Dilution Oils - What are they?

[GirlWithTheCurl]

...........So he's saying he uses straight EOs........

No, he states he uses "essentials." :rolleyes2

Same trickery that he used with Ergo.

Btw, dear Jimmy constantly peppered his Ergo promos with the following, "soy unlike paraffin does not place cancer causing substances into the air."

When called out on it, he answered with this disclaimer, "I have to refer you to the editor of that magazine. We did not know it was being written until it hit the stands. We were never contacted for fact checking. No one from our company was quoted." he then added links to the healthy candles/paraffin is evil websites.

ETA: additional facts

[R.S.]

OK, I'm home from work, and here is EVERYTHING written that came with my candle:

And I quote:

Hello, I am Jimmy and you are about to experience one of my candles. Lots of love and over a decade of candle making have come together to make this product. It has been said that I make "The Finest Soy Candle on the Planet" - I just know that I make my candles using the finest ingredients on the planet along with integrity and consciousness. I am so proud of what I am doing that I put my name on the label. It is my intent to spread love and peace through my products throughout the planet - once candle at a time!

My candles are made with a "Food Grade" 100% vegetable SOY wax, so pure you could cook with it (without any fragrance of course); to prove my point I did so and lived to tell about it! I chose this wax so that the highly defined fragrance blends, with up to 100+ fragrance notes per blend, would be showcased as purely as possible. My soy wax formula is petroleum free, my fragrances are made without dilution oils and my wicks are lead & zinc free - giving you a clean burning, solidly fragranced candle that is nearly soot free! Enjoy! Jimmy

End quote

There it is.. verbatim. Nothing there says it's a 100% natural candle and in a roundabout way admits that they're NOT all natural by saying he wouldn't cook with it once the fragrance oil is in it.

[The_Dallas_Texas_Dean]

LOVE the Oriental Musk...and can't wait to try the Hippy Chic.

[MissMary]

Firstly, he makes it sound, just in what you posted, that if it isn't soy without dilution oils, the candle will soot and smoke. I can guarantee on a power burn here that I bet it would soot the same as paraffin. Secondly, as I said, it's chemically impossible to use those two things alone and get a long burning wax. Another thing to look for, which is quite interesting, he NEVER states no OTHER chemicals are added. He states the wax is 2 parts, BUT he not once says the finished product is chemical free. So technically, I could slap some crisco on a table and say the same thing about a candle, made with 100% crisco wax. Doesn't mean the end result is, or that I didn't add stearic or vybar to it.

As I already mentioned, he also says not to eat after fragrancing. Well, you can eat pure EO's if you wanted to, which to me = chemicals.

BTW, he licenses out for sale to more than those 4 sites he lists.

Firstly, these same Ergo candles are of his formulas, so as for sale (this page cache dates to 2005 for sales, which at that time, he was still with Ergo).

http://www.trocadero.com/directory/Gifts_&_Home_Decor:Decorative_Accessories:Candles.html

Ergo Candles are 100% all natural Soy candles with a cotton and papercore wick, for soot free clean burning for up to 50 hours.

Down on the same page, is a sale for HIS line of candles:

Jimmy Belasco Candles are 100% Soy and have a clean burn time of 55-60 hours.

Can't be 100% if there is even fragrance in there, huh?

From his CNN interview:

are made out of all-natural soy wax. Belasco says that soy wax is so pure, you can eat it. And he has, once using soy candle wax to fry chicken to prove his point.

Again, never stating that the soy wax is the only thing he uses, without adding chemicals. And like I said, I've eaten paraffin, so eating something isn't exactly proof it's good for you.

http://candledelirium.com/Jimmy-Belasco-Candles/

Jimmy Belasco Soy candles are a "pure soy" wax formula that is made from only TWO simple ingredients; soy beans and vegetable oil - period!

Why is it in quotes if it's just the two things, then it really is pure soy and not "like" pure soy.

http://www.smallflower.com/product/26738

These 100% soy candles burn and smell clean, with essential oils evenly distributed throughout the candle.

Each smoke-free, soot-free candle is 7 ounces and burns for 55-60 hours.

If there is a wick in it, it's not totally smoke and soot free. BTW, that 7 ozzer, seems to have varying burn times through different sellers, some as low as 40 hours, others up to 70....

http://www.cybelegifts.com/jimmybelasco.htm

The other reason, soy allows for highly defined fragrance blends, up to 100+ fragrance notes per blend, and that’s a lot.

From the sites he listed:

http://www.home101store.com/jimmybelascolifestylesoycandles.html

Made of 100% soy wax and pure essentials for the cleanest burn

http://www.home101store.com/jimmybelascolifestylesoycandles.html

His new line of 100% Soy candles have a more richer and fuller fragrance.

http://www.creativesalonconcepts.com/whatsnew.html

These candles contain no added chemicals, therefore no paraffin, and infact contain only two ingredients 99% soybeans and 1% vegetable oil (to soften the wax).

Now, this one DOES say there's only 2 ingredients. But again, chemically impossible to burn pure soybeans and a part veggie oil to make it last that long. AND it fails to mention that there is at least 1 other component... the scent, whether EO or FO.

Anyways, this is my point. Since he doesn't do direct sales, and whether he is aware of what's being said or not, either way - to me, it seems he just don't care as long as he gets his money. One being he knows and don't care, or the other being he doesn't care enough to know. Money's great! Absolutely! BUT if he's trying to make it out that this is his little baby/brainchild and he puts his love and dedication into it...

And also like I said before, I'm sure the candles are great and I would love to try one (not at that price!). I won't buy it on the deceptive marketing, I'll buy it because it has a good reputation as far as burning goes. But you just know there are some who WILL buy on that marketing.

ETA: Ack, all the quote brackets made this thing huge! Sorry about that!

[R.S.]

wow, thanks for all the information, will take me awhile to get through it, lol

Edit after reading through your post and clicking all the links:

First and foremost, thank you for all the information, that clearly took a lot of time and research and I respect you for doing that.

But I don't see anything inconsistent in what you've posted. And the best way I can think of to describe it to you is this... all those links discuss the composition of the wax component of the candle, not the candle in total. Clearly, there are fragrance oils and essential oils (and a wick) added to the wax. No one is denying that, nor is anyone denying the fact that eating those fragrance oils would be unhealthy.

I hope I'm making my point well, if not please let me know. Jimmy has actually opened an office about a mile from my house and he's friends with friends of mine. I may try to see if I can get him to respond to this at some point. It may be weeks or even months before I can make that happen, cause I have a busy schedule, but I may try.

[MissMary]

Oh not too much time at all, just Google his name.

The inconsistency is from people trying to sell a '100% soy candle'. It's clear to us, as chandlers that there's obviously EO's, FO's and/or other components, but it's not so clear to other people. You'd be surprised at what some people believe! I actually had a woman contact me (a somewhat newbie chandler even) to tell me that I could be up for a lawsuit for selling paraffin candles because they cause cancer and fertility problems and how could I live with myself knowing I contribute to pollution (as I'm sure the next day she drove her SUV to work)! You might want to check out the quotes a little closer, not all those are talking about the wax, they specifically state the candle itself.

If a candle contains NO other chemicals (note it says candle and not wax), then it's not possible to be fragranced. KWIM? Or when it says these candles (again, not the wax) contain only two ingredients, soybeans and veggie oil. Not to mention, since the veggie oil is not soy, then it's not 100% anyways, even if it were just those two components.

It's quite deceptive wording. As people that know about candles, again, we know better in most cases, but the general public doesn't. Hell, I didn't know any better up until the beginning of this year, that a well made candle (in any wax) isn't supposed to have 'black stuff'.

I'd definitely be interested in hearing back from them, though! That'd be really neat!

[TxSioux]

Well, I'll give it to ya -- the wording is a bit evasive, but not entirely deceptive. I think it's purely a matter of definition ... & that's a subjective matter. Just because I say 'blue', doesn't mean we're thinking of the same shade. This debate has been addressed many times & we'll never reach a meeting of the minds. BTW, I was in advertising for 7yrs, so I know the power of suggestion!

If you go to Jimmy's site you find the page is under construction & get 4 links to retailers. On one site he has a 100% soy candle. Another site says only: 7oz soy candle. Next says: 100% soy wax & pure essentials for the cleanest burn. Door #4 says: His new line made w/ a food grade soy wax. OK, none of them say the same thing & each description is different. This makes me think the 'retailers' chose their own wording w/ what they interpreted the definition of a 'soy candle' to be.

Oddly, Jimmy has little more info than his '06 catalog & the 'new' 07 catalog. In '06 he says": My pure soy wax formula is made from only 2 ingredients; soy beans & vegetable oil -- period. In '07 there is no description. His package says only: soy candle.

These are all direct quotes. What did you actually read? It's called smoke & mirrors, my friends! It's pretty obvious his candles contain more than soy beans & vegetable oil, but what is his definition of a 'soy wax formula'? To me that screams the core base of wax ... & what you add after that becomes a 'proprietary blend'. My candle label says: 100% soy wax & that's what I start with. Do I add small amounts of natural additives, fo, color & a wick? Oh, hell yes ... but I absolutely use 100% soy wax. Oh yeah, I also have a glass container, plastic wrap & ties for votives, a paper label ... then there's the ink ... 4 colors ... what about the lining of the Presto Pot or whether I heated the wax in a microwave? Needless to say, we could dissect this to the most minute detail. Where does it end?

It's all a matter of 'definition'. And until we're regulated by the Gov't, those definitions are a total grey area subject to individual interpretation. I, personally, see nothing wrong w/ Jimmy's marketing; based on the fact that he produces a quality product that does nothing but raise the standards of our craft. There's an old saying: clean up your own backyard, before you come walking through mine. Personally, I make a candle I'm very proud of, but it's not in the same category. This guy has it going on a stick & I respect his product.

Susan.

[CareBear]

Well look, my lemonade contains 100% real lemon juice, 100% genuine sugar, and 100% pure spring water.

Semantics. Marketing spin. BS. Call it like you see it.

[R.S.]

Luckily for me I live in Dallas, and so visit the E'rgo factory outlet on occasion. I looked at a label of a candle I bought there is it said" 100% soy wax and premium fragrance". That seems pretty clear to me.

[Darbla]

... Jimmy is doing something more than what we're getting from any supplier. I can smell his candles unlit across the house. They are STRONG. That is what I'm currently aspiring to, and I'm not happy because I don't think I can ever get there given what I'm willing to put into this.

...I remember when 'everyone' said you couldn't add Vybar to soy, but many now do. It all comes down to dreaming a better dream & being brave enough to test crazy ideas. I would guess he has either found a combo of additives that no one else has discovered or he has the most amazing (& private) chemist mixing up fo's that can't be beat....

I wonder if he's simply using more Vybar than normal? I think my next batch I may try that.

Darbla