Soy Idiot!!!

[beck180]

Ok, as you can tell I am liking very much the idea of soy candles but I am still riding the fence and have yet to make a complete switch. I just have so many questions so I will ask a bit more in this one thread so I don't hog this whole board with my silly babble. LOL

Do customers truly tend to like soy candles more and does this convert into paying customers, or do they just sniff and handle and then buy Yankmee candles anyway?

How much extra cost will this add in the long run in extra fragrance and coloring and is the added cost worth the benefits?

Will converting my products from parrafin to soy truly make my products better and more saleable, or is it more hype than it sounds?

Does soy generaly need to be wicked heavier than parrafin, or does it depend on just the type of soy and fragrance load?

Is there a better place on the internet to ask so many questions and get so much helpful advice from so many great people than here on this Candletech board? LOL...Who says nothings free..

[mystical_angel1219]

Ok, as you can tell I am liking very much the idea of soy candles but I am still riding the fence and have yet to make a complete switch. I just have so many questions so I will ask a bit more in this one thread so I don't hog this whole board with my silly babble. LOL

1. Do customers truly tend to like soy candles more and does this convert into paying customers, or do they just sniff and handle and then buy Yankmee candles anyway?

2. How much extra cost will this add in the long run in extra fragrance and coloring and is the added cost worth the benefits?

3. Will converting my products from parrafin to soy truly make my products better and more saleable, or is it more hype than it sounds?

4.Does soy generaly need to be wicked heavier than parrafin, or does it depend on just the type of soy and fragrance load?

5. Is there a better place on the internet to ask so many questions and get so much helpful advice from so many great people than here on this Candletech board? LOL...Who says nothings free..

I took the liberty of numbering your posts for simplicity.

I will share my opinion/experiences with these questions.

1. This will all depend on logistics and how your product is perceived in the marketplace. Yankee candle spends millions of dollars every year just in advertising. They have a soy line as well. The key here is to make the best product you possibly can- and market it to the best of your ability in your area. Word of mouth is a powerful tool. But comparing a handcrafted, well made candle to Yankee is like comparing apples to oranges.

2. It will depend alot upon where you buy your supplies from. There are dyes and fragrances out there readily available for specific soy use. I don't subscribe to this notion myself. As there are many good suppliers that offer oils that can be used in soy/paraffin/gel. You will need to ALOT of testing to determine what works for you. Generally soy uses anywhere from 1 oz to 1.5 oz per lb. Depending on what the supplier/scent is.

3. Again this will depend on many factors including demographics. Soy can be viewed as beneficial to the US economy. But I would caution going too far with any claims about the natural aspect of soy. Its still a candle, so it produces chemicals in the air while burning.

4. Soy will require heavier wicking than paraffin.

Especially cinnamon, vanilla and highly spicy scents.

5. Absolutely not. You came to the right place.

The best things in life are free. Candlemaking itself can be very expensive.

[topofmurrayhill]

5. It's not free. We will take our pound of flesh in due time.

[beck180]

Ha Ha...That's a good one

[bugtussle]

IMO, soy is much more dificult to work with. All- soy candles do not look very appealing when you start burning them, cauliflower top after burn. They are harder to wick. My customers in central Texas really don't seem to care. Labeling my candles "soy-based wax" seems to take care of any "ecological concerns." Since I do believe using a soy-paraffin blend gives you the best of both waxes, I mix soy with both of my container waxes, J223 and IGI 6006 (it already has a little vegetable wax in it.) Someday, I do believe that soy will be produced that is easier to use and is more consistent (batch color can vary.) Until then, I love para-soy blends.

[Kaybee23]

I started out using soy, so for me it was not that difficult to get a good candle out of it. I do use a little beeswax in my straight soy to help with the smooth tops and with the frosting and throw a bit. I have not made any paraffin containers, so I can't compare it to that, but have heard that it is more difficult to master than straight paraffin in containers. But I think it is all in what you get used to using.

[Candlewitch]

I have nothing to add other then Parafin will continue to cost more and no matter what anyone says, soy will burn cleaner. In short containers there is less of a difference, Also, You dont usually have to double-wick Parafin and you will with soy, so that is a issue also. With wide mouth jars anyhow.

[hewells]

IMO I don't think that it really makes a difference with the customers as long as it smells good, some may go for the hype about soy being cleaner burning, and supporting the american farmer, but in a whole I think if it smells good to them they are going to buy it either way. My suggestion is to sell both and see which sell better in your area, then go from there. I don't find it costing me anymore to make soy candles, except that you may have to double wick, but the cost of that extra wick is so little that it just doesn't seem to matter to me. I also don't find that I use anymore FO or color, though I am not really looking for the dark bold colors in my candles as of yet so that may change.

[pjm]

I am having great success with JS 100% Soy. I started with paraffin and worked with it for a long time. Couldn't get a candle to burn without soot no matter what I tried. I got so frustrated I switched to soy. Didn't figure I had anything to lose. I do struggle with getting a smooth top, but they don't bother me. One day I will invest in a heat gun to help. I sell some here and there, and nobody seems to mind. The tops go smooth after the first burn anyway. I don't plan to ever go back to paraffin.

Paula:p