Massive pillar blend confusion!

[Sam D]

Hi everyone, someone please help me out before I throw something out the window...

So I’ve started making wax melts - started off using paraffin pillar wax as it was a gift of my husband. But once I made some I wanted to use a more natural wax, so I’ve been testing different soy waxes - Kerasoy 4120, golden wax 494 and Eco soya pillar blend.

 

Ive made a few clamshells and the wax is lovely and smooth but doesn’t have a great scent throw. I’ve followed instructions number of times but can’t get my head around it, I’ve previously bought other melts made by different people who claim theirs are '100% soy wax' 

but they smell much stronger than mine?

 

I made them a couple of days ago so do they need to cure for awhile still?

I'm also doing a bit of research as the paraffin wax I used had a good scent throw but looked too frosty and I just generally preferred the finish of the soy.

 

I see there are 'blends' but it never states what’s actually in them.

Can I go ahead and for example use like 80% soy and 40% paraffin and create my own?

I love the finish and overall look of the Soy melts but it seems the paraffin are much stronger scent wise.

 

Im sat here overthinking everything and because im a perfectionist I can’t go onto sell something I’m not 100% happy with.

Thank you in advance!

Edited January 31, 2019 by Sam D

[Trappeur]

Sam,   you are jumping the gun way too soon here in deciding what wax to use and not getting any throw.

 

I keep telling everyone that comes here over and over that you need to have patience and not do any judging when #1:   candles need curing for example 464 2 weeks before ready to using - #2  All waxes are different and need different cure times (you can do massive searching on this forum as this subject is brought up all the time)....so spend dedicated time in doing lots of reading here  #3 Appearance should be one of the very lasting things to worry about when making candles.   You can critique once you have mastered your candles and you TEST FOR THROW.

Not all candles put out a throw when just made (curing time).    And many are foolers till you burn and when you start burning them, don't just burn a few burns but burn ALL THE WAY till candle is done.  #4   Some candles are known for having frosting like 464 which is really a candle wax - not a melt -  but you can always do a blend later.   If you are using like 464 (which I use) frosting does appear and no matter what you try to do you, just  have to either live with it or move on. No sense even asking questions about how to illeviate/   It is just a characteristic trait for this particular wax.    Even when heat gunning, warming jars, etc is done, sooner or later that frosting is coming back, so be forewarned on 464 for this.   Generally a parrafin is great for non frosting.   If you like 464 I suggest not coloring the wax if that is what you are doing.   #5 Don't overthink/ put the cart b/4 the horse like what I believe you doing.  I believe you are starting out with way too many waxes (just my opinion).   You haven't given any of your waxes a chance to perform by testing.   Also wicks are going to play a very important thing in getting the right style for each and every wax and you will have to test EACH fragrance oil for the proper burn and whether you need to wick up or down and this is going to determine too also the strength of the fragrance throw.   So you have a lot of testing to do before you worry about appearance.   You will find people if you are later on planning on selling don't give one hoot what appearance looks like except fragrance throw, so don't dwell on appearance sake.   So perfect your wick or in the case of melts, burn them for fragrance throw first then start critiquing.   Good luck!

 

Trappeur 

[Sam D]

@Trappeur thanks for the advice!

[Trappeur]

Your very welcome.   I'm sure others will come along and put up their suggestions.

Do let us know how everything pans out.  We all can still learn here from your observations as well.

 

Trappeur

[TallTayl]

For wax melts, a lot of the perceived successful throw is the melter itself. Quite a few different kinds are on the market with very different temperature requirements.

 

the “harder”, heavier or higher melt point the wax is, the more heat it will need from the melter not only to melt the wax, but propel the volatile wax molecules and fragrance into the air. If it’s not hot enough, there won’t be energy to heat the wax to a temp that it has enough oomph to “throw” the wax and scent into the air. This is the same phenomenon in candles that use a wick. I’ve used this analogy somewhere else, but imagine you have a straw and you blow air through that straw to keep a ping pong ball up in the air.  It’s pretty easy. Now swap that ping pong ball for a tennis ball and now it’s much harder to get the ball up let alone throw it across the room. The straw represents the energy needs. The balls represent the wax and FO.

 

And vice versa.  If your melter is super hot, and the wax blend needs less energy the initial throw may be great but burn off quickly. 

 

As you blend waxes youre you’re making a new kind of ball, something between a ping pong ball and basket ball. It takes time and testing (and a whole lot of luck) to achieve success.

 

Other variables to consider: 

- some pillar blends contain additives (like stearic acid or microwaxes) to harden the pillar which may impede throw.

- Additives like vybar and other polymers may make the fragrance too “sticky” to the wax also impeding  throw. 

-Some wax formulas chemically interact with fragrances, neutralizing notes.

 

given enough time and testing you’ll figure out what works for you. Start simple. One wax, a good/easy  FO or two. If formulating for looks your testing will take you down a different path than formulating purely for throw.  Somewhere in between is probably where you wil land. 

[Sam D]

Thank you @TallTayl there’s so much more to it than just melting wax and adding fragrance isn’t there?

Im just experimenting at the moment. 

With me I tend to cram as much info into my head as possible then stress over it all lol! 

I should have learnt by now.

Feeling much better about it today and they even smell much stronger!

Note to self - stop overthinking!

Thanks again