Health Benefits of Soy Candles

Soy is everywhere these days, including in your milk, chips, nuts, and even burgers adding health benefits through and through, now it seems soy is also in your candles. Soy candles are a new and emerging type of candle the offers great benefits to those candle heads in the world that can’t live without fresh aroma burning each and every day in their homes.

“If it lasts longer it’s okay with me” said a friend of mine once during a casual dinner. Take that comment for what you will, my friend could’ve meant a variety of things by it, but in general consumers prefer long lasting items to those that are short in life span. Soy candles last 30 to 50 percent longer then traditional candles. Your average 14 oz candle, similar to a Yankee candle large size, will last about 75 hours. If you were to have that candle be a soy candle, it would last over 100 hours and smell just as sweet as the traditional candles do.

Traditional candles are known to cause soot in and around the general area they are burning. For those that aren’t familiar with our friend soot, think grayish black smoky smelling fog that clouds the top of your candle jar, on your walls, and even on ones ceiling. Soot is caused by the toxic elements in the traditional candles that are released when ignited. Soy candles are all natural and do not contain any toxins, thus no soot will come of them.

Carcinogens are released into the air when a traditional candle is burning. Carcinogens can cause cancer, and other health related problems. New research is showing links between candles, charcoal, and other burning devices we use in our home lives as cancer causing. Research is just beginning on this issue; however it is a fact that soy candles do not produce carcinogens. When thinking about buying soy candles think of the old cliché, better safe than sorry.

Clark Covington provides tips and information on soy candles and gel candles for Candles 4U - your guide to candles and candlemaking.

Why Heavily Scented Candles? – Preserve The Aroma In Your Home

There is a difference between heavily scented candles, richly scented candles and triple scented candles. Many people believe that all three mean that the candle has a strong scent that will last until the candle burns out completely. For the most part, heavily scented candles means that a larger than normal amount of fragrance has been added to the wax in the candle making process. In general, one-half ounce is the normal amount of essential oil added to the melted wax. In heavily scented candles, this amount is tripled so that one and a half ounces are added.

If you buy heavily scented candles that are not wrapped, there is a very good chance that the scent will be gone from the candle long before the candle is burned out. This is because the scent from a heavily scented candle does evaporate into the air when it is exposed. Another way of finding out whether or not a candle is heavily scented is to see whether or not you can smell the candle when you are standing a distance away from it. Most people that buy a heavy scented candle do not intend to burn it and want it mainly for its decorative effect.

You have many different options when buying heavily scented candles. There is a wide variety of colors and scents for you to choose from. If you are making your own heavy scented candles, then you can decide how much of the fragrance you want to include. This sometimes requires some experimenting on your part and you can combine several different fragrances to achieve something completely unique. A heavily scented candle can also be custom made according to your specifications regarding the particular scent and color.

All kinds of candles are included in heavily scented candles. You can have tapered, pillar, votive and tealight candles with as heavy a scent as you wish. One thing you need to keep in mind when making or buying heavy scented candles is that some people are allergic to specific scents. If you have guests coming over and you know that one or more of them is allergic to scents, then you should remove the heavily scented candle until after they leave. You also have to keep this in mind when choosing to give a heavily scented candle as a gift.

Heavily scented candles help to really cover up smells of cooking or smoke. You don’t have to worry that guests will be able to tell exactly what you had for dinner or that you accidentally burned something in the kitchen when you have a heavy scented candle around. For even greater effect, you can light the heavily scented candles and let all different scents mix together to create a unique atmosphere. If you have candles with a variety of scents, it might be a good idea to try this first, just to see what the result will be. It may not be the best effect in the world.

To find out more about Candles visit Peter’s Website Your Hot Candles and find out about Scented Candles and more, including Custom Candles, Floating Candles and Soy Candles

Making Gel Candles for Fun & Profit

There are a few items you will need to gather before you can start making your gel candles. The most basic are supply containers, gels, pans, wicks, and of course, your kitchen range. Below is a detailed list of the items you will need, and most of these items are available at your local craft and variety stores.

Containers: It’s best to use a heat resistant glass, but there are also many types of glass and acrylics.

Materials: Gel Wax, Paraffin when specified in a recipe, candle scent, candle dye, wick, wick clip, and wick base.

Supplies: Craft sticks, knife, spoon, candy thermometer, pliers, small sauce pan, double boiler for paraffin when used, cooking oil spray, non-stick cookie sheet, ice cream scoop, ice pick, Potato peeler for the dye, stove burner, small deep metal pans, and molds.

Wicks & Clips: Use large bleached wicks. Gel candles burn longer than paraffin candles so a large wick is required for the additional burn time. Do not use wire wicks these will leave debris in the gel. Use a metal base clip and crimp it to one end of the wick with pliers or use a small washer.

Dyes & Scents: Candles dyes are great to use because their color is translucent. Crayons can also be used if the proper dyes are not available at your local stores. Candle dyes come in different forms, from wax squares, to liquids and powders. You can mix colors to form additional colors.
Scents are fun to add to make the candle fragrant. Scents come in the form of oil based liquids, pellets and wax solids. You add scent before pouring the candle this avoids evaporation.

Additives & Release Agents: If using paraffin, add stearic acid to increase the hardness and raise the melting point. Use spray cooking oil or silicone spray to aid in the release of the molds.

Submerged Objects: In order to submerge objects in your gel candles they must be resistant to burning and melting. Items that work well are buttons, marbles, toys and jewels. Do not use highly flammable items. Some objects will float so you may have to add the items as the gel cools and thickens. This is where the craft sticks or knife comes in handy. You can push items down that float to the top.

Heating Wax: Paraffin should be heated to 130 degrees F to 140 degrees F. The melting point of gel wax is between 160 degrees and 170 degrees F. If you are melting paraffin you should always use a double boiler. Gel wax can be heated directly on the burner set at a medium to low heat. Tip: Tear gel into small pieces to control the amount of bubbles.

CAUTION: Always be careful when melting wax. It is highly flammable. Make sure your area is well ventilated. Never leave unattended or around young children without supervision.

Clean Up: Use dish soap and hot water to clean utensils, counter tops and tools. Run paraffin under hot water then under soapy water. You can scrape wax off counter tops, or use small amounts of turpentine to aid in removal (be sure to test first).

For free Candle making recipes & tutorials visit http://www.bookdrawer.com/freecandles.htm

Once you learn to create your candles create a business plan and decide on what market to target for your product. You could do theme candles such as weddings, birthdays, etc. Possbily decide on making recipe candles, or whatever great ideas you may have.

Then discover where to sell your candles such as craft shows, sell them on ebay, create your own web site, take them to work, set up trade shows, contact local gift shops and talk with others about selling or starting a new business.

Resources for Candlemaking/Selling:
The Ultimate Gel Candle Book

Candlemaking For Fun & Profit (For Fun & Profit)