how to make massage lotion candles?

[kaitlyn c]

Hey everyone I havent been here in a while. Staying busy. Glad to be back. I am interested in those lotion candles. I want to try to make them. But was wondering if anyone knew how to make them. I really want to give this a try. Any help would be greatly appreciated.I dont even know where to start. Thanks so much Kaitlyn:cool2:

[Raggedy Dani]

Most of us don't think it's a good idea to make massage candles.

Be prepared for this one.

Dani

[jldorrington]

yeah its usually not reccomended cause not fo's are skin safe, candle dye isn't skin safe, and its hot wax someone is gonna pour freshly melted wax on them burn their skin and sue

[elitenaildesign]

Yes! Speaking from experience, get ready! They are not too popular here.

[JenT]

There was someone who posted info on this at one time....I would do a search....but yeah....most people including myself...do not think they are a good idea.

[stacien]

Did you guys notice off to the left one of the ads? The very first one after the Candletech menu?

[BruceCarvesWax]

But was wondering if anyone knew how to make them.

From what I have seen most of them use this recipe:

1 part soy wax

1 part scent

1 part liability insurance (see note*)

1 part stupidity

*You can sub an extra part of stupidity for lack of insurance*

Anyone having these items can make lotion candles.

I know thats harsh but with that being said, I do know there are a few on here that are going about it the right way and have a good product.

My general rule would have to be that if a soy candle is strong enough to fill up a house with fragrance, its going to be way to strong to rub on and leave on your skin. Your marketing should be all about lotion and less on being a candle. The flame should be just a way of turning the solid oils into liquid so you can use it on the skin. Wickless would work just as well with this type item.

My gripe is with any current soy chandlers that hear about soy candles being used as lotion and don't alter anything from their original product and tell people to slop it on their skin and it will be wonderful.

Bruce

[broadzilla]

From what I have seen most of them use this recipe:

1 part soy wax

1 part scent

1 part liability insurance (see note*)

1 part stupidity

*You can sub an extra part of stupidity for lack of insurance*

[ChrisR]

Bruce that was great!! :laugh2:

[MissMary]

K, so newbie question....

Couldn't you use something that safe for both candle AND body as a scent in the candle?

[BruceCarvesWax]

K, so newbie question....

Couldn't you use something that safe for both candle AND body as a scent in the candle?

Yes you can but the amount you use in making a good candle would be far more than the amount you would use for a lotion or massage item. 1% or less scent would be about the limit recommended by most sites for lotions ect. You will NOT have a good candle if you only use 1% Even if a oil is skin safe it doesn't mean you can rub it all over you at any concentration.

I'm talking about already made strong candles that people are slathering with.

Bruce

[MissMary]

Yes you can but the amount you use in making a good candle would be far more than the amount you would use for a lotion or massage item. 1% or less scent would be about the limit recommended by most sites for lotions ect. You will NOT have a good candle if you only use 1% Even if a oil is skin safe it doesn't mean you can rub it all over you at any concentration.

I'm talking about already made strong candles that people are slathering with.

Bruce

Ah okay! Thanks for the clarification! Always good to ask questions when you don't know!

[candlebug]

I agree with Bruce 110%. I have seen some soy candle makers demonstrate these claims and dipping their fingers in a lighted candle and quite frankly they are asking for lawsuits.

I understand that one state agency is looking into this practice not only from not listing the ingredients on the candle and health violations from using it on the skin to the fire safety issues of people dipping fingers into a lighted candle. The concern of how a child will view Mommy dipping her fingers in a lighted candle and smearing the wax on her skin and the child thinking "I can do it too and be like Mommy". Can we say disaster here? I hope I never hear about a child catching their clothing on fire or worse from this.

[Breanna]

OMGosh I have to tell you this. Okay, I have Fibromyalgia and our insurance allows body massages, so I went to the place we have here in town. Well during my massage she pours HOT wax on my back!! OMG it HURT like the dickens and I have a blister on my lower back...My DH is soooooo mad,,,I will NEVER go back,,,She did refund my money. I have to agree from Experiance now that these type of candles are BADDDD:cry2:

[moonrose64]

Wow Breanna,

Thank God you wern't burned worse.

Did the lady even ask you if it was ok to pour that on you?

Man....Glad your ok.

[doris]

I have horrible hands, both really dry and beginning to be arthritic, and the thought of rubbing in a warm moisturizing lotion sounds really good.

HOWEVER: I don't think they should be sold as "candles", and I think that is where most of the problem lies. A "candle" is something that is lit for ambience, scent, light, whatever: a lotion "candle" should actually be a B&B product, with skin safe scents, oils etc. Marketing it as a "candle" with a wick is, I think, asking for trouble. They are probably soy wax mixed with oils, and are probably more flammable than normal candles.

Just in case I ever have any spare time, I would like to play around with the idea for my own use. Pure soy, mixed with some moisturizing oils, maybe a warming EO, made as a tart that I could melt and dip my fingers into. Sounds good to me. But a container candle with a wick that would likely be left burning for hours on end? Never.

[citygrl707]

At my company they have picked up a soy candle with lotion in it. The labels reads only burn for ten minutes. When opening the container its the strongest smell i have ever in my life smelt from a candle. It says that its soy and cotton seed. I did not purchase this candle lotions because i have sensitive skin and dont want to take a chance. I only work in the accounting dept. but to me there asking for trouble with this one. A friend lit one and the wax didnt get as hot as normal but it still had a flame and it scared me. There is so much fo in the candle the top has a funny look to it. I do not think its safe to put something like that on your skin. just my input.

[CBE]

Hi... I am a new member here:grin2: , and this post caught my attention. Massage candles are body safe if you know what to put in them, and formulate the right recipe. A massage candle should NOT have any kind of dye added to it. Soy wax should not be your main ingredient, because then... it would be just a "candle". If any fragrance oil is used, it should be a small amount, and should be considered body safe. I have been working on making a massage candle for months now, and I finally formulated the right recipe. I do not add any dyes to my candle and I only add safe amounts of body safe fragrance oils. I use a very small amount of soy wax to my massage candles, cause I find too much beeswax makes the liquid pool of massage oil burn too hot. The soy makes it burn much, much, cooler. The tempature of the liquid should only be a few degrees higher than your body tempature. I also find that too much beeswax makes the product feel "heavy" on your skin. A fine quality oil, like almond oil, grapeseed, hempseed, or jojoba, and hard butters should be added to your recipe. I always add instructions with my candle, emphasizing on only burning the candle for 10-15 minutes. Then you need to EXTINGUISH THE FLAME. After a few seconds, you either dip your fingers or pour a SMALL AMOUNT in the palm of your hand. You don't need much, cause a little goes a long way. Some people ask why doesn't the massage candle smell... because it's not meant to smell as it's burning... it is not formulated like a home candle. It's a candle for your skin. As you are rubbing the massage oil into your skin, that is when you can smell the fragrance. Essential oils are the best to use in massage candles. As of right now, I am testing my candles. I'm getting positive feedback on fragrance, and the feel of the WARM oil on your skin. Massage candles should not burn hot... if it's hot on your skin... it's NOT a massage candle. I find it works best on ragged cuticles (mine are horrible!), and it's good for a couples massage... (like if your hubby had a hard day at work and needs a good neck rub, one of these massage candles scented in essential oil of lavender would work wonders). When I read about that poor person who got blisters from a massage therapist pouring hot wax on her..... OUCH... that must have hurt!! Poor thing!!! That was not a massage candle!!

[Vicky_CO]

The main problem with the whole concept is you can not get half the candle makers in the world to make real candle right so what makes you think they are going to be any different with a massage candle. All it going to take is one or two law suits and you will no longer be able to get insurance companies to cover you.

It won't matter if you are making a good massage candle or not. Customers only listen to who supplies them with a product and if that person is doing some thing dangerous they would have no clue until they get burned. The consumer doesn't know the difference between a good massage candle and a bad one. No amount of education is going to help, if education really helped we would not have the drug problems we have in this country.

This is the one that will be the deciding factor is when children start to get hurt because they saw mom light a candle put it out, then pour it on her skin. Then those children go to a friend's house and does the same with the candle lite on the coffee table and that child ends up in the hospital with second and third degree burns.

[CBE]

The main problem with the whole concept is you can not get half the candle makers in the world to make real candle right so what makes you think they are going to be any different with a massage candle. All it going to take is one or two law suits and you will no longer be able to get insurance companies to cover you.

It won't matter if you are making a good massage candle or not. Customers only listen to who supplies them with a product and if that person is doing some thing dangerous they would have no clue until they get burned. The consumer doesn't know the difference between a good massage candle and a bad one. No amount of education is going to help, if education really helped we would not have the drug problems we have in this country.

This is the one that will be the deciding factor is when children start to get hurt because they saw mom light a candle put it out, then pour it on her skin. Then those children go to a friend's house and does the same with the candle lite on the coffee table and that child ends up in the hospital with second and third degree burns.

To each his own.

[The_Dallas_Texas_Dean]

I am neither "for" nor "against" massage lotion candles. I do not buy them, make them or use them...nor do I have any intention of doing so...but not because of the dangers or liabilities necessarily...although I do believe those to be issues that should be addressed before making a decision to manufacture them. Personally, I just think there are better products and better ways to achieve the thing that massage candles claim to do.

I do find it interesting to observe all the hoopla about them, however.

The concept does not seem so new to me. It is a "different" way to heat "beneficial" emollients.

Manicurists have been using warm/hot melted paraffin wax dips for years. Once you dip your hand or foot in the warmer/melter, the wax is allowed to cool and eventually peeled off. People with arthritis claim that the moist heat penetrates deep enough to be beneficial to the joints. There are other beneficial properties supposedly. I recall there always being some massaging included with the paraffin dip treatment. There was a variety of things added to the wax....Eucalyptus..Peach oil...

The difference is, their warmers have a thermostat and obviously the "new" massage candles do not. One uses electricity to melt the wax with a thermostat to gage the temperature and the other uses a wick/flame to melt the wax and the temperature is somehow controlled by not ever getting too hot in the first place?

There really is no need for massage candles other than to appease the consumers insatiable appetite for something different.. Massage candles are not better than other options already on the market that do the same thing....probably better actually. Massage therapists have a variety of ways to warm their lotions and potions(and THOSE lotions and potions do not have to perform with a wick so they are probably better for the skin when you think about it logically)

The thing is consumers do not want a new "brand". They want a new catagory..a new concept...a new treatment...a new way of doing things....hence, the "new" massage candle. Are massage candles a strong enough "new" idea to invest in? Not for my money....but to each his own.

M

[BruceCarvesWax]

Plus the paraffin wax dips come off they don't go into the skin. When you rub the massage candle on the skin it sinks in and you are now dealing with a cosmetic item and that's a whole new ball of wax... pun intended.

[CBE]

I am neither "for" nor "against" massage lotion candles. I do not buy them, make them or use them...nor do I have any intention of doing so...but not because of the dangers or liabilities necessarily...although I do believe those to be issues that should be addressed before making a decision to manufacture them. Personally, I just think there are better products and better ways to achieve the thing that massage candles claim to do.

I do find it interesting to observe all the hoopla about them, however.

The concept does not seem so new to me. It is a "different" way to heat "beneficial" emollients.

Manicurists have been using warm/hot melted paraffin wax dips for years. Once you dip your hand or foot in the warmer/melter, the wax is allowed to cool and eventually peeled off. People with arthritis claim that the moist heat penetrates deep enough to be beneficial to the joints. There are other beneficial properties supposedly. I recall there always being some massaging included with the paraffin dip treatment. There was a variety of things added to the wax....Eucalyptus..Peach oil...

The difference is, their warmers have a thermostat and obviously the "new" massage candles do not. One uses electricity to melt the wax with a thermostat to gage the temperature and the other uses a wick/flame to melt the wax and the temperature is somehow controlled by not ever getting too hot in the first place?

There really is no need for massage candles other than to appease the consumers insatiable appetite for something different.. Massage candles are not better than other options already on the market that do the same thing....probably better actually. Massage therapists have a variety of ways to warm their lotions and potions(and THOSE lotions and potions do not have to perform with a wick so they are probably better for the skin when you think about it logically)

The thing is consumers do not want a new "brand". They want a new catagory..a new concept...a new treatment...a new way of doing things....hence, the "new" massage candle. Are massage candles a strong enough "new" idea to invest in? Not for my money....but to each his own.

M

I do agree with you. Merchandising this item as a "candle" is almost like a gimmick. Just like you said, it's just another way of heating the beneficial oils. I intend to make mine with a wick, and a wickless, that can be used on a warmer. The candle that I formulated is almost like a hard salve. When you touch it, it starts to melt at body tempature. It can be used as is... without lighting or warming on a warmer... or it can be warmed by the flame of the wick. I give the options on using it, and let the consumer decide which option to choose. Yes, the tempature is controlled, because of the small amount of soy wax in the candle. I find, after all my experimenting, that adding a small amount of soy is the only way to have a warm melting pool. The tempature reminds me of a warm bath. Just for the heck of it, try burning a natural, 100% soy based candle. After blowing out the flame, touch the liquid pool of wax. It will not be hot. It will be warm. You can burn a soy based home candle for a whole hour, then extinguish the flame, and the pool of wax will not be hot. It's the small amount of soy in a massage candle that controls the temp, it doesn't get HOT like paraffin. But I do agree with you, it's just another way of marketing a cosmetic item. It's something different.

[doris]

I intend to make mine with a wick, and a wickless, that can be used on a warmer. The candle that I formulated is almost like a hard salve. When you touch it, it starts to melt at body tempature. It can be used as is... without lighting or warming on a warmer... or it can be warmed by the flame of the wick.

I REALLY like the sound of yours. I made a balm a couple of months ago using beeswax, oils, lanolin & EO's. Today out of curiosity, I melted a bit of it in a tart warmer, and tried rubbing it in. Felt really good. I also get these really deep, painful cracks on my fingertips, and have 1 on my thumb now. I dipped my thumb several times, letting it cool between applications, and left the balm on my thumb for about 20 mins, then rubbed it into the rest of my hands. The dried skin around the crack has completely softened up, something which never happened from regular and frequent applications of the same balm, as well as other creams I have used. I can see mine as being a fire hazard, being beeswax and oils inches above an open flame, but the flame was put out a few minutes after everything melted, and the melted balm stayed melted for a little bit after that.

It is a pity that the insurance companies are making so many lives a misery, when the main responsibility should fall on the consumer. I know that dangerous candles are made, and do cause fires, but so many more fires and accidents are caused by the stupidity of the consumer. If every dangerous substance was removed from the home, we wouldn't have any homes, or any lives either, since water can kill as well, and I'm sure that most food can kill you if ingested in sufficient quantity. There are still constant fires caused by overheated fat, amateur wiring, neglected candles, dried out Christmas trees, as well as all the accidents caused by household poisons, water in bathtubs, falling in bathtubs etc etc etc..., yet as far as I know the makers of cooking oils, stoves, old wires and Christmas trees are not usually sued by the consumer. And insurance companies are a little odd at the best of times: the previous owners of our house had 2 propane appliances, a wood stove, a wood furnace and an oil furnace all hooked up to the same filthy unlined chimney. Their wiring pre-dated WWI, and we fixed all of this. Yet the same company cancelled our insurance because we had sheep (7), and maybe they would get loose, and maybe they would go on the road and maybe a car would hit them and maybe we would be sued. Go figure.

Expecting candlemakers and soapmakers to have god-knows-what insurance because many people are stupid and ignorant just seems to me to be targeting the wrong people. Yes I do have insurance and always will as long as I am in business, but I just feel that the consumer has a reponsibility too, to become informed about the product they are buying. And the courts who are awarding damages to people who bring in all these trumped up cases should be sued.

[CBE]

Doris... I love you!! You just summed it up. Straight and to the point. You are da bomb my girl!!!! LOL