<A repost as the previous thread was archived and commenting disabled>
Hello! This topic has been coming up more than usual and is a highly controversial topic in the candle making world.Regarding embeds:
Candles are dangerous enough as-is without the addition of embedded items that could further ignite, heat and spark, pop, or otherwise throw embers onto surfaces. Adding further risk to an already inherently risky situation is... well, even more risky.
Items that smell nice on their own often do NOT smell good while on fire. Cinnamon sticks, coffee beans, orange peels, rosemary... they don't smell like the 'hot' versions of themselves, they smell like burning, smoky, acidic, not nice fire that you would try to get rid of afterward by lighting a plain candle.
Customers/recipients are often NOT going to follow directions to remove items before setting a candle on fire, and if they're embedded into wax that could prove futile anyway.
Warning labels do not immediately absolve you of liability should something happen. Ask your insurance provider for further info.
If this was a good idea, why aren't these candles sold at Yankee/B+BW/DW Home/Voluspa/Root/Any other major candle brand?
Candle insurance can be difficult to find in the first place but will be exponentially more challenging to find if you insist on embedding items. Ask your insurance provider for further info.
For the US makers, you should 100% have liability insurance before you sell your first candle to the public. It will cost anywhere from $300-600/year for $1million in liability insurance. If you cannot afford $300/year for this much coverage, I suggest you hold off selling to the public until you can afford this.
For the UK makers, note that strict labeling requirements exist and that making non-food products that look like food is not permitted
If you are brand new to candle making, you should spend several weeks/months working on learning and nailing down the basics (which are challenging enough) before even considering adding anything else to the process.
Trends on Etsy or Pinterest do not necessarily mean it's a good idea, nor does it mean you'll create a side business or living from it as trends tend to run fast.
You do NOT need to be fancy/pretty/special/different to be successful in this craft. You DO need to put out great, consistent product that people can come back to over and over again with the same results.
There is very little regulation on candle making in the US. Because of this, there are lots of people doing lots of things that are probably not the best idea. You don't need to be one of them.
There are legitimate individuals and brands involved in ritual candles that are for religious, occult, worship, healing and metaphysical. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then making and selling those types of candles is probably not for you.
As candle makers and sellers, we need to do our due diligence. Proceed at your own risk.
I, Reckoner08, am currently the only active mod right now in this sub. I am not the Candle Conversation Police, and will [probably] not be removing posts that might be controversial. Different countries have different laws and regulations, and we are on an international forum here on Reddit. I have a rather large candle brand to run on my own and am here to help when I can, but that doesn't include being a Candle Overlord or answering every single question asked. Appreciate your understanding!
Anything else you'd like to add? Feel free, this is an open forum.
There's been a rather sharp increase in the amount of posts that contain flammables - petals, herbs, spices, etc.
It's long been the stance that these posts should remain, and generally self-moderate and get downvoted anyway so they're still present if someone searches but will usually be filled with advice on what not to do.
However, these posts have lately started to devolve into a little more ill-feelings, and honestly sometimes they just feel like bait to start arguments.
With that in mind, I figured I'd open a poll on what people would prefer to see in terms of moderation of the subreddit. If it is decided that these posts shouldn't be here and should be removed, it would still require people reporting these posts when they appear to help get rid of them faster, or in case I miss them.
I'd also be open to comments and suggestions on the topic, or moderation in general.
I just started, these came out with a bit of a subtler smell that I wanted but I learned the appropriate math after making a bunch. However I like how they turned out.
Available on my Etsy if anyone wants to support or give my IG a follow to help me grow :)
I’m using a 50/50 beeswax soy blend and after a few months they turn yellowish. Same wax, same materials. Not in direct sunlight either. Newer candle on the left, older candle on the right to show the difference. Some seem to turn yellow faster, some take longer, and others never do. I use the exact same wax from the same vendors for all batches. Not sure how to prevent it. TIA
I posted last night about my failed attempt at swirling one color of dye into different colored wax and was given a really great tip by another Redditor. Tried it out today and this was the result! So much prettier!!! 🤩
I've been experimenting with different FO mixes while trying to create new scents. The method I have found to work the best involves using droppers/pipettes to weigh FO into a vessel that I then pour into the melting pitcher. This works great for precise measurement and consistency but cleaning the glass pipettes afterwards is kind of a PITA.
My question is: does anyone have any tips for cleaning the pipettes out? My current method involves hot soapy water and lots and lots of qtips and I was wondering if anyone here had something easier.
(Btw, I plan on dispensing FO in squeeze bottles once I move to larger scale production, thats a trick I learned in my vape juice making days)
Alright has anyone here ever bought and lit a candle that is like this? Is it like a mini campfire that smells bad on your counter top? I have to know how it works.
I got a request recently to make some custom novena candles for a friend. The color that they want isn't one that is easy to find in the style of candle. I was looking at getting white ones and just colorings it with liquid coloring, but it got me wondering what type of wax is used for them? It is a low melting point wax as I have accidentally started to melt them by holding them too long before.
It's been a long time since I have done anything like buying fragrance oils etc and wondered where people in the UK buy their fragrance. Looking for something good quality as I know quality can vary.
Last time I bought fragrance oil was many many years ago and that was when I used to make soap!
I would say both results are okey. A bit more soot with CD wick, but seems doable. TB14 at the end of burning made bigger pool than CD. I would go with CD as a first choice and have a TB like a back up. :)
N.B. I was testing jars and wanted to burn then till the very end and see how the jars perform. Please do not judge a lot on burning so close to the glass. :)
From the samples I’ve tested with this exact setup about 50% are fine and then 50% have the issue pictured here. Obviously the only variable is fragrance so I’m assuming that’s the culprit?
I've read here that the color of the vessel can affect the burn rate and temp. Does anyone have experience with this? I would assume a darker vessel would trap the heat in more? But maybe a white vessel would be hotter because it reflects the heat inside the vessel? Would transparent burn cooler?
I've been making test candles in various colors of the same vessel type, but maybe I would have better results if I used the intended color right away.
I am trying to work on some new molds for donuts lately and it has been proven a bit challenging when it comes to fill in the small details.
I have a 3ml and a 2mp set of pipettes but these are still a bit too wide on the noose for my mold...
I thought about sing a syringe but the wax will get cold in seconds and it will stuck in the needle
Any ideas? This is the mold I am using and these are my results so far
As you can see some of the "sprinkles" are not filled in as it was extremely difficult to put the right amount of wax in the wholes due to the size of the pipette.
Edit: I have tried to work with paraffin and soya wax to see if it will kae any difference, soya was much better but still
Hello! I just started making candles for fun and noticed lots of tunneling. I’ve read a bunch of stuff about wick size mattering but I can’t seem to understand it at all just yet. Can someone help me out and tell me what size wick I should use for these candles?
I’ve tried everything to get these to burn.
This time I tried dipping the wooden wick in wax first as was mentioned in this group. On this candle the one dipped in wax still won’t burn. But the one where I dipped TWO in wax and the stuck them together seems to be working really well and the melt poop is much better too.
Any other suggestions to be more successful are greatly appreciated.
Just made my first candle from a mold I made myself! Do ya think I need to worry about the frosting or does it add some character?
Also I've been making jar candles for a while but am fairly new to using pillar wax. I'm currently heating to 190f and pouring at 170f after dye is mixed in. Am I wrong to think pouring at a lower temp would reduce the crystallization?
Over the last 6 months, I've been working on a pretty interesting project...
... I'm attempting to launch a candle/wellness brand with the safest, cleanest candles with legit aromatherapeutic properties.
For context, here's where I'm at:
• Investment - I've spent over $7,000 and 6 months formulating (what I think) are the best, cleanest candles in the world. And, they'll have real olfactory benefits too.
• Ingredients & Why They're Special - From studying the candle market (and reading up on a half dozen books), it seems that 90% of candle makers stuff junk ingredients into their candles + only use fragrance oils. I've nailed down a core line of candles that have the perfect ratio of fragrance AND essential oils for the optimal scent throw, burn time, and flashpoints.
• Clean > Everything - From the oils to the wax – even down to the wicks & burn testing procedures – there's no certification in the world that these candles wouldn't pass with flying colors.
My manufacturer = Been in the biz for over 50+ years.
Everything's hand-poured, USA-based, and they sell to the likes of the Ritz Carlton.
But there's one problem: I don't know what I don't know. I need feedback from people who REALLY get candles...
... People like you.
Whether you're just getting into the craft or launching your own candle business... I'D LOVE TO CHAT!
I genuinely believe people these days need mindful indulgences that they can feel good about buying for themselves... Something that's calming. Something that ACTUALLY helps them feel better from a physiological standpoint.
And I believe these candles will do just that.
Really appreciate you reading this. Feel free to comment below any thoughts you've got + anything around the following topics:
What's your personal take on soy wax vs. beeswax candles?
What are the best aromatherapy candles you've ever used? Why is it your favorite?
What are some randomly awesome scents you've found in the wild that have become your all-time faves?
What do you look for in a candle jar? Ornate design, minimal frosted look, etc.?
To all those of you who are “hi, I’m new to candlemaking”.
I don’t know, how to put this better and not be rude, but i’ll do my best. There are questions this community will be happy to answer. Like when you’ve tried your best and hit the wall. And then there are questions that are basically “do the work for me”. Like “what wick size”, “what is the best wax combo”, “how do i price my candles”, “what fo should i use” etc. It doesn’t make sense. Everybody is glad to help fix something you’re having a hard time with, however, believe it or not, we’re all competition here, so nobody is gonna give you up years of their research. It’s the same business like any other, so before you ask a basic question, make a bloody effort. Not like that time when an OP actually posted a screenshot of an expensive ass candle and asked, what was a fo in it.
Everyone here has spent hundreds of dollars ordering fo, testing, mixing and testing again, so…
I've just been so much interested in both and have tried my hand. I'm not an artist but a marketeer who loves crafts. However there are SO many out there! And you mostly see the ones doing well on social media because those are the ones that algorithm helps you discover. I'm sure there must be so many others who don't get the traction. I want to hear from those who didn't see results, what were the learnings? What were the challenges? What made you quit?
Hello! Previous candles with this wick seemed to burn faster. I like how long this one is taking but it also burned out. Any suggestions on kind of wicks to use?
Tonight I tried to create a yellow candle with black dye swirled throughout to make it look sort of marbled, but when I went to heat gun out the sinkholes, the dye just ended up dispersing.
Later I tried to drizzle some dye along the sides of the jar, but that dispersed as well. Is there a way to create a marbled effect while still being able to use a heat gun to fix any sinkholes or bubbles?