wookie130

Tracey,

I use JS waxes and find better throw after 7 days cure. Some are very light throwers like Cherish so I use it in B&B. Everyone's nose is not the same. I have tons of JS scents and like every other supplier on God's green earth some throw heavy and some don't. I would love to know of a supplier that carries as many scents as Becky that has 100% heavy throw record for 100% of their clients.

For some reason Becky is either loved or hated. I don't know why.....she's a supplier like many others that have great customer service and good quality oils. I personally like Becky because she is a people person and likes to get feedback from her regular customers.

I like JS scents but I also like WillowWoods, Nature's Garden, Cajun, BitterCreek, Scented Bean, Tennessee, ICS, Greenleaf, Brambleberry, ScentWorks and the list goes on and on. I just don't get why when Becky's name comes up people who like her scents are ridiculed to the point of insult. Some people just need to grow up and realize they need to start having a life outside these chat rooms. I guess when they leave this Earth their ulogy will go something like...Yes she was a fiesty ole gal...very passionate about how much she hated JustScent. Made it her life's mission to bash Becky every chance she got. Too bad that's all she did with her life!

Becky is one of 100's of suppliers out there. Get a life, people!

Yeah, the Becky-bashing is entirely unnecessary. I too am a self-professed JS junkie, and as I mentioned before, use several oils from this company. I will admit that the newsletter thing is a bit disturbing, if that's the way it's gone down. I also use other suppliers, and have found my own list of preferred FO's from them as well...

With candles, it's all in the testing. I can't say with any level of certainty that all of Becky's oils are tested when they are introduced to her line...no one knows this but the folks at JS. But as a chandler, I have a responsibility to test the scents I order, and if it doesn't cut it, I won't order it again, and I'll try something else. Rather than slamming on a company or supplier, I may choose to try other scents from the company, or I may move on to another supplier entirely...it just isn't worth my time to belittle them on a message board. It will just boil down to me spending my $$$ elsewhere. :rolleyes2

Gorgeous! I only hope that when I start making pillars, I can make them 1/8th as nice as yours!!!

That's adorable!!!

Is there any "universal" wick that works good in soy and with any size containers? I'm using 8 oz. jelly jars and 16 oz. mason jars. I'm using the 100% cotton wicks. I am getting a great burn pool with them, but think maybe they are affecting my hot throw?!?!

Unfortunately no. Wicking is one of the trickiest aspects of chandling...and soy can be even more of a challenge sometimes. I would suggest trying a different wick series altogether. I had great luck with my 8 oz. jj's using CD 12's, or you could play around with the LX series...there are alot of wick charts. The ECO wicks may be another one to try.

The best way I found to save on shipping for wax is buy it from the closest supplier to you.

If you already use a soy wax and that same supplier has container paraffin wax then you could blend your own, and save on shipping. Making a soy blend is not very hard to do.

I can make a soy blend for about $1.00/LB verses pay $1.50/Lb or more for a pre-blend.

I absolutely agree with you, and have done so in the past. I can get my soy blend locally, but it's paraffin that kills me with shipping...there are literally no suppliers that carry what I would use around here. I can have my full wax supply shipped from JS via priority mail, and save on shipping, and gas expenses from driving to my soy supplier, which is still an hour and 20 minutes away. For me, it still works out to be more cost effective to order from JS. This, of course, is just my situation, and I know it would be much easier for a lot of folks to blend their own parasoy.

it's obvious that some people are just one minded and only express their opinion not seeing the whole picture. They just get one thought in their head and only stick to that. Our wax melt temp is under 120 deg. Now i know most fragrances have a flash point way above that. So I dont see the logic in saying that it would catch fire because of the oil. Some people act as if they just threw these things together hoping that they work. Obvious if you knew what you were doing you would know that people do test and try their products

Not sure if the hesitation about these products was because of the flashpoint, or rather the concentration or % of FO that is used in a candle...I believe the poster was trying to stress that this level of FO could irritate the skin, even if the candle was dye-free.

Honestly, I don't know anything about these candle/cream combos...sounds like a gimmick, but if some people enjoy using them, and if they have been tested for safety, then why not.

Jewel tones refers to deep, rich shades...such as emerald/dark green, deep red or burgundy, deep blues, etc.

That is one thing I will say about the C-3...it colors wonderfully for a soy blend. No pastels or wishy-washy colors here!!

However, some of us have been very satisfied with Just Scent...I wouldn't exactly say that anyone has made scathing comments about this company, or Becky's oils. Some had simply commented that her oils did not throw to their liking, which is true of any company, really. Some will work, some will not.

The majority of fragrances I've used from JS have been wonderful, and meet my needs. I know I'm not alone in saying this, so I feel that some will be interested in trying the new 70/30 blend. If it is at all comparable to GL's 70/30, I know that Just Scent could be saving a lot of people on shipping, which is true for myself.

Hey, it's worth a try!

No...I've not heard of these. I'm not sure that I'd be applying something on my skin that you can burn also...even if the packaging claims that soy is natural and safe to use as a cream.

Just saw on JS's web site that they will be introducing their new 70/30 wax soon!!!! I don't know about you, but after all the rave reviews of GL 70/30, I'm excited about trying the JS version...I live in Iowa, and having the GL shipped up to me would be waayyyy too expensive right now. I can actually afford to have JS's waxes shipped to me, so...yay!!! Will plan to order and test, so we'll so how it goes!

For Creme Brulee, I've always used 2 chips of the "maize" dye chips by Reddig-Glo.

Quite a while ago, I received about a gazillion samples from Becky/JS...I feel kind of like I'm in the minority here, but there are several oils from JS that I absolutely LOVE in my C-3 soy:

Chestnuts & Brown Sugar

Cinnamon Roll w/Vanilla Frosting

Blueberry Cheesecake

Nana's Old Fashioned Apple Butter

Brown Sugar Pecan

Cherish

Pumpkin Nog

Vanilla Buttercream Crunch (fabulous)

Cranberry Sauce

Baby Magic

I also have list of favorites from Peaks, which I will admit, seems to be higher quality FO. And a couple from Bittercreek (not many...IMO, I think they're overrated), Snowtop, Millcreek, NG...also very nice oils.

Some oils I did not care for from JS were:

Aphrodesia...thank goodness it's discontinued.

Dream Angels Halo Type (NO THROW)

Buttermint Candies (Peaks version is to DIE FOR...)

Key Lime (faint throw)

As a pure soy that doesn't frost. I am so frustrated with the frosting in the ecosoya pure, but I love the throw. I am ready to try a different wax. I really want to stay pure or as close as I can get without frosting. Any suggestions???? TIA

As much as I love colored candles, many dyes and colorings can frost the heck out of soy. Since you want to "stay pure" with your soy candles, maybe you could try making dye-free candles...frost would be a non-issue, and it doesn't get much more pure than that, outside of eliminating FO too (the horror!!!!!!!). There are many of us on here that don't dye our soy candles...we choose nifty labels that showcase the scent instead. Believe it or not, many soy chandlers sell the daylights out of their dye-free candles.

So for those of us who are rustic-pillar-challenged, the pro's on here would NOT recommend chilling the mold? I'm gearing up to begin making pillars (I've been making containers, tarts, and votives for 2.5 years), and LOVE the rustic effects, and the lovely tilted layers.

I have heard that chilling your mold helps with the rustic effect...hmmm.

Anyway, all three of your rustics are lovely! I only hope my first attempts look 1/4 as nice as yours!

Those are gorgeous! Do you sell? If so, they'll be gone before you know it!

I can see the chunkies in your candle just fine!!!! It seems like your method really worked well for you...that's one beautiful candle, and I bet it smells fabulous! You're doing great!!!

Producing that one candle that you really love is so encouraging! It means you're going to keep going, and make MORE!!!

I have not yet made tilted layers, rustics, or chunkies, and I've been at the candle thing for about 2.5 years...I've done votives, TONS of container candles (my favorite), tarts, and have been getting the itch to attempt pillars. Maybe you can help me as I fumble around in my quest for creating a nice tilted layered rustic pillar...or some cute chunk candles.

I LOVE AUTUMN!!!! I'm Fall's biggest fan...then I can whip out all of those fall candle smells, fall dyes, bakery scents...nothing like warming a kitchen in the morning with the ol' pour-pot, I say.

Your candles are very cute. Glad to see the C-3 gave you pretty results...I love this wax, but have to attack mine with a heatgun after they completely cool to get rid of sinkholes or cracks. However, the scent throw is so FABULOUS after a week or two, that I end up forgiving the C-3 every time for putting me through heatgun hell.

Soy wax is an entirely different beast to work with than paraffin...it can be extremely tricky to master if you're used to working with the latter. However, there are many benefits to making soy candles:

*Supporting agriculture and farming communities that raise soybeans.

*Soy wax tends to burn longer than paraffin (although I do know some who disagree with this), and with less toxic omissions to the air...soy is a terrific choice for those with sensitivities to paraffin candles.

*Wonderful scent throw...although many paraffins do as well...this will depend on YOUR nose!

*Increasingly popular over paraffin...customers and chandlers alike appreciate the eco-friendly approach marketed by the soy wax industry, coupled with the aesthetic (less soot, less smoke, less residue in your home, cleaner burning), and health reasons (soy omits less toxins into the air, you're inhaling less smoke, etc.).

With all that being said, paraffin can be a bit more user-friendly from the chandler's point of view. With the correct additives, container, wick, FO, dye, etc., candles can be made from paraffin relatively easily, once the aforementioned components are mastered. Soy, on the other hand, is more finicky...here are some common issues we chandlers have faced in using soy:

*Frosting. Soy likes to frost, and some find this characteristic rather unsightly and unattractive.

*Craters, bumps, sinkholes, "brains", cauliflower, or roughness occurring on the tops of soy candles, either after completely cooling after pouring, or once the candle has been burned. Getting a nice smooth top on a soy candle can be challenging.

*Pouring temps. Some like to pour warmer, like 140-160, and others claim that soy needs to be heated to 175, then poured at the "slushy stage", or around 100 degrees...this depends on if you're using a 100% soy wax (slushy pouring), or a soy wax blend (can be poured slightly hotter)...

*Soy can be inconsistent...one case will perform one way, and the next time you order, it could vary from the last case.

*WICKING. You must wick up (use a larger wick) from the wicks you've used from paraffin...this can be tricky. Many people swear by ECO wicks, LX's, RRD's, HTP's...each to his/her own on this one...most of the time it translates into having to wick up AT LEAST one full wick size for soy, if you plan to use the same wick series/brand as you did with paraffin.

*Soy is softer than paraffin. This is usually fine if you're accustomed to making container candles. If you make pillars, tarts, votives, you have may either have to use stearic acid to harden the soy wax so that it won't fall apart after unmolding, or use a soy wax designed for pillars/votives/tarts. If you're into making rustic pillars, this effect is difficult to achieve with soy...paraffin is truly the better option for these nifty effects in pillars and other molded candles.

*Soy is finicky about FO. Not all FO's will throw in soy wax...what smelled wonderful in your paraffin candles may not smell AT ALL in soy...or at least not as strong.

Personally, I love to work with soy...I'm just telling you to read all that you can before you spend a lot of money...get samples of a few different pure soy waxes (such as EZ soy from Bittercreek, Kentucky Candle Supplies, Golden Brand, Greenleaf), and sample packs of ECO, LX, HTP, or RRD wicks...start with a simple smaller jar, such as an 8 oz. jelly jar...you may want to begin making tester candles with your samples that have no dye or color, but that's up to you. Buy a sample pack of fragrances from a company that tests their oils specifically in soy, so you will know which FO's will throw in soy...Millcreek has a great soy starter kit, that is relatively inexpensive. This would probably be the way to go for your first few candles.

Soy can be tricky, but once you get the hang of it, a lot of us choose to NOT go back to paraffin...it's a tricky thing, but entirely worth it if you have patience.

Yikes! Just found their web site, and their soy is around $72.00 for a case!!!! Ouch...for soy that seems expensive, and that's before I tacked the shipping on. I live in Iowa, so I'm always looking for a deal on shipping. I suggest if you want to try them out (because you may be happy with their wax), you ask them to send you a small sample of wax before you commit...hey, with gas prices being as high as they are right now, shipping and driving are both quite pricey. I have not heard of their wax (or company before).

Just my 2 cents.

You can certainly try. There are plenty of folks on here that mix soys. It just might give you the best of both worlds!

I'm not familiar with that particular wax (I use Cargill C-3), but heating your wax up to 175-180 then adding FO will help. I stir and stir (and stir some more), then cool my wax down to about 130, then pour...while it's cooling in your pour pot, make sure you stir it every now and then, to make sure the FO doesn't sink to the bottom.

It would greatly help to know what size and type of container you're using, as it could be a wick problem too. Wicking largely determines scent throw.

If you're using 100% straight soy, then you must heat it to 175-180, add your FO, stir, stir, stir, remove from the heat source, and cool your wax until it becomes the consistency of a slushy or applesauce...usually around 100-110 degrees. Then you'll be ready to pour.

I would play with different FO's too...some work well in soy, and others truly do not. Some companies test their oils in soy specifically, to ensure that the oils will throw in veggie waxes...Millcreek and Snowtop are two examples. Personally, I only ever use 1 oz. of FO per lb. of soy...or 6%. Sometimes if we overload our wax with FO, it will seep out the top, or even "freeze" the scent...and then you won't get a good throw either.

As far as repours, you wait until the candle has completely cooled...and pour about 10 degrees hotter than your intial pour. On your second pour, only pour enough wax to fill in that sunken area, and to give you a level top.

I found it far easier to start with container candles than votives...to me, making nice votives has always been a challenge. I re-tried my hand at votives only after about a year of container experimenting...these little babies look so easy, but I found them to be a real pain to master.

For containers, may I ask what type of wax you're using? Which wick and type of container/jar? The reason why I'm asking, is because there are a lot of great single-pour paraffin waxes out there, that if used correctly, they will perform as a true one-pour wax. J-50 and J223 are just a couple of examples. The trick with these two waxes is to pre-heat your containers in the oven first at about 150 degrees. The first thing I do when setting up, is stick my containers in the warm oven, then melt my wax, add FO and dye, remove the containers from the oven, wick them quickly, and then pour. Depending on what type of jar/container you're using, you may not have to do a re-fill...these waxes will consistently yield creamy, smooth-looking candles!

Hope this helps a bit...it really does take A LOT of time (sometimes months or even years) to make the type of candles you would consider selling. The important part is to document what works for you, and to test, test, test your candles.

I don't know, I think it's a nice looking candle, a few dimples never hurt anyone!

Great first attempt!

Thanks! I'm going to Walmart after I drop my daughter off at school. Where would I find this at?

Usually in the painting supplies section!

Oh, I would be too!!! At least it didn't catch fire!