Galenr3393 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 (edited) If I’m mixing wax’s how do I know what the cure time and fragrance load is going to be? Going to try ky parasoy 80% & ky 133 20% Edited October 23, 2017 by Galenr3393 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 It looks as though both of those waxes have a fragrance load of 10% if I'm reading that correctly, so that's easy. I think you should allow to cure for at least a week or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoops Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Being new to candle making, I am always searching and asking questions. One thing I have learned is that cure time is a must for soy candles. Having said that, I went to a craft fair this past weekend and stopped in on two candles booths. The first was a lady who has been making all soy candles for several years and does five or six shows a year. She was kind enough to talk to me about her business and was shocked when I mentioned when I learned that I had to cure my candles. She actually laughed and said she had never heard of such a thing and has never done anything like that. The second booth were some pleasant folks who were very familiar with curing and even offered to help me if I needed it. My point is, how could someone have any degree of success over a period of several years without curing her products? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Not all soy candles are created equal, there are so many variables involved and different types of soy wax not to mention many claim all soy but could be adding a small percentage of paraffin or other veggie waxes I purchase many other people's candles year after year to compare and throw varies from non existent to pretty darn good - in general soy does need to cure for optimal results but fragrance oils play a huge role as well- I have some that will throw immediately and others that need to sit for a week once you learn your wax and get your system down you will know when they are ready for sale for the best results possible Mine used to only take 3-5 days cure and were perfecto and over time as they sit longer they are even better 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 On one hand, quote a few people don't run home and light a candle right away. They hang onto them, thus curing in their homes. Ditto on other products that benefit from a nice long cure, like soap, wine and cheese. Anyone who makes soy candles can attest that time is a good thing that can truly improve a candle's performance. Honestly, one the other hand, quite a few people just don't care. They don't fully test each fragrance and again, don't care so long as it is "good enough". as far as successful..., it totally depends on your personal definition of success. Showing up to an event every year does not immediately mean they are making a profit that would satisfy "generic you". An awful lot of people don't treat their hobby as a business and just like to recoup some hobby money. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 I would cure them for at least a week. Some people say anything more than a couple of days isn't necessary, but for me it can make a difference. I use 6006 parasoy. I had a large order to fill 2 weeks ago, and I wanted to include a couple of scents that had not been tested in the jar I was using. I poured the testers and burned them after 2 & 3 days. Two of them (Snickerdoodle & Amish Harvest) were struggling to burn and the Snickerdoodle produced a lot of soot, even though I felt like they were correctly wicked. I put those testers away to cure for a few more days and now they burn very well, no soot and no struggle. I can't tell any difference in the throw, but the burn sure is nicer. I also had a popular scent I was having a hard time getting to throw. I couldn't get a throw out of it in parasoy or paraffin. Finally, I just put the testers away for a few days. When I revisited those testers, the throw is perfect. Even the all-paraffin candle needed to cure several more days to get the full benefit. That was North Pole FO from Flaming. There are others that say they don't really need to cure their parasoy, but I have learned thru a lot of trial and error that my parasoy candles need a longer cure. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoops Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 On 10/24/2017 at 9:52 AM, moonshine said: Not all soy candles are created equal, there are so many variables involved and different types of soy wax not to mention many claim all soy but could be adding a small percentage of paraffin or other veggie waxes I purchase many other people's candles year after year to compare and throw varies from non existent to pretty darn good - in general soy does need to cure for optimal results but fragrance oils play a huge role as well- I have some that will throw immediately and others that need to sit for a week once you learn your wax and get your system down you will know when they are ready for sale for the best results possible Mine used to only take 3-5 days cure and were perfecto and over time as they sit longer they are even better Do soy melts and tarts need to cure as well? It seems that they would be ready to go as soon as they harden since a flame is not required to release the fragrance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 (edited) All candles need a cure time. Part of that cure time is the initial hardening of the wax. It takes a good 2-3 days for the wax to fully harden, crystalize before it is ready to burn. It may take a simple hour or two for the wax to solidify but that is not the same as it fully hardening during the cure. If you burn a candle the same day you made it alongside a candle that has had 3 days to fully harden you will notice a significant difference in the burn quality. The other more intensive part of the cure is allowing the fragrance oil to fully come alive during the cure as its bonds with the wax over time. Some FOs take no time at all while others can take 1, 2, 3 weeks or even longer. Once the candle is cured you should get the optimum fragrance throw including all the nuances or notes of the fragrance. So yes, curing times are variable and very important for having your candle at its best. The "general" cure times I have found that work the best are: 1 week for most paraffin and palm candles 1-3 weeks for most soy and parasoy candles These are general times to go by and by no means written in stone. Each fragrance and wax has their own characteristics so curing times may vary. Its up to the candle maker to test each candle for its best cure time. Edited October 25, 2017 by Candybee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rchvh1 Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Newbie here and thrilled to have found this site! So, I've been told that all candles should be cured for at least 2 weeks. Is that also the case for coconut blends? I was just told that 2 days is fine. Also, I heard this for the first time - I should be covering my candles while they cure. Is this the case? Does that help the fragrance adhere to the wax/not dissipate while curing? So much to learn.....Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 48 minutes ago, rchvh1 said: Newbie here and thrilled to have found this site! So, I've been told that all candles should be cured for at least 2 weeks. Is that also the case for coconut blends? I was just told that 2 days is fine. Also, I heard this for the first time - I should be covering my candles while they cure. Is this the case? Does that help the fragrance adhere to the wax/not dissipate while curing? So much to learn.....Thank you! I have found that all candle waxes benefit from a nice cure. The waxes harden over time at different rates. Burn of a candle after 2 days (even various paraffins I have used) are different than if the candle ages a bit. It is hard as heck to wait!!!! Coconut wax has other waxes in the blend. Plain coconut oil is just too soft alone to use as a sole candle wax. We have found two, possibly three coconut waxes and without reading all contain at least a little soy. One possibly all have minute amounts of paraffin. eta: covering helps keep debris and dust out. And helps to not let the volatile fragrance notes escape from the top most layer of wax. I usually just turn them upside down if I don’t have a lid. The CT of a covered candle is always stronger than uncovered. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailC Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 The very first candle supplies I bought were from Northstar Candle company. (No idea how I ended up choosing them first...they long ago fell by the wayside as one of my suppliers. ) The instructions I received from them for making soy candles said to wait 12 hours before burning the candle. I went by that for a few years, until I started reading about cure time here and there. Here are the instructions that are still on Millcreek's website: We like to let our soy candles cure for a few days for maximum scent throw, but it's hard to wait that long! Don't be afraid to burn your candles the next day. I do let my candles cure for at least a week now though, and sometimes longer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rchvh1 Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Thank you! Yes, the one I use if a coconut/soy combo. And it is really hard to wait! Have you heard anything about covering the vessel while allowing it to cure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rchvh1 Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 49 minutes ago, TallTayl said: I have found that all candle waxes benefit from a nice cure. The waxes harden over time at different rates. Burn of a candle after 2 days (even various paraffins I have used) are different than if the candle ages a bit. It is hard as heck to wait!!!! Coconut wax has other waxes in the blend. Plain coconut oil is just too soft alone to use as a sole candle wax. We have found two, possibly three coconut waxes and without reading all contain at least a little soy. One possibly all have minute amounts of paraffin. eta: covering helps keep debris and dust out. And helps to not let the volatile fragrance notes escape from the top most layer of wax. I usually just turn them upside down if I don’t have a lid. The CT of a covered candle is always stronger than uncovered. I think I forgot to add your quote...Thanks for your help on this. I use a coconut/soy combo. Have you heard of covering the vessel while waiting for it to cure? First time I have heard of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rchvh1 Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 6 hours ago, TallTayl said: eta: covering helps keep debris and dust out. And helps to not let the volatile fragrance notes escape from the top most layer of wax. I usually just turn them upside down if I don’t have a lid. The CT of a covered candle is always stronger than uncovered. Gotcha! Never thought of turning the darn thing upside down. Duh! Thanks for the tip and covering them now makes sense. I was covering them with plastic wrap after they cooled because I was overwhelmed by the smell! Haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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