justajesuschick

My tips are this: I just do not judge an oil until it is in my wax. Some were as bad as I thought from the bottle/first impression, some were better and some worse! Because wax types and methods are so different, I could mail you my wax poured in the same oils you have and you might be surprised to know they were the same. Start a spreadsheet (you may have one) and keep good notes when you melt or burn. Makes it easier to know which scents had better throw and longevity. Otherwise, you will never remember. Also easier to declare a winner amongst a single scent you are testing. The spreadsheet also helps you not accidentally order the same oils over and over from the same suppliers to test when you already have.

Isn't that the truth! I have a full time career and now my wax business is not part-time but a 2nd full time job! Well, I hope your testing goes well because those are adorable!

Those are awesome! SURE hope that you have a presence on Instagram and Facebook. If so, you'll sell those as quickly as you made them. Bath and Body products are HOT! So many Lush Cosmetics addicts now preferring indie makers.

I would opt for small polypropylene zip top bags. In thinking of it, what do we sit greasy baked items or things like bacon on the absorb oil? Paper towels! I like my items to be air sealed. I order polypropylene bags by the thousands and in multiple sizes but intheclear on Etsy and others sell smaller quantities.

Yes! The "Candle Making" and "Candle Makers" Groups on Facebook are UNBELIEVABLE! LOTS of very bad and dangerous information! There is a hidden gem of a very large, very savvy wax BUYING community which is actually filled with people much more savvy than a lot of people in those FB Makers groups-HAHA! They ask vendors like me, who sell to them about our waxes, type of scent safe packages we use and MORE! They have cabinets and rooms full of wax which is categorized, inventoried and swapped. It is a fascinating world!

Online wax community buyers are super savvy. They like Pour Date on products or will write them on once received. Some cure all wax not matter the type, some have a standard 30 day self-imposed rule and they know the difference in waxes. Soy they will cure a month or more. So, they take fresh product and wait. If I were selling at a fair or market, I would only take cured product.

I now only pour 2 of each new scent I test. I melt 1 and if it passes the initial test, I have a second to use for blending. I will pour more once I know a scent will be included in my line up. This way I am not "wasting" lots of wax. I keep a bag or box of all of the single Melt Cups which did not make it through testing and every couple of months, my Stepdaughter gets a box in the mail of unlabeled melts which she loves!! I also share with some young friends who are stay at home mamas and may be watching budget closely. Often, the scents which I do not proceed are not selected because they are too close to scents I already have in the line, or another supplier's version was better in my wax blend. So, nothing wrong with them, just not winners for me. I do not bother labeling them as they are not something anyone can request from me again. So, while I will not sell Melts I do not think are 100% (my brand is too valuable to me), think about a friend of family member who perhaps cannot budget for something like wax and pass them on. Toss in a $10 Glade wax warmer and make it a special gift!

Start a spreadsheet and keep good notes as you test. I absolutely did find differences wax blend to wax blend. I even noted differences in percentages of the same waxes blended. I utilized very experienced waxies as testers. Finding your ideal wax blend and committing to it is a wonderful feeling. I love not having to think about that as an element! Now I know for certain if a fragrance oil is a winner or not and I can instantly tell if the waxes I use have changed in any way. All the best to you as you undergo your testing! It takes time and diligence but it will be worth the effort.

I am also confused. I understand embracing frost with SOY but these 2 waxes that you used are both PARAFFIN.

I had no idea that paraffin frosts!

EVERYTHING! Look at your scent list and list of oils you use (this is one reason I prefer my spreadsheets but I know most here seem to prefer notebooks) and simply consider each with peppermint and ask yourself if it is plausible. Then pour a bunch of peppermint melts or brittle (you are testing scent not wax blends so it does not need to look pretty) and then blend each with some of the others you selected and you will find some winners. I like doing it this way as often things like peppermint are not mixed at 50/50 ratio so weigh out another 10% and then another until you get the ratio just how you want it. Also because sometimes things that sounded great in my mind are not so great when blended. Then you can play around with wicking and testing if you intend candles and adjust as needed. Since I sell nationwide, I do not offer recipes here but for categories, consider these: Any pine or evergreen Cinnamon or spice Vanillas, including bakery vanilla Other herbals (Lavender, etc.) True crisp fruits (apple, orange, pear but not spiced or bakery) Laundry and clean Most of us who sell online try not to use any oil right from the bottle/supplier. To distinguish ourselves, we create our own blends. I now love blending and coming up with my own scents.

You are right. To produce professional products you need to use professional materials and supplies. Someone said that to me once years ago and it stuck with me because it is true. Only ONE FO?? How is this possible?? HAHA!

There was the risk of water (I am an accident waiting to happen on most days) and keeping temp consistent was an issue for me. So, that super nice Calphalon stainless saucepan and double boiler have sat dormant in my pantry for years. I ever decide to dip chocolates, I am SET! I do like it that the Presto has the element under the pot and wished that my fryers were the same. That said, the open element is right in with the wax and I have never had any issue for 3 years of consistent use. I know some use large stainless pots right on a stovetop. I do not trust myself with that either!

You could not pay me to go back to a double boiler! I used it for less than a month. Went quickly to an 8 pound Presto and then to 40 pound capacity Turkey Fryers.

Candles and Supplies? What I read simply said that Aztec is now a distributor for Crafter's Choice products. Several suppliers are distributors. The email I received stated: We are very excited to announce that we are now a distributor for the Crafter's Choice brand. We will bringing in lots of new soap making products over the next few months and please let us know if there is anything that you currently use from them that you would like to see us carry. One example of a new items in the Bath Bomb Molds below that are now available on our site. Click below for pricing and info.

I would need a row of Presto pots! I do have one of the Stainless versions (now discontinued) which holds 8 pounds. I have 2 turkey fryers which each have a 40 pound capacity. I am in the non-spigot crowd even though the turkey fryers have spigots. I use a silicone ladle. Been using it for years and I am just comfortable with it in my method/process. I am cracking up, though because look what I have on the top shelf of my hall pantry!! My mom got them for all of us one year, maybe Black Friday, super cheap. I tried cooking a turkey in it one year and liked my turkey bag in the oven better. The poor roaster retreated to the top shelf years ago and has not seen the light of day until I took this pic today! I should get it down sometime and try it out for wax.

The wax community works very differently than most. I would not add all Facebook friends to my group. My group is for dedicated customers. Friends and family are for personal Facebook or business page. You will not get online wax community customers to post on a page. When they post on a page, their friends and family see their posts. They do not wish to have those people commenting about their wax buying habits.

I can see both posts and I responded on both. Do you pull up unread content each session or do you go into specific sub-forums?

One issue is that you have 2 identical posts. Some people have responded to one, others to the other. I have posted in both so that you can see both. I am not certain the reluctance to have more than one browser. I can assure you that unless you are doing regular updates on even the one you have, you will continue to have performance issues. Versions of some browsers simply are not supported over time.

You have 2 identical posts. This is the second.

You have 2 identical posts. This is one.

They have put me in a very bad place for several months. I have ordered from them monthly for a few years and it has NEVER been like this. They have consistently told me a number of oils would be in by specific dates and each has passed that date often by an additional number of weeks. I am very concerned.

Well, this was as easy as can be to use. No oil drips down the sides of the jug. My wax room is wall to wall commercial chrome sleeves. I prefer all oils in opaque Rubbermaid bins, but these can sit neatly on a chrome shelf and because they are so opaque, I do not feel the need to put them in a bin. CS is not new to me but again, not a top supplier for me. I use oils from 12 suppliers in my blends. Wish I did not but I am always on the hunt for "the best" whatever scent to use in my blends so test until I find it and as we all know, that is not an easy task when committing to sticking to only 1-2 suppliers.

Yes. Ordering 5 pounds makes the oil less cost per ounce than buying several 1 pound bottles which is what I am after. Reducing COGS is the only way I will see much profit. I like expensive materials which does not translate well into running a business! I should have photographed the opening. It is as you would see on liquid laundry detergent but this jug is a bit smaller than those I use. I will use these today for the first time as I pour. They seem as if they will be a dream to pour with the spout opening.

Kind of unusual to be so fond of a container, but hey, that is how I am-HA! I only use a few oils from CS so I know I am late to this party as I think many of you use lots of their oils and likely have your wax rooms full of these jugs. When I started making wax a few years ago I really thought of CS as more of a soy wax FO supplier (given how they test and rate oils) and I do not use soy. A a result, I have only a few from them in my oil blends. I had been buying 2-4 pounds of each oil, I do use, at a time and this time I decided to do the 5 pound jugs. Again, most everyone but me uses these larger sized containers so this is nothing new. I like how it is like a laundry soap bottle but still sized nicely that I do not have to transfer to another smaller bottle to use. That is what I have had to do with 10 pound containers I got from other suppliers. A funnel and smaller 1 pound bottles. No fun. The scale is not quite right as I have the 1 pound bottle in front of the 5 pounder. For those who do not buy from them I thought a pic would be handy to see what you would get when you purchase this size container.