Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Why Should You Care Who Makes The Candles You Burn?

Before I began making candles I took them for 
granted.  An occasional candle would be lit here 
and there but I was by no means an avid candle person.
I fell into that role when my neighbor and I 
began making candles to give her something to do 
in her retirement.

That was in 2005.
Beverly loved candles and had burned
them nearly all of the time.
She loved to take ends of paraffin candles and 
melt them, wick them and make her own candles.

However, when we decided to make a 
business of making candles we began studying.
We found out all of the benefits of soy wax.
We also loved the look of gel tea cups.


So we learned about gel too.
Unfortunately this was right after a major
recall because a
 bunch of gel candles had caught on fire
or blown up so there was a lot of fear
associated with the gel.
Lazy candlemakers had not taken the time
to learn what could or could not be done safely.
The good thing about this was that there was
a lot of information available which taught us what
was safe and not safe to use.
It was very specific.
Companies had begun testing their products
for gel compatibility.
Each oil has a different flash point.
It is very important to know what they are!!
We took all of this very seriously.
After all, neither of us wanted to be 
responsible for a fire or explosion.


Over the next year or two we learned much 
about working with both gel and soy.
How much fragrance oil could we put in
both of these and get the desired result?
What was the optimal temperature to pour 
these candles?







What size of wick did each candle require?
There are so many details that go into the making
of a great candle.
We didn't get it completely right in the beginning.
Sadly some of our first customers undoubtedly 
wondered about the candles they purchased.
Never a safety issue, of that I am sure...
but many were definitely underwicked.

However, after years of working with wax
and wicks I have found the combination that 
works.  I know how much fragrance oil to use,
how large of a wick...or how many wicks.
I get the temperature right when melting the wax.
I've learned not to add the fragrance oil while the wax is
too hot or I lose the fragrance to evaporation.
So many details......


I have found suppliers who deliver quality
products each and every time.
Believe me, they are not all
so ethical or dependable.

So, again I ask...
why should you care who makes your candle?

Safety first.
Quality of ingredients used.
Performance of the burn.
It all matters.
Trust me.

Am I perfect?
Nope!
Sometimes I get a dud wick,
or in the situation of a decor candle,
as opposed to a jar candle,
I underestimate the wicking needs.
Sizes and shapes definitely make that 
a bit more of a guessing game.
If you are ever disappointed with a candle 
that I have made I want to hear from you.
I will do everything within my power 
to make it right.

NOTE:  If you have had your eye on a
one of a kind but haven't decided for sure
this might be the time make up your mind.
I'm taking everything to a show on Monday
night and giving them 25% off the retail price.
To be fair I am offering you the same deal
between now and when I put my shop on
a mini vacation while I am gone.
Use coupon code OOAK25 at the check out.
You may use this code for any candle or combination
of candles in my shop beginning now and running
until late Monday afternoon.

EDITED TO ADD:

I just found these adorable candles on
EtsyLush.  You would never want to burn
them but the profits go to the Red Cross
Relief Fund in Japan.
Are these not CUTE??????


http://www.etsy.com/listing/70146631/japan-aid-100-percent-profits-to-red
So cute!
I had to show you!

5 comments:

  1. You will always be my go to candle person!

    ♥♥♥
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very interesting, Becky! I appreciate your commitment to quality and safety!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Being another candle maker, I appreciate how you are educating people on what makes a good and safe candle.

    Thank you so much for mentioning my sushi candles. I am the original inventor of hand rolled beeswax sushi candles and have been making them since 1996!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow - I actually never thought about all this before. Thanks for teaching mea little more about putting a little thought into whose candles I am buying on Etsy. Heading to your store right now!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great post! ^_^ And of course your candles are awesome, I should know since I have quite a few of them. Keep up the great work!

    Hugs,
    Elfie

    ReplyDelete