Scent & Wax question?

[morganlakeyx0]

hello everyone,

I'm a newbie and doing a little bit of research before i start into my candle making journey.

I've been looking into other candle makers sites trying to find little tips & tricks that could possibly use in the near future.

I have a couple of questions on some stuff I've found;

First Question:

If you had to choice between Paraffin & Soy Wax which would you prefer? & why?

Second question:

On a site i found, on their FAQ page it talks about their candles being "triple-scented"; "...We use 3 times the industry standard...".

So does that mean, for example, when normally they would use 1 oz. of FO per Pound of wax they use 3 oz. per pound of wax?

Please bare with my many questions, I'm a newbie. This is my first post.

[NewOrleansLady]

I use a soy blend...best of both worlds. Less hassle with just soy and better burn then paraffin.

Triple scent is a marketing ploy...don't fall for it. Wax can only hold so much FO and no more...if it could hold 3 times it's a weak FO to begin with. If that's on a supplier site scratch it off your list to use. There are way too many out there that are reputable with excellent FO's.

Just to name a few:

Just Scent

Nature's Garden

Cajun

LoneStar

Tennesee

WillowWoods

Alabaster

Peak

The list goes on and on. Look for tutorials on this and other boards and read read read. Get books that have been listed as good reading. Be ready to spend $1000's on testing wax, wicks and then the endless line of UPS trucks bringing you boxes upon boxes of scents....that line will never end...believe me...at one time I had well over 900 scents available to use. I've drastically dwindled that down to around 300. Only chandlers are that crazy about that many different scents.

[smart]

I totally agree with new orleans I only use soy where I am here it is cheaper and also so much nicer looking smooth and great to work with. Alot of people perfer soy for the burning. Triple scented is a ploy and please dont add 3oz to your one pound that would be far too much the limit would be 1.5oz but 1oz per pound is a good start if you want to go up do so. You will have to put alot of money out first to test test test test. happy candle making

this is a great site to learn and ask questions:yay:

And welcome to the addiction lol

Edited January 15, 2010 by smart

[chuck_35550]

There are some good threads on here about starting with a lower amount of fo and then increasing as you test. A really good candle scents an area without cutting off your oxygen supply. Nobody wants a headache from an over fragranced candle (except fringe customers). Wax is simply a matter of testing and finding what works for you and your area. I started with paraffin and eventually moved to a blend. My number one requirement in a wax is that it doesn't require weeks of curing. I make candles on order and sell a limited line of seasonal fragrances. I need to provide the product pretty quickly after the order and I don't need to wait a week or two. My best advice on fos is to buy the samplers or sniffies (1-2 oz samples) before buying large quantitites. Lastly, your wick+wax+container will equal a candle that burns slowly, develops a 1/2 inch melt pool, doesn't soot, doesn't overheat the container, and will fragrance an entire mansion. Simple, huh? HTH. Oh and welcome to the Board!

Steve

[morganlakeyx0]

Thank you everyone!

Now i see that ya'll are talking about a blend of both, where would i find a helpful thread or link about blending?

is it more of half and half.. or just testing both waxes together till i find a mixture i like?

I'm trying to research and make notes of everything before i go out and buy everything to try.

I've always been told that Zinc Core Wicks are the best? so i was going to try those out. do you agree?

[topofmurrayhill]

Your best bet is to find a wax that's already blended. You can start by looking at the nearest suppliers to see what they have. Just for example, here's a paraffin/soy product from Tennessee Candle Supply:

http://tennesseecandlesupplies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18_25_27&products_id=846

There's no agreement that zinc wicks are the best. It's more a matter of how well wicks work in a particular type of candle as well as what people prefer. Some people use zinc wicks in fragranced container candles and love them while other don't. CD and HTP wicks are often recommended for scented jars and are quite popular.

[Gypsyjen]

If you're interested in a parasoy, I'd recommend trying a pre-blended parasoy wax before attempting to blend your own. That will give you a feel as to whether that is truly the direction you want to take. IGI 6006 is a parasoy sold by Peak and other suppliers. Kentucky Candle Supply and Just By Nature sell their own parasoy blends.

[morganlakeyx0]

Thank you everyone! :smiley2:

I will look into those now.