating but you can remelt body butter to add in more oils or dry flo or whatever is needed. You can also make a large batch which is unscented and then melt (warm) in the microwave for a few seconds, and add fragrance as needed. What dont you like about it? Maybe we can give some suggestions

Thanks I'll try that!

I will continue making my regular products with beeswax.. but this account specifies 100% no animal milks, honey, beeswax, nothing animal. The shop is aligned with PETA and they are very very strict. I know I've sold beeswax products to vegans before who werent concerned but for this account its going to be required - its a good deal and it will get me some exposure so I'm willing to work with them! I get my beeswax from a friend so I have lots of it- so I am definately not going to stop using it in my regular line

I think its safe to assume they put the papers in a cupcake mold first... otherwise I wouldnt think the paper would be strong enough to hold up to the heat and pressure of the wax. you can ask at local restaurant suppliers and local restaurants as well.. I know someone on here was able to buy at least a hundred or so from a local restaurant just to try them out. There is a store in my hometown called 'cash and carry' and they have these types of things for super cheap... most larger cities have at least a few restaurant supply shops, just see if they are open to the public. good luck

its just safest (IMHO, not everyone feels this way...) to assume anything we make that someone can or could apply to their body is a cosmetic.. thats what I do, because the FDA explanations are so hard to wrap my head around I would rather be over-prepared than under-prepared! The links Stella put up are super helpful... it takes awhile to read through it all but its worth it in the end, I learned last year that I was mislabeling things since I started years ago! yikes.

thanks! I'm nervous to waste supplies if testing doesnt go well but thats life I guess

heres the results using the search feature... you will find alot by searching the forums. http://www.craftserver.com/forums/search.php?searchid=1539730 Your base should specify the amount of FO to use.... it could be different depending on the manufacturer. I personally use 8% in my room spray(thats ALOT, btw... but I prefer them very strong) and 5% in my body spray, but I also make them from scratch so I honestly couldnt advise you how much your base will need. Once you find out what your base manufacturer suggests as your % to use, you can calculate it like this.. 5% fragrance load would be .05. Times that by 4, for 4oz. = .2oz

Yep.. I wish they all would note if there was vanilla in the blend too. I know some of them do, but sometimes it can be in things that dont mention or even make you think of vanilla, and boom... brown soap.

Yep pretty much... tempering, at least how I do it, is heating my 464 and dollop of coconut oil to 180, then stirring till it cools to 170. I add my FO at 170, it'll cool pretty quickly at that point but I stir it, slowly back and forth with a very large spoon until I reach 145-150. Then I pour. As with most people pouring 464 nobody knows whats "right" but its what works for me!

I would try a bit of coconut oil, I add 1 tsp pp of wax, and temper really well to help avoid any separation. Worth a shot! It helps my wax with everything from frosting to sinkholes to hot throw!

I've added them to my CP soaps and I do dry them out first... letting it sit on a paper towel overnight should do it.

I've been conversing with a business that would like to carry a whole line of my products.... its a vegan shop and it would be a BIG deal so I am willing to go out of my way for them. A few of my products use beeswax, and thats a no no for vegan products so I need to sub it for Candelilla or Caranauba. I know I'm in for alot of testing but I wanted to know if any of you have some experience with it. I need to replace beeswax with one of the two in lotion bars and balms... and I know it has twice the stiffening power of beeswax.. so before I do any testing I wanted to ask if anyone has tried this and what they think about it. My lotion bars are 1.5 oz beeswax 1 oz refined cocoa butter 1 oz shea .5 oz mango butter 1 oz apricot kernel 1 oz sweet almond SO.... knowing that candelilla (what I am going to test first) has twice the stiffening power, can I safely assume that I just use .75oz? I'm going to cut the recipe and make a small batch but just wanted to see if you guys have experience with it first.

if you make soap, they work fine for liquid soap or HP soap... just be aware of the temp settings. My crock isnt big enough for the batches I like to make so I use an electric roaster to make some of my liquid soap

Thats a fantastic link, I mention this to people all the time but I often wonder how many actually take the advice.

pretty sure that would fill my whole studio! lol

No KIDDING... I had someone say to me the other day "Oh soap and candles? There's good money in that huh?" I just laughed... :laugh2:and laughed... :laugh2:she looked at me like YEAH... eventually. Once you've sold your arm, leg, first born, cat, soul, and lost your mind getting everything perfected...

I look for good communication and a willingness to help. And friendly voices or friendly emails. my pet peeves are short or half answers... or when they treat you like an idiot for asking a question. I am about to drop over 1000.00 at a local supplier so I have been asking questions off and on. I asked on Wednesday if they could tell me what size their glass rollerballs are so I could start working on labels... and all they did was then ask me what I wanted the label to look like.... that irritated me beyond belief. All they had to do was look up the specs on their own product (since its not on the website :rolleyes2) and tell me how tall it is and how big around it is. The same supplier kindof rudely replied to an email about a week ago too so I am almost irritated enough not to place the order with them anymore... but its too tempting not to have to pay shipping charges. We'll see how they are when I actually show up to get my order! I love when companies have good customer service.. I am so much more willing to order when thats the case! Both Peaks and Candle Science have been so easy to ask questions and so nice to communicate with, they have my business for life.

I agree, violet lime is a good name for it.. I would be afraid anything more vague and people wouldnt know what to expect

very nice!

PS remember that we all get candle nose from time to time... one fail proof testing method of mine is to get something up (candle, diffuser, whatever) walk around the block :tiptoe:, come back.. and THEN gauge my results. Sometimes my husband comes home and his eyes are practically watering because the smell is so strong from all my testing but I cant smell a thing, LOL.... so remember to give your sniffer a break and revisit... or give to a friend to test! My testers always give me such amazing feedback, often they think things are WAY better than I do.. so give yourself a break and see what friends and family think! You might be surprised! Good luck with your testing!

I use Peaks base, Candle Sciences reeds, and a mix of FO's... my FO's come from many diff suppliers. I use 50:50 base which is more expensive for me but gets the results I want. I sell kits which come with 5 reeds, 4oz of mix, and a 4oz glass container. I suggest people put 2oz in, the reeds in, wait 4 hours, flip them, wait 4 more, and flip them again. Then I suggest they flip them weekly or any time they think they need a boost. My diffusers last 3-4 months (with the refill put in at about 2months), kinda depends on where they are stored. I advise they are always kept out of direct sunlight, and stored away from things like heater vents. In the summer they evaporate a bit quicker. I dont make them that often anymore because like you said... Kmart, Walmart, heck even the dollar store have cheap versions which IMO dont work well but if someone who doesnt know or care looks at mine for $15 and sees one for $4.00 at Wally's... they are going to go for the wally one. I sell refills too, and the sticks.. which seems to do better because I think people take them home and use their own containers! I dont care what they do, as long as they buy them! lol. I'm hoping they are a hit with my customers this summer... i'm banking on it... but if not, I'm discontinuing the diffusers altogether.