All Natural Candles for Your Home



Posted: Sunday, December 20, 2009

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The focus on all natural products isn't new but it has certainly hit a new pitch in recent years and all natural candles are no exception. Soy, palm, beeswax, and bayberry wax are all alternatives to paraffin wax which is the least expensive and most traditional wax used in candle making.

Benefits to using all natural waxes, even if they are more expensive, are that they come from renewable resources. Soy, in particular, is made from hydrogenated soybeans - most of which are grown here in the United States. Purchasing soy wax employs many people in a vertical supply chain right here in the US. Palm wax is harvested overseas and you will need to do your research to make sure that the wax you buy comes from a farm that didn't strip clear the rain forest. Palm wax is often used in aromatherapy candles. Beeswax is obviously made from beeswax and comes in a natural yellowish color and a filtered ivory color wax. Both colors have the unique sweet scent that is associated with beeswax candles. Bayberry wax is made from the waxy coating of the berry of the bayberry bush. Often bayberry wax is used for candles at Christmastime since it is thought to bring good luck in the New Year to burn a bayberry candle all the way down.

Some people also believe that there are health benefits to not burning paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is a byproduct of petroleum and many people get headaches from the chemical vapors present in paraffin wax as it burns. One way to avoid this problem and to help the environment is to use wax from renewable resources in your home candle making.

This is one reason why soy wax has become so popular. Whether you buy your soy wax at your local craft store or on the internet here are some things to keep in mind. Different types of wax is sometimes better for different types of candles. Check to see if the wax you are buying is for the type of candle you want to make whether that's containers, pillars, votives, etc.

Then you'll need to makes sure you have a double boiler. If you don't have one you can make one out of a pot and a metal bowl or large metal measuring cup which would be easier to pour your melted wax from. It's also handy to have a kitchen scale since you'll be doing a lot of measuring by weight.

Next you're really going to need a thermometer. You'll be consulting it all the time. Home candle making is very dependent on temperature. You'll need to watch for the correct temperature of the initial melt so that you'll know when you can add any dye you might want to use for color and when to add your fragrances. Then you'll need to watch the temperature as it cools so that you'll be able to pour it into your mold at the optimum time.

Fragrances are another thing that you'll need to have on hand to make your candle your own. Once you have added any dye you'll be using take the wax off the heat and add your fragrance. The easiest way to measure this is to put your wax container on your scale, zero out the scale and then add 1-1.12 ounces of an oil-based fragrance. It's important to make sure that your fragrance is oil-based so that it becomes incorporated into the wax properly.

You almost have everything to make a candle but now you need to create ignition! Wicks come in many variations and sizes. Start your research based on the type of candle you're making then you'll start to look at the other differences. Zinc core wicks are the most common wick and the metal core helps to keep the wick standing straight up. Paper core wicks burn very hot and are generally used in very large container candles. The CD series wick is flat-braided to promote a consistent burn. The ECO series wick was made primarily for use in natural waxes and has a braided wick for stability. HTP series wicks curl down as they burn which forces the tip of the wick into the hottest portion of the flame so that there is less smoke. LX series wicks are treated with high melt point wax to reduce smoking and soot. And each of these comes in various sizes for you to choose from.

You might also want to look at wick tabs and wick stickers. The tabs hold the wicks flat on the bottom of the candle and the sticker will also hold your wick to the bottom of a container. Wick tabs can help you reuse wick that might have been leftover from another candle. Just thread it through the tab and pinch it tight. Now you have a new wick and nothing wasted! How is that for renewable resources!!

Sara Patterson is a soy candle making enthusiast. For more information on soy candle making supplies , visit http://www.homecandlemakingtips.com/.
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