Candle Making Tips for Beginners

Get creative and make your own exclusive vegetable (soy, soy-palm, rapeseed & coconut, etc.) candles. If you already have a jar, great - all you need is candle making supplies, which you can find at soyacandles.com.

Learn more about the basic rules for making safe candles:

1. the container must be heat-resistant and strong, preferably of tempered glass or solid metal type;
2. better round and evenly shaped container - this way the candle will burn evenly, it will be easy to choose the size of the wick;
3. we recommend that you do not use old, thin, defective ceramic or glassware, as such a container could crack from heat in the long run;
4. the wick should be selected according to the inner diameter of the jar and not according to the height of the jar. Height is only important to check that the wick is not too short (our pre-waxed wick is 11 cm long), if it is too short, you should choose a raw wick, which is sold in meters, and you can purchase wick holders separately; it is important to understand that the recommended wick size may not be ideal - it is mostly determined by the fragrance oil, its concentration in the wax. Whether the wick is suitable will be known only by testing the candle (burning it at 2, 4 (ideal), 6 hour intervals);
5. do not use jars that are not intended for long-term heating - wooden, plastic containers, various organic shells (coconut, citrus fruits, etc.), because they are not heat-resistant and can crack, catch fire, start smoking;
6. not to exceed the maximum recommended concentration of fragrance or essential oils and other additives in the wax (or other non-hazardous base), which is usually determined for the wax by the fragrance manufacturer - 8-10%; best to try 5 - 6% concentration;
7. not to produce food imitation candles, as this is banned in the European Union;
8. do not put non-combustible additives inside the candle - dried plants, gems, coffee beans - such decorated candles should only be used as an interior detail or it should be written on the care card that these elements must be removed before lighting the candle. Decorations are available on the edges of hard candles that do not burn out or melt in wax tiles because they are melted in an indirect flame, and it is also important to know that insurance companies do not insure or compensate for such events when fires are caused by non-combustible elements in candles;
9. if you intend to donate or sell scented candles, proper candle labeling (CLP label) should be provided if required. It is usually required when the fragrance concentration is more than 1 - 3%. Ask your fragrance supplier for information on the contents of the CLP label. Such a label is affixed directly to the product jar (usually on the side or bottom of the container). However, if the candle is unscented, such labeling is not required, as labeling is only required for the use of the concentrated substance in the product;
10. the candle care information may be placed on the same label together with the CLP labeling information, and if it does not fit, the candle safety information with the corresponding labels may be indicated on a separate label (on the candle container or package, a separate card is also suitable);
11. if you are going to donate or sell massage candles, you need to know that they need a cosmetic evaluation, despite the fact that the wax used is dermatologically tested because you are creating a brand new cosmetic product. This assessment is also required for other skincare products that use fragrance or essential oils - hand cream, shower gel, body lotion, bath bombs, etc. The fragrances used must have IFRA documentation and Allergen Declaration. There are companies that can arrange a cosmetic evaluation of such products and documentation for an appropriate fee.

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