Hobby Lobby Candle Scents

[Shirlee]

I'm actually asking this question for a friend of mine who just made her first batch of candles. She bought an apple spice "candle scent" from Hobby Lobby but is not happy with the result. The candles she made really don't have much of a scent. She thinks she perhaps should've bought "essential oil."

I'm not familiar with what Hobby Lobby might be selling as "candle scents" but are these scents & essential oils the same thing as the fragrance oils talked about here?

Blessings,

Shirlee in KY

[SliverOfWax]

No.

Buy from a quality supplier who specializes in candles and B&B.

[NaturallyTru]

Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils are not the same thing.

For good quality fragrance oils there are several suppliers. In the Fragrance Discussion section here there is a "Sticky" in red at the top that has supplier links. It's only a partial listing.

Trudi

[Scented]

Hobby Lobby scents are weak. They've always been weak IMO. Find a real supplier.

[tmarcusen]

I agree...they are pitifully weak. They smell good up close...but doesn't last.

Edited September 30, 2010 by tmarcusen

[EricofAZ]

The difference between cut or "oiled down" FO's from the hobby place your friend went to and a real FO supplier is night and day. I use two FO's from a local dollar store that works well in Palm, but that's it. Very rare that this happens. I'm very happy with the FO's from quality suppliers like Berts Heaven Scent, etc.

The difference between FO and EO is not one of strength in a candle, it is what is used to make the oil.

If you take a batch of synthetic chemicals and mix them to blend a particular smell, that's an FO.

If you take a zillion botanical plant flowers and distill them to draw out the oil in the plant, that's an EO.

So Lavender can be made by distilling a ton of lavender plants (EO) or it can be synthesized by mixing synthetic chemicals to make it smell like Lavender (FO). Both smell the same, one is real, the other is fake.

If your friend is just looking for something that smells like lavender, the FO is affordable and does the job. If your friend wants the healing properties of lavender, then the EO is the only way to get this. (And, there is some debate that the heat of the candle, while the lavender does scent the room well, destroys the healing property of EO's.)

Expect to pay a lot of money for EO's (Chamomile is $100/oz wholesale and some EO's are more).

Real aromatherapy uses EO's and fake aromatherapy uses FO's that mimic the smell of EO's.

Unfortunately, some folks pay for the FO's thinking they are getting EO's.

Your friend's concern about the candle being weak is not related to EO vs. FO, but rather, whether your friend bought a good scent or just jojoba oil mixed with a bit of something that smelled like a scent. Wait until your friend opens the lid of a good quality FO. Keep some coffee beans handy to sniff and clear out the nose.

Hope that helps.

[Shirlee]

Thank you all so very much! As I stated in another post, I'm a newbie at this as well & all this information is so interesting & so very much appreciated!

Blessings,

Shirlee in KY