How To Make Soy Candles
Why should you learn how to make soy candles? Soy candles are natural and cleaner than paraffin candle wax. The popularity of them is growing. Despite being expensive when compared to paraffin wax, people are quickly becoming addicted to using soy wax.
Soy wax is a vegetable wax that is made from soybeans. The oil is extracted from the soybean flakes and hydrogenated. The states of Illinois, Iowa and Indiana are the major producers of soybeans.
It is believed that soy candles burn cleaner than paraffin candles, which is why many want to learn how to make soy candles. This statement holds true to a certain extent. All candles emit soot. This is the only way in which it burns. But, paraffin candles emit black soot while soy candles emit white soot. Soot is not dangerous, but white soot is still a bit cleaner than black soot.
As you find out more on how to make soy candles, you will learn that the only difference between making soy candles and paraffin ones is the wax. The techniques and equipment that go into making both candles are one and the same. You can use a double boiler to melt the soy wax. A double boiler is a smaller pot with the wax placed in a larger pot full of water that is placed on the stove top. Heat the soy wax to 150 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful not to keep the melted wax above 150 degrees Fahrenheit for too long because it could burn which will give the wax a yellowish appearance. Ounce the wax is fully melted you can add the color you like. You can then remove it from the heat and add the fragrance.
The amount of fragrance should be always maintained to 7%. What that means is that 1.12 ounces of fragrance oil should be added with 1 pound of soy wax. This should be kept in mind when learning how to make soy candles, because if the fragrance concentration is too high, it may bleed through the candle. The soy wax can be about 140 – 150 degrees Fahrenheit. You can then pour the wax into the mold to cool.
Be careful not to pour the wax at too low of a temperature or the candle could crack. The temperature of the wax should be maintained to be around 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Water should never be used for cooling the candle at a faster rate. It could cause more cracks in the candle.
The paraffin wax candles and the soy wax candles are pretty much the same, except for a couple of differences. As you learn how to make soy candles you will know that soy wax is not suited for some kind of candles, because of its soft nature. For instance, soy wax does not work well when you are trying to make novelty candles. It also does not make good pillar candles. You can also not make taper candles with soy wax. Floating soy candles can be made if they are up to 3 inches in diameter.
Soy wax candles and paraffin wax candles are made using the same method, so you can definitely learn how to make soy candles. Making candles is kind of like trying out a new food recipe; sometimes you have to try things one way then the other to see which works best for you. The bottom line is that soy wax and paraffin wax both hold scent and color the same in candles but, it is great to learn how to make a new kind of candle and offer a variety in your candle making whether you are making candles for pleasure or a business.
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admin | October 12, 2009