candlemama

I was wondering the same thing!!

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. They all sound great... got my work cut out for me trying to find a relaxing, soothing scent that is not too floral (like a funeral)! I have to run to the mall today and will have a sniff of Philosophy's Amazing Grace to see if a dupe of it is what I'm looking for. As always, you guys are the best!

They are nice looking. Curious -- how can you tell by the photos that they are M&P vs CP? Probably a stupid question but don't know the answer!

Tried PA's recipe last night, and it was very easy. My bars are harder than I expected just 12 hours later but still just a touch soft. I left another thread about my preschooler using a "muffin cup" soap this morning, and the soap disappeared in the water! Got some wonderful suggestions on how to make it last longer, and I think it perhaps just needs to set up a little more. My husband and I both tried the soap in the shower, and we both love it! My husband said his skin feels both squeaky clean and moisturized. I added 1 oz of CS Rain Water to the recipe (2 lbs of base + all the goodies). I like it, but husband says the scent is a little strong. I'll see how the scent holds up in a couple days. Anyway, thanks so much for sharing the recipe! Can't wait to try some of Candybee's recipes next! And maybe some day I'll get good enough to share a recipe of my own...

After reading the benefits/drawbacks of soy, paraffin and soy/paraffin blends mentioned in the forums here, I'm leaning toward getting a good parasoy blend for my containers. I do not want to make my own at this point since I am so inexperienced. I've sort of narrowed it down to the two mentioned above. I like the description of JW-9900 on Just By Nature's website in that "no cure time" is required (I'm so impatient!). But IGI 6006 will be a little cheaper for me, and I like that I can get it from several different sources. Has anyone used either or both and, if so, do you recommend these waxes? Which do you prefer? What kind of cure time are you using for 6006? So far, I've tried IGI 4630, which is working okay for me. Decent CT and HT, looks creamy, but glass adhesion is a mess, and I'm having a harder time wicking this wax (mushrooms, etc). I've also tried Genwax's SB 1000 parasoy blend. CT/HT seems better to me so far than 4630 and wicking seems easier, but it looks like a harder wax (not creamy), shrinks away from the container (but uniformly at least) and requires a second pour. Thanks!

I tried Prairieannie's wonderful basic recipe for M&P last night and used my standard size muffin pan since I don't have my molds from Peak yet. My three-year-old son was very excited to try one in the bathtub this morning. He played in the tub for about 30 minutes, and his little muffin soap is now gone. Granted, he had it submerged quite a bit and the soap was small to begin with (maybe a couple ounces?). I've read on the forums here about how quickly M&P soap disappears in a wet environment, although most of the threads are a few years old, and I was hoping maybe the manufacturers had improved the bases since. For you pros out there, do you find your M&P soaps pulling a disappearing act very quickly? If so, how do you explain/instruct your customers on this fact so they feel like they are getting their money's worth? Is there anything that can be added to increase the lifespan of a M&P soap bar in a shower or bath environment? Thanks!

Soooo excited.... Finally got all my ingredients to try PA's recipe! Gonna give it a shot tonight. I can't wait for my molds to be delivered from Peak's, so I'm planning to use some small, 8oz Tupperware cups I have. Figured they're flexible so it might be easier to use than my metal muffin pans?!? Please let me know if the plastic cups are a bad idea... I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked Lonestar's site, and they don't appear to carry Remember Me FO anymore. Would you mind describing the scent for me? Maybe I can duplicate it or find something similar.

If you were going to make a candle or B&B products for someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, what scents would you use? For some reason, lavender comes to mind, but I don't particularly like lavender. Just wondering what you all think.

Thanks, everyone. Yes, there is definitely a line where I did the repour, and that part is sticking to the glass while the rest of the candle isn't. In the grand scheme of things, I'd rather have a great smelling candle that doesn't burn the house down than one with no wet spots! I was just so shocked when I first saw these candles that they were so uniform, until I did the repour on the yellow one. I haven't tried burning them yet and want to let them cure for another day or so. The off-white one is creme brulee from CS and the CT is awesome. The yellow one is Pear Glace from CS and the CT is slight so far but still smells nice.

This sounds just wonderful, and I can't wait to try it! Thanks so much for sharing. I'm placing my order at EBC tonight and will pick it up tomorrow but have to wait for my soap molds from Peak to come in before I can play. Am I being too ambitious in wanting to make my first batch of M&P using this recipe (other than just melting the base and adding FO)? I hope not! Also, this is probably a silly question, but do I need to worry about the goat's milk going bad once it's in my soap? Do I need to add preservatives, or are the preservatives in the EBC base, assuming there are some, enough to protect the soap from mold, fungus, bacteria, etc.? Thanks again!

Thanks so much for all the replies. Now I'm wondering when you add FO and color to the bases for lotions, M&P, scrubs, and body butters, do you need to add a preservative, or do most of the bases already have a preservative?

First, my apologies for the bad photos... I never was much of a photographer! I have yet another silly newbie question. What exactly is a wet spot? I poured these two candles using Gen Wax SB 1000 (60% soy, 40% paraffin and other additives), which is advertised as having excellent glass adherence. I poured them both at 150 degrees because of the higher soy content. I thought the first candle, the off-white candle, ended up looking relatively good because it looked fairly uniform and I thought had no wet spots (please ignore the sinking middle as I didn't realize this wax requires a second pour and ran out of wax). So... then I made the yellow candle and saved enough wax to do a second pour. I poured the second pour on the yellow candle at about 180 degrees thinking it would give me better adherence between the two layers. Woke up the next morning and could see the second layer appears to be sticking to the glass, while the rest of the candle isn't, just like the white candle. From reading the posts here, I'm thinking a wet spot is when the candle doesn't stick to the glass? So does that mean my off white candle is one complete wet spot? Does it really matter as far as aesthetics if the entire candle pulls away from the glass as long as it's uniform? Or should I strive to have the candle stick to the glass?

Hi everyone. I've been lurking on the B&B threads for a few days and now my curiosity has gotten the better of me. I think I want to try making some B&B products for myself (M&P, scrubs, creams/lotions). I'm confused about bases... do most people start with a good base and add their own additives, or do you make your own base (is it possible)? I guess I'm asking if products like soaps, body butters, bath bombs, and scrubs are usually made completely from scratch or do they all require a professional base from a B&B supplier? Obviously, as I'm new, I want to go the easiest route and will start with a good base that requires little additives but am still curious about all the possibilities this craft offers as I love to learn and research. I seem to have lucked out -- just discovered last night that Essentials by Catalina is about 5 miles from my house!! Thanks.

I thought about that and think I will. The weird thing is they didn't have the IGI 6006 at their physical store, and the employees didn't know what I was talking about. Maybe they only sell it in their online store. I'll send an email and ask. $50 more than their competitors is ridiculous!

Not sure if this question belongs in the wickless section or here... I'm itching to try making a hurricane shell. I bought some hurricane wax today (blend of parrafins with mp of 160) and was advised to add 1 tbls of paraflint to improve glow through quality. I am assuming my first shell will be far from perfect... So my question is -- can I melt my practice shells down to reuse the wax so I am not wasting wax? Or do I need to use new wax each time? I will only add the paraflint (no dyes, FOs or imbeds). If I can keep using the same wax to practice with, is there a limit to how many times I can melt it without degrading it? Would you recommend I don't use any additives while practicing? Thanks for the insight!

Well, after weighing the pros and cons, I decided to drive out to General Wax in North Hollywood and try one of their blended waxes. I picked up 24lbs for $36.00. I searched on the forums to see if this wax has been mentioned before but didn't get any relevant hits. Has anyone had any experience with it? Here's the description from their site if you're interested: This exceptional soy blend has a very smooth surface and it adheres to the walls of the glass container exceedingly well. It consists of 60% soy wax and the other 40% is a blend of paraffin, UV, and another enhancing additive. Compared to 100% soy wax, SB 1000 has superior cold and warm fragrance throw, and has an ideal burn quality. I'll give it a try and post my results later in the week. Granted, I am new to all this, so my only other wax experience is IGI 4630, which I like so far but am not convinced it is my wax! I'm just trying to find the wax which works well for me and is the most economical (aren't we all?).

Thanks for the reminder about Yaleys. I was thinking they were just a big wholesaler to places like Michaels. I see they carry EcoSoya at a reasonable price. I am new to all this, so I am not married to any type of wax yet. I was just wanting to start with parrafin or a soy-parrifin blend since it seems to be a little easier to work with. But I may be switching to EcoSoya brand because of the price! My family lives near Yaley, so it would be even cheaper for me to swing by and stock up when I drive North to visit the family.

Wow, thanks for the link. One more thing I need to pick up! Actually, I've been looking around for a digital thermometers, but the ones I found are in the $30+ range, so thanks so much for telling me about these IKEA ones. I'm going to pick some up tomorrow!!

I was so excited to find that General Wax is within driving distance for me, although 90 miles away through Los Angeles traffic, but still pretty "local." Figured I was going to save on shipping fees for waxes and containers. But I just compared their prices on exactly the same wax, and they charge quite a bit more than the other suppliers. Once I figured in gas costs and sales tax, it's cheaper for me to buy from Peaks even with the $50 shipping fee. I'm so bummed, and I can't figure out why Gen Wax charges $50 more for the exact same product (one case of IGI 6006). Am I missing something? I've gone through the suppliers by state list but could only find Gen Wax in CA. Does anyone know of any other suppliers in California? Thanks.

Thanks for the replies. Very helpful!

I am wondering the best way to attach a wick to a container so that it is secure but not permanent. I would like to reuse my containers as I test FOs/wicks/waxes, etc. I've just been using my hot glue gun, which seemed to work perfectly -- until I tried to remove an old wick from a container. I can't get the darn thing off.

I wouldn't be too concerned about any explosives left in the shotgun shells; however, I would be more worried about lead. Spent casing still have lead. Any time you handle guns, bullets, magazines, and shells you need to take precautions (such as not touching your mouth or nose or eyes while handling these items, changing clothes and washing up after, etc.). I don't know if there would be a lot of lead. Maybe wash the casings really well to be safe. I've spent a lot of time around ranges and always try to aware of the dangers of lead... just my two cents.

I just want to say thank you to all the experienced candle makers who are so helpful to me already. Only been here for about a week and have already asked a few stupid newbie questions -- but the great thing is, I have actually received responses from experts willing to help me out! The thing that shocks me is that there are obvious experts here who make their living making beautiful candles, and yet they are patient enough to help out someone like me who isn't really planning to open a business selling candles, just wanting to make a great one for myself because it seems so fun and interesting. I was just telling my husband this morning how great this forum is because real experts are so helpful even to people just starting out as a hobby. He was shocked, too. Neither of us have ever seen such a willingness to help out the newbie in any online forum before. I have already learned so much reading posts. Thanks again!

I am very, very new to candle making as a hobby and have been reading the posts about liability insurance, which are scaring the hell out of me. I'm not planning to open a candle-only type business but am considering selling personalized hurricane shells if I get good enough making them. I currently have a very small online business that sells personalized memorial items and keepsakes to families who have lost a child. We sell other companies' candles right now. And, no, I don't have liability insurance, and we are registered as a partnership (no personal asset protection). I do not turn enough profit to even consider buying insurance that runs $500-$1000 a year. The only reason I have this business is because I want to help other parents who have lost a child. I work full time and have two small children -- no time really to spend on online marketing (which is a full time job in itself). Our business license is up for renewal in a few months, and I am thinking about going to an LLC so I can have some protection. I searched the boards but couldn't really find an answer. Does anyone have any insight into whether I should be carrying liability insurance to sell other companies' candles? I know, probably a strange question to ask people who sell their own candles, not other people's! I was planning to test two ways of personalizing candles -- 1) make a hurricane shell myself and imbed the personalization, and 2) buy a hurricane shell from a wholesale company and screen print the personalization on the shell. Any opinions on whether I should have liability insurance for the second option? I read the recent post from Les Chandelles on LLCs and liability insurance and am thinking I don't need it since literally my profit is so low, and I don't really have any business assets (other than a computer). We don't carry an inventory right now as all our products are drop shipped from a vendor or, in the case of the charcoal memorial portraits my husband does, made to order. Any opinions and comments would be really welcomed!