Teach Soap

i started out with beeswax in containers and have moved to a soy blend. My problem is wet spots. I read on the web that adding crisco into the blend would help with the spots. I added in 2 oz crisco pp (soy parafin blend) and 1 TB of stearic. It did help with the wet spots bit did not completely get rid of them. They were more around the top of the candle. Strange thing is I poured into one container (glass 3 x 3) which I did not heat and I didn't get any wet spots!

Has anyone here tried the joywax from Nature's garden and what do you think of it? it says no needed additives and that the blend virtually eliminates wet spots.

Finally, what are your thoughts on Vybar and do most people use it?

Thanks so much!!

As long as you are using soy wax, you will never get rid of wet spots, no matter what you add!! I used soy years ago when it first came out (1998-1999) and at that time it was 'add crisco to get a stronger scent throw', now they say it helps wet spots. All hogwash then and still is!! I switched to my own blend of soy & paraffin and it's the only thing I've found to almost get rid of wet spots, but they still pop up occasionally. You just need to embrace them and educate your customers about 'wet spots'.
Never used stearic in any of my candles, so can't answer to it's use.

I used to use vybar back in the early days of my candlemaking to help with scent throw; however, if you added too much it would lock up the scent and you got no throw whatsoever. Since those early years, I now use quality suppliers for my FO's (Bramble Berry, Sweetcakes, Scent Works, Candle Cocoon, Genwax......to name a few) and find there is no need for vybar, as quality FO's throw fantastic at 1 oz./lb. If you are using a straight soy wax however, it will always be picky about scents and you just have to test to see which will work.

Good luck!!

Thanks Chris -

I do think the crisco helped with wet spots. I did still get some but very minimal. Thank you for the comment about embracing them when they happen otherwise I would be still trying to make every candle without. I still have a ways to go to find the right blend that works best. I am very curious about coconut wax and have been reading on it recently but haven't seen much on the forums regarding use.

My FO are from sweetcakes (I am a CP soaper candlemaking is new) and brambleberry. I did see that vybar will lock up scent but in my reading it looked like everyone (who is anyone hahaha) uses Vybar in candlemaking. I don't have it, I do have stearic. I did use a tablespoon in my last batch. I can't say I noticed a difference with scent throw but it hardened up the candle wax.

I think I am just goign to order some joywax from NG and try it out it gets good reviews. I feel like I know enough to just get myself in trouble with candlemaking. The last batch I made which was soy, para, and crisco with stearic burned nicely, good melt pool, nice throw, but I noticed the melt pool was close to a 1/2" deep. I don't know if this is normal, or not, so I need to see what it normal or expected. I love candles but I never paid much attention to them beyond scent throw.

I have a candle from Diptyque that I have never lit because I don't like the fragrance but just did and will see how it compares to mine.

Thanks again for answering my questions I really appreciate it!

I have been burning my candle and the diptyque candle now for a little over an hour and here are my observations.
My candle is a 3 x 3 square glass the DIP is a 3 inch round - they are sitting side by side while burning so air draft is the same.

The DIP candle has a deeper melt pool than mine - at 1/2 inch and mine is about at 1/4 or a little more

Both have an even melt pool all the way out

The DIP candle is flickering quite a bit and I see some black smoke come off it every once in a while - my flame is steady with no smoke that I can see.

My candle is burning slower the Dip candle is further down.

As far as burning I like mine better......but......

The DIP candle smells magnificent!!!! I am burning in a very large room with high ceilings and it has filled the entire space - I can even smell it in the next room. My candle has very little scent throw - I used SC cool citrus basil at 1.5 ounce pp - you have to stand right over it to smell anything. The DIP candle is rose and I would expect a floral to be stronger but I noticed last night when I burned mine that it didn't give off much of a scent at all. Not sure if its the FO, the blend (soy, para, crisco, stearic 1 tbsp) or what. I think the wicking is right because of the way the candle is burning. NOt sure what the blend is on the DIP candle, it is very white and harder than mine. Mine as it has burned is yellow-ish though it was solid white when I lit it.

Clearly, I still got some learning to do.

It sounds like the DIP candle needs the wicking kept short if it's throwing black soot......the wick may be too large. Yours sounds like it's burning pretty perfect so far. My melt pool is usually 1/4 to 1/2".....as long as my wick doesn't soot and/or dance around too much, I'm happy.

OK now on scent throw. I don't know much of the soy waxes out now, but back when I used it I found A LOT of FO's just don't throw in it and if I remember correctly my biggest problems were citrus based FO's. I don't use joy wax, but I do mix their wow wax in my blend and the throw is wonderful. It sounds like you aren't really dead set against adding parafin, so try mixing your soy with a paraffin maybe 70/30 and you will see a big difference in hardly any picky FO's anymore.

No I am not picky, I am not even picky enough that I have to have soy. Just looking to create a nice burning candle with good throw. Honestly if a preblended wax worked great I am fine with that. i spent 2 years formulating our soap line. One of our stores requested candles in same scent - I think it is a great idea but it is stepping into unknown territory. I won't market a sub standard product - but I don't think I have another year of formulating something in my bones lol. Just from reading market trend it seems that soy is the IT wax, though Palm wax seemed to be a better product I notice many people have stopped using it. Straight parafin seems to be the lowly candle - I have noticed coconut wax on a couple sites but very little information on its quality. I started out trying beeswax because I had it on hand and learned quickly its not suitable for containers with the shrinkage factor though I truly loved the burn of them.

I have been working on the candles for about 2 months now in between soap. I understand wicking, and the pitfalls (shrinkage, melt pools, wet spots, cracking, smoking, throw) but can't seem to get it just right.

We would be the only candle line in this store so it is a great business opportunity.

I looked at WOW wax and based on the reviews decided against it. It seemed that many of the reviews were users of JOY wax and felt it had a better throw than WOW. Yet I do see a review or two under JOY wax that say it doesn't have good throw. Of course any additives or blends to these particular waxes are unknown. I think I will just order them both, scent with the same FO and see what I think. Thanks for your responses Chris, I haven't been able to get a lot on info on candlemaking off the forums so far but most people have so much more experience than me.

That's a good way to go, test them both! I used Joy wax years ago when NG first had it and it was an ok wax, but I quit using it when every case came in different.......way too much hassle retesting new cases of wax.

I love my beeswax candles, but you are right they really aren't for containers, but pillars, votives & tapers are good sellers around here.

Just have fun. If you have any questions, or I can help in any way you can always email also at:
ccsr @ frontiernet.net (close the spaces).

Will paraffin mix with the EcoSoy advanced? Am trying some things to increase scent throw in our candles.

Sure you can mix just about any waxes together!