Do you sell both soy and paraffin candles?

[classiccandle]

I"m at a crossroads and would like your sage advice if you're willing to give it.

I currently have an LLC and on the candle/melt side we use only soy wax and market them under our brand name. I’m thinking about also offering paraffin wax candles/melts under a different brand name. Does anyone on this board do this and if so is it something you would recommend? Would it be better to sell paraffin under the same brand name or do you think it would confuse customers? Would it be better just to stick with soy and abandon the idea of offering both? The reason I’m thinking of doing it is because some customers like the hot throw of paraffin more than soy and also to increase our product offerings. The downside is the cost of paraffin wax and the testing.

Like most of you I pour all of our candles by hand from pour pots so how “separate” do the production areas have to be so as to avoid contamination, if they have to be separate at all?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

[redraider]

I only do paraffin. I have given thought to adding a soy line, but like you mentioned, the cost and time of testing soy and determining which of my FOs would work and which wouldn't could add up to thousands of dollars and hours so have just decided to stay with what I know. I would really worry about contamination, in my shop at least. We use the glass pyrex 32 ounce measuring cups to mix our wax and scent in. Between batches I put them in a toaster over on the counter thatI keep set on warm so all the residue melts completely and then wipe it out really well. You could almost use it to mix food in I get it so clean.

[moonshine]

I have only used soy for many years but recently decided to test 3022 parasoy to see what it was all about- I am liking it enough to slowly start adding it and what I plan to do with the ones I have so far is keep the branding and labeling the same but change the color of the label with "parasoy" rather than "soy" on the label

With cost being a factor I have only tested a few of my favorites that are not as strong of a throw as I would like in soy and so far the parasoy has given me the throw I want with those scents- I will not be doing every scent I have in both - I can't afford to! Lol

As far as contamination- I just work with the parasoy one day and soy the next- using nothing but paper towel to wipe everything out- I don't think it would be an issue at all so long as you are not mixing large amounts of residue from one or the other

[Judy, USMC]

I pour paraffin, soy and palm. I have different Presto melters for each. I prefer to completely empty the soy pot. The acidity of the palm causes a chemical reaction with the exposed metal on my spigot that I don't want affecting my other pots. And paraffin is so very stable it can stay in the pot.

I find the reference to "contamination" interesting. With so many people experimenting with making custom blends I think that word would bring a smile to these intentional contaminators! I can and will use the same pour pots and votive molds; just wiping them out is sufficient. And they are poured at the same location (sometimes even at the same time!)

And they all carry a separate name. My Company Name is on the soy, NameA on paraffin and NameB on the palm. Names A and B also carry the tag line "Manufactured by My Company Name." I did have to register Names A&B at the county registrar's office as doing business under an assumed name but as long as all the sales tax was paid under My Company Name there wasn't anything else I needed to do.

That being said, you may need to ask you local tax office what needs to be done. Also contact your insurance company to see if any modifications need to be made. HTH

Edited May 24, 2013 by Judy, USMC

[HayCreekCandles]

I pour mostly paraffin, the only soy I do is unscented t-lites.