Dye or no dye in soy candles??

[Toni S.]

Scenicdriver,

Thanks for the tidbit on the UV stabilizer! I noticed with a few of my candles I was experimenting with that after a burn they do look kinda dingy colored. Will definitely take your advice,

Thanks again

Purebliss,

Guess this is what we need to do!

[kandlekrazy]

I had one fo that turned the wax a greyish color after the burn, but it was the only one that did it. Most stay the same color unless you drop wick trimmings into the wax, then it gets real ugly!

I had a lady return a glass to me from testing who said the candle was great but it had these black specks in it. When I melted the bottom to dump it there were like 20 wick trimmings and 3 matches in the wax!! Had to explain again what trimming the wick meant...and no foreign objects!

[Rhonda]

Like in soap Vanilla can discolor.. One of my test candles with vanilla got some brown in it after burning.. I'm now testing the vanilla EO instead. Because vanilla EO does not discolor in soap. Not mine anyway..

[Holly]

Thank you Holly for commenting! I love your products and your website too.

Blessings

You are welcome and thank you for the nice compliments.

Blessings as well!

[SherriLynn]

A few years back we offered both, dyed and undyed. By far our colored candles sold more than dye free. I too found that my wholesalers and private label accounts prefer "color".

Customers would ask when smelling a cinnamon, shouldn't this be tan or brown? Shouldn't pine be green?

I thought it would be a great way to market the "natural" candle. Although was quickly told by many candlemakers, anything you alter from the natural state of the wax, is no longer "natural". The minute you add FO, your candle is no longer natural.

My marketing changed to "Supporting America and it's Agriculture". Seemed not many cared about natural, but the idea that I was supporting our farmers.

I have very little frosting, although I do add .75 oz per pound of beeswax to a pound of soy. I store my candles in an even temperatured room. Alot of people don't think a thing of frosting, they think it looks more "rustic".

[Holly]

Scenicdriver,

Thanks for the tidbit on the UV stabilizer! I noticed with a few of my candles I was experimenting with that after a burn they do look kinda dingy colored. Will definitely take your advice,

Thanks again

Purebliss,

Guess this is what we need to do!

I know what you mean about the dingy look. It happens because of the reaction between the heat and the FO and wax. Single wicked dye free candles do not discolor as often or as bad because they do not get as hot (have had a slight bit from time to time but not often and very slight). Double wicked candle will get it. This is what I have found in my testing. Palm wax is the worst! When I was going to go with Palm wax in the Madisons and with double wicks I ended up not being able too because it REALLY got dingy looking in the re-solidified meltpool. Too ugly for me. But, with single wicks it would not happen. I could not single wick the Palm well enough so I had to change to a soy/paraffin blend and single wick. If I doubled wicked the Madison jar with the soy/paraffin blend it would discolored too much too but not as ugly as the Palm. The Palm wax actually turned greyish and it was not soot in the wax....never got the soot.

The wider the jar the better.....not as hot. The deeper the jar the worse it is. My 10 oz. squaty 4 inch jars (apothecary) do not have the problem hardly at all (not very noticeable), but my 4 inch 16 oz. taller jars do because they get hotter deeper down (heat is trapped a little more). If you have a 4 inch jar and you are going colorless and double wicking you will get some discoloration with no dye but it does not look real bad -- kind of a yellow/tan look in the re-solidified meltpool. I don't like this, but I prefer it over blotchy frosted new candles. That first impression means a lot. Actually, when I colored my soy it was such a bad froster that it was even uglier as it aged after burns than the no-color. When the candles sat around long enough between burns, it would get that frosted powdered look on top and dried out looking, etc. It has looked way better non-colored even with the slight discolored re-solidified meltpool. I also look at it this way.....if it were paraffin (I am not against paraffin and still like it), and if customers to not have good trimming habits, there is a greater chance of black soot on the jar. I would rather put up with the discoloring and the not as pretty wax as it ages.

It always seems like something with every application and it can drive one nuts. Good luck!

[Holly]

UV stablizer will not take care of the dingy meltpool. I use the UV. It happens because of the heat -- reaction from heat, FO and wax.

I have an old Gold Canyon candle -- Mulled Cider colored a golden tan. It even discolored in the meltpool. It is a wax with mostly paraffin (they claim to have some veggie component in it). Even paraffin can do it. The color was not dark enough to hide it. It was a 16 oz. apothecary jar. It is not just a soy thing. When I was testing paraffin I had the same problem with some of them and they were colored. You just notice it much more with no color.

I think it is a decision between frost or dingy meltpool. I have seen some jars with frost and it does not look too bad....depends on the look. I don't like frost or a dingy meltpool, but for my type of jar and look the no-color is best. As I said above, when I colored they got even uglier.....just in a different way.

[Toni S.]

Hi Holly,

I'll tell ya what, I'd rather have the dingy colored wax anytime after burning than the ugly frosting. I know the UV doesn't take it away completely but I was told it does help some.

Have a wonderful day

[Holly]

Hi Holly,

I'll tell ya what, I'd rather have the dingy colored wax anytime after burning than the ugly frosting. I know the UV doesn't take it away completely but I was told it does help some.

Have a wonderful day

Me too. Regarding the UV, I have never not used it, so it may make a difference if you compared it without it.....maybe it is a lot worse without it. Some fragrances are worse than others. I just noticed that Casaba Mist turns the meltpool to a light bluish/grey hue. Weird how different oils can have different reactions.

Have a great day as well!

[Trappeur]

Hey Toni!

How the heck are ya? So did you take the step and go "au naturelle", lol.....?

On certain scents I do too notice the slight discoloration...but its really no biggy for me....At times when it bothers me when I'm burning my own candles here at home I take a spoon and just scrape the dinginess off the top....don't know why, but I do at times....lol

And there is a big difference for me by adding the uv stabelizer....It keeps them the natural color otherwise I have brownish/tannish edges starting to appear....but otherwise I love the natural....!

Trappeur

[AAngels]

I switched a while back, I love the natural better and my clients do too. Just tell everyone your GOING GREEN!!

It goes with every decor.

Thanks

Kathy

[Stella1952]

I like color and my customers like color. There is a little science behind my decision... there is an association between visual cues and scent expectations (ie. pine is green, lemon is yellow, etc.). Tests have shown that when there is no color to help "cue" us, humans have difficulty differentiating scents as accurately as when the appropriate colors are present. Some folks could care less about scent acuity - if it smells good to them, they don't care if it's a geranium or a poppy! Others will complain that a white candle has less "throw" than they expect.

Certainly, frosting doesn't show up as much in natural colored candles because the frosting itself is white, so it's far less objectionable. I do not mind having to work harder to reduce frosting caused by dyes AND FOs. To me, it's worth it.

Despite science, customer preferences, etc., this is an entirely subjective decision. If ya don't want frosting to be an objectionable issue, and you don't wanna have to fool around with trying to reduce or eliminate it, then by all means, don't use any dye. What frosting that does occur due to changes in the wax itself over time or the FOs used is cammoflaged in the color of the wax. Easy peasy!

[Debra Phelps]

I am afraid to. I already get the candles mixed up by the color, when I am making them. lol It would be much easier. Everything I own has color on it. I can't wear fake nails anymore because of color. The customer wouldn't notice if the color of the candle is slightly lighter this time...... That bugs me..... Cost less...... But then I look out into my store and see all the pretty colors, and layed candles, and I guess I will have to stick with colors. People wouldn't know who I was, if i didn't have a spot of red on my cheek or hands.

[Stella1952]

I already get the candles mixed up by the color, when I am making them. lol

I thought I was the only one!! :embarasse After making several batches of pinks and greens and blues, I *think* I'll remember which FO was in which color by the smell (sometimes the same color but different FOs...), but... my old nose gets confused (or my mind)!! I have to tag 'em with a temporary stickie just to be sure I don't mess up!! :undecided

[justcountry]

No dye,:embarasse then I don't get blue streaks in my hair ,red on my clothing and green on the floor;) yeah I'm messy, seriously tho most people dont seem to miss it, but I did some 3 layers in pint jars for the 4th and of course they are red white and blue ,Stella does it mean my nose is old because I am forever mixing up my candles dye or no,of course when I look in the mirror the rest of me looks pretty old too I have been known to put 2 scents in one pot on occassion too, last time I did that it was lemon biscotti and blackraseberry vaniila now I have a scent called Tennessee Summer and it is a hit

[Stella1952]

Stella does it mean my nose is old

:lipsrseal I can only speak for my own original operating equipment...

last time I did that it was lemon biscotti and blackraseberry vaniila now I have a scent called Tennessee Summer and it is a hit

That's called serendipity!! Good goin'!!

[justcountry]

serendipity:wink2: hey that may be a great name for my next mix up:laugh2:

[Debk]

I went back to coloring and have been selling more. Guess it is the packaging appeal!

[HeavenScentU]

I do better with color. I do have the option of colorless, but no takers.

[Candybee]

I prefer color myself. Its a fact that people associate colors with fragrance and fragrance with memories. It took a long time and lots of testing to get rid of the frosting. But I now have colorful candles with no frosting issues so I don't intend to change anytime soon.

[mgrcentral]

Personally I like the no colour look - and if you do a search on the web the stores selling the highest priced soy candles are without colour...

[sueb50]

I really would like to go no color but I have lots on my shelves and wouldn't know how to make the switch. I like the looks of a white candle. Oh well, maybe I will just make some for me and see what happens.....

[CandleMama6]

Hi,

I started out with color and had horrible frosting and sometimes burn issues. So I decided to go dye free and LOVE IT!! Not one person has commented on the change negatively and like it has been mentioned in this thread by others, people can now get a cinnamon candle for a blue room if they choose. I do accent each scent with a ribbon that corresponds in color with the fragrance. That way you do still have a splash of color on the jar and people seem to really like that they can remove the ribbon if they choose.

I personally love the colors but from a candle makers point of view, they are a pain in the butt. I have grown to like the natural colors but as you have been warned......keep really good track of scents when pouring multiple scents. Nothing worse than mixing labels up.

I do maked colored candles on occasion for special orders and I charge an extra fee to do that. Since you should re-test when you add a new element, I charge for the time it will take me to test that scent. Then I just keep notes for future reference.

I do color all my melts though. Since they are not wicked there is not a burn issue and they seem to sell a whole lot better when they have color to them.

Michelle

[Firefly]

I have a few that are uncoloured (scent free and a Pomegranite one and they seem to do well. The rest are lightly coloured.

My advice is to go for it, I know a candle maker where I live who does all her soy candles with no colour and does well.