Why so few gel chandlers

[DonnaP]

Well after being a member here for a little while I can see there seems to be a large difference between the number of wax chandlers and the number of gel chandlers. I'm just wondering if anyone knows the reason for that.

Is it because gel candles are fairly new compared to wax candles.

Or is it because people are afraid gel candles.

I'm just curious as to why. Sure would love to hear from the wax chandlers.

Personally I think there is just so much you can do with gel wax once you learn how to work with it, that you can't do with wax.

But I don't know much about working with wax so I may be totally in the wrong with that opinion.

All thoughts on this subject are most welcome.

Bill and Donna

Jacksonville Fla

[CathyinME]

I wonder this too. I personally love the gels. They are so much easier to wick & you can create so many different ones. I'm starting to do some forever ones & this is so much fun!! The ideas for what you can use in them is endless.The only down side to the gels is what fragrances you can & can not use in them.

[Vicky_CO]

Actually it because of the market yes gel candles are fun and neat and you can do amazing things with it but here is the down side they are mostly a gift item. I have been selling gel candles for over 5 years and most of my customers have always been people looking for gifts for others. They think they are pretty they may buy a few for themselves but that is it. Also you will find that most like me don't want to mass market them so the really creative stuff never hits the net.

Here is another thing every time an article comes out about how dangerous gel is we loose a few more customers or a few that where on the fence about buying them don't bother.

Gel candle sales for me goes in spurts one year I am luck to sell any another year I can not keep them in stock.

[Trae]

About half of my business is gel candles but here's a few things I've noticed over the years:

*gel doesn't throw scent as well as paraffin and scent is what most people go for.

*Since gels are so decorative, a lot of people won't burn them and don't need to buy more.

*Gel is more expensive and people are cheap!!

[Freezin]

I have always wanted to try gel, but I just havent' had much time. I make containers, votives, candle cubes (my name for the wax clamshells thingies) and pillars. Then there are the room sprays, air freshner...blah, blah.. I guess my hands are just so full doing the paraffin thing. I know that a lot of the chandlers on this board also do B & B which is a huge amount of time and money.

I think Vicki and Trae are right, the gels are so beautiful that people don't burn them, so they don't need replace them.

[HeavenScentU]

After looking at the outrageous gel prices, I can see why there aren't more gel candlemakers. Personally I love the gel and found it one of the easiest candles to make. I didn't make anything fancy just poured them in a standard jar with just color and scent. I loved seeing all the way through the candle, even loved the bubbles. I really really love the bubbles. I can't see why people try to eliminate them. It's like champagne, you need the bubbles....

[CrystalClear]

Hmm..good question. I think too many people might be afraid to attempt them and sell em. When I first started 5 years ago, there were 3 of us in my area that did gel candles. Now? Just me. I outlasted my competition cuz I rock! haha Just kidding.

Sales went down for the others, but I stuck it out, added some other products to my line, and now I'm doing great. I get from customers "They're too pretty to burn" which is why I switched most of my candles over to forever candles.

I agree with Vicky though...most of my customers buy them for gifts for other people. But, eventually, they do come back to buy something for themselves.

[7 Pawz]

I make gels as well as wax candles, I love the gels, you can do a lot with them, they're easy to make AND depending on the fo used, have a great scent throw:) that being said: I made gel with sea shells in it in a ivy jar for a customer 2 yrs ago. few weeks back, I asked her if she had ever burned the candle. She said No. It still scents her bathroom up and it matches her colors in her bathroom, so she is still waiting to burn it:grin2:

gel is so much more expensive than wax, but if the candle burns a long time and the scent throw is great, I'll always make them and they do sell well for me.

[Twoscentsworth]

Gel is where my business began and I still do a large percentage of it. When gel first hit there were several gel boards going hot and heavy, I moderated one and we had some kinds of fun discovering all we could do with the product. I think a lot of people got hit hard in the pocketbook as prices shot up, that and it does take a bit more time to make a candle scene or a forever candle...much easier to melt and pour another type of wax.

My gel's smell just as strong, some stronger, than my other waxes ... which BTW I have many people buy and not light also because they are so strong, SIGH.

I know of several gel makers in the Upstate, two with shops. Lots of people browse forums but don't participate so there might be more gel makers out there than you think.

[DonnaP]

Glad to hear all the responses. I was a little concerned with the response from Trae... that gel does not throw as much scent as parrafin.

I had never heard that particular thing before.

Now I'm wondering has anyone who has made both gel and wax candles ever tested one against the other

Two candles made with exactly the same percentage of FO to see which one actually does throw the most scent.

I'm wondering if the wax does have more scent throw as Trae stated ...is there a scientific reason for that.

Thanks all

[CathyinME]

Most of my gels throw better than my parafin candles. I've also compared them to the palm wax,same thing, throws better in gel.

[HeavenScentU]

I think it is a trial and error thing. You just have to see what scents works best. I loved macintosh apple in gel, but that is a strong in any wax.

[airforcewife]

I'm not a professional candle maker but I really like to make gel candles, even if they are just for me. They throw just as good if not better than parifin and soy, and they last much longer.

[sdcopeland@mchsi.com]

sometimes it is hard to get a good scent throw with some of my gel candles. I don't think i have had one that smells as strong as a soy or paraffin.Where do you order your fragrances from.

[DonnaP]

We order most of our supplies..gel and FO's from Gelluminations in Iowa. Would love to find a place here in florida to get them, sure would save a lot in shipping charges. But I haven't found anywhere close to here.

[CathyinME]

Have you tried Aroma Haven/Rustic Essentuals? They have a lot of gel safe FO's.

[GerberDaisyCrazy]

I love making gel candles. The creativity and the uniqueness. When, I tell someone that I make gel candles, the first thing out of their mouths is. "do they have a strong scent, can it smell up the whole house"? I tell them,the ones I make are strong, but it also depends on the fragrance it's self. I don't know any one candle that can scent up an entire house.

GO GEL CANDLE MAKERS!!!!!

[Trae]

I'm not saying you can't get a great scent throw from gels....you can. But in my experience, since the gel takes longer to melt than paraffin, you don't get the throw as fast. A lot of people want to be able to light a candle and smell it a short time after. I've never had a gel throw as strong as paraffin and I've tried tons of scents from tons of suppliers. Still, because of the uniqueness of the gels, I get a crapload of business from them. You'll find that there is a customer base for novelty-type candles who will buy gel, and then those who just want a straight-up great-throwing candle in a jar. I have both and that works for me!

[sdcopeland@mchsi.com]

i just ordererd from gelluminations. i have used some of their scents in soy, but i don't remember using them in gel. i have a lot of requests for their ambrosia , fantasy and gardenia.i usually order from c&s and aroma haven.i love aroma havens scent throw from their manderin twist in gel.