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Wax type in a couple big name companies


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I have seen a consistent wax appearance and feel between a few companies like YC and also Candle Cottage plus others. 

I am referring to their glossy more mottled looking candles like in their big apothecary jars, etc. Not talking about the tumblers with the silkier wax.

Does anyone know what type of wax or blend it is?

 

I work with parrafin, soy, and parasoy... but never used mottling wax or palm or any others. So just curious if it was one of those.

 

Thanks

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That is my initial thought as well... looks like mottling wax especially from the side of the jar. Not so much on the top. But, I dont remember anyone ever saying or myself ever reading about Yankee using mottling wax. The thing that gets me... is it doesn't burn like any wax Ive ever used. Their wax/wick combo allows the candle to burn for damn near all day with little to no mushroom. Its crazy. I mean, I know plenty of self trimming wicks that mushroom less than others of course. But those wicks tend to curl or lean and the candles I am talking about do not. Perhaps its because this wax I am referring to is also VERY hard. If I dont know better, Id think it was pillar wax. Crazy that its so hard, yet burns/melts so easy and consistently without causing mushrooms, etc.

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The thing at least with Yank is that they have tons of wax shipped in, but at some point I thought they were using pellets or some form of wax pellets. They could have easily changed that though and even then, that word could have been false. 

It might be a cross though of mottling and palm. It's hard to say, but I would think a combo of the two would make for a hard wax and give the shimmery look of a mottle. However, wicking ... don't know. The last Yank candle I saw that a co-worker was burning still sooted the jar like crazy, but I didn't get a look at the whole thing or at the wick. Their wicks used to mushroom like crazy. What you're seeing though doesn't? 

Edited by Scented
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correct... their old wicks would mushroom in the past. Not the case so much anymore. They mushroomed in the past only if left burning way too long and not trimmed.

But these days.. most people I know that buy Yankees didn't even know you should trim the wick and it doesn't mushroom on them. And they NEVER trim it. Ha!

I routinely buy yankee as well as other candles and do comparison tests and Ive power burned those yankess for 12 hours without mushroom problem. Then, didn't trim and re lit again later and still didn't get a mushroom. Crazy.

 

Now, I do see soot/black on jar... but that is purely from blowing the the candle out and the smoke blackens up the side and top of jar. EVERY candle I have ever seen (soy included) does that when its blown out. That is simply smoke causing that. Its not happening WHILE its actually burning. At least that has been my experience.

 

My candles dont soot AT ALL. But, if you blow them out when done the smoke that lingers for a the first minute will leave some black on the top rim of jar. I dont see that as a problem with the candle though.

 

Anyway, I was also thinking they were mixing parrafin mottling with palm but I am pretty darn sure I read somewhere that Yankee uses "Premium grade parrafin" which would make me think its not palm. Ugh! Lol

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I know when I toured there, but this was late 90s somewhere in Mass., they were all paraffin. Perhaps they have taken to correctly some issues. 

I know, people are the worst with wicks, even in pillars. Really, they should be trimmed? It shocks me. Before I started making candles it just seemed like an obvious thing to do. 

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Im just surprised that when people see a big buildup on their wick they dont at least consdier removing it instead of relighting. Ha.

Now, I know a lot that simply knock it right off into their wax and re-light. Ovboiusly, not smart or ideal but at least they recognize that the big mushroom ball shouldn't be on the wick. Lol.

 

Anyway, I just wish I could figure out what they are doing with their wax and wick to make it burn so effectively requiring no trimming. Its literally like the wick is burning away leaving no building or anything. It's impressive.

 

A little side note.. not sure if you typically make soy or parrafin, but which do you find mushrooms less with your wicks?

 

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I'll have to wander into a store and see what they've got that I can't live without. I'm curious. 

On wicking, if there's something out there that doesn't shroom I'd be curious what it is. I haven't found a wick that hasn't produced a little carbon build up yet. Surely they haven't discovered or own the rights to the holy grail. 

 

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Just now, Scented said:

I'll have to wander into a store and see what they've got that I can't live without. I'm curious. 

On wicking, if there's something out there that doesn't shroom I'd be curious what it is. I haven't found a wick that hasn't produced a little carbon build up yet. Surely they haven't discovered or own the rights to the holy grail. 

 

 

Oh it wouldnt surprise me if they have! haha. And I'm sure its a combo of the wick plus whatever they are doing witht heir wax. Who knows what that blend is. 

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True. Till someone works there we may never know and even then ... we may never know unless someone wants to analyze it. 

Even two years ago their wax still had the same appearance that it had way back when but now my curiosity is up and I'll have to seriously get one that I can poke and prod. 

 

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Yankee can afford their own copyright custom wax blend and I'm sure that is what they are doing same as their FOs. So its going to be hard to guess what the wax is made of unless you take a sample to a chemist. Other than that the best you can do is just guess.

 

Offhand I'd say it was a parasoy blend... maybe mottling wax with soy. That way the candle would burn longer and if the wax % is blended right along with any additives could retain the 'mottle'. I seem to recall adding mineral oil helps with mottling but I don't trust my memory on that. Any additives could create soot so figuring those out could give you a splitting headache.

 

You have me curious as I only remember the Yankee candles that soot like crazy. The jar got so black it was like midnight. I may go and get one to burn for Christmas to see if it has really improved.

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I dont think they are using soy at all int these as they burn pretty quickly. My candles last up to about 30% longer than theirs Id say.

They also have NO creamyness to them whatsoever, Lol. Ive also read from others it was a parrafin blend. Perhaps a parrafin mottling custom blend.

 

And I totally know what you all are saying about the black soot. But, again.. I am only seeing this happen to the jar AFTER flames have been blown out, which is normal.

I dont see much sooting going on while its actually burning. Also, perhaps the few I tested just happened to be really good performing FOs, Lol.

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Hmmm..... I thought you were saying the candles burned for a longer time than they used to but I misread your post. After rereading it I am going to say it sounds more like a mottling wax blended with palm.

 

I've been using palm wax, all varieties, for several years now and what really blows me away about this wax is how 'clean' it burns. You never see any soot or soot buildup around the jar. The jar actually looks like it was run through a dishwasher as it burns down to the very bottom of the jar.

 

Now blending palm with other waxes will diminish the crystal pattern depending on how much you use. But I can imagine blending it with a mottle wax would give it a very interesting texture and the characteristics of palm like the clean burn. Using the right wax wick, like all cotton, or ones designed for 'natural' waxes could give it a great burn with little to no mushrooming. I'd add that a self trimming wick natural wax cotton wick might do that. Wax treatment could make a difference too.

 

What is the texture of the wax in the candle? Is it hard, soft, can you leave a finger print or indentation of your thumb if you press into it? Palm is hard with no give whatsoever unless blended.

 

Another thought is palm is made with stearic so its possible it was used an additive instead of a wax blend or even with a wax blend.

Edited by Candybee
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I would say Palm is another good guess and palm mixed with mottling.

It does sort of look like both.  And the wax is hard. Remind me of glass candy if you know what I am talking about.

 

The yankee big jar candles is typically the kind I am referring to.

 

Although, their tumbler candles now are a smoother creamier look and seem to burn really well too

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Is this one of the type candles you're talking about? Its a 22oz candle listed as 'large' on their website: yankee holiday sage candle

 

I noticed on the front label at the bottom it says "with pure, natural plant extracts" which can easily translate to palm as it is often described as "natural all vegetable wax with botanicals."

 

It doesn't quite look like mottling or full mottling but one can't be sure by looking at a picture online. I need to see, touch, smell, and burn the wax to get a better idea of what it could be made of.

Edited by Candybee
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I think it looks like palm wax in those big Y jars, or at the very least a blend with palm being the bigger % of the wax.  My palm candles never mushroomed I don't care what wick I used, my soy almost always does.  I love the way palm looks and burns and yes the jars look so clean as it burns down as though no residue at all is left behind.  Around here, people just don't buy it so soy it is for me.

 

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It's not a mainstream wax like soy and paraffin. Remember paraffin has been around a long, long time and for a long time it was the only wax available. Plus, you had to blend it yourself if you wanted to make a pillar, jar, or votive candle. When soy came out nobody had a clue what it was until the big soy manufacturers started shelling out a ton of diatribe about it. A lot of it untrue or half truths that still persist to this day. Compared to paraffin and soy, palm is a virtually new and unheard of. Since I make palm candles I have to educate my customers re the wax.

 

Soy is still the most popular wax today and I always get asked if I mine are soy. A huge reason I switched from soy to palm is because soy wax gave me horrible, painful skin rashes. So.... I had to find another wax to use. I started experimenting with palm a good 2 yrs before I made the switch. By then I had enough experience and through R&D had perfected my palm jar candles. Palm definitely has some pros but it also has some cons just like any other wax. Not all FOs or wicks work well in it. Plus, some additives including some dyes and FOs can morph in the wax. I learned all this through my 2 yrs of R&D and still am learning about it 6 yrs later.

 

So if you are using soy to sell candles and you like it I wouldn't switch unless you had some very good reasons. Every wax you use you have to take the time to learn how it behaves in all kinds of conditions and with any application you choose to use.

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I sell mostly 6006 blend and have no problems selling it (with the exception of the customers who INSIST it must be all soy... ridiculous.

But anyway, the reason I would consider adding palm is more to cut down on mushrooms and just overall better burning candles and wicks

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Yankee states that the traditional candles are  "Each is made in America with premium-grade paraffin of the finest quality ingredients from around the world. "  I've never heard of them being a blend but i suppose they could be, but i feel like if they were Yankee would advertise that. 

the colors could be from the way that they add their fragrance and colors? 

 

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Edited by Siren12
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