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The best way to get started with candle making, is by trying our candle making kits. After all, practice is the best way to learn!
We have a step by step candle making guide here which helps you with your first steps to becoming a candle making pro.
If you do have any problems you can call us on (+44) 1709 588579 or drop us an email at info@soapsupplier.co.uk.
Our wax melt making guide is a must read for beginners interested in creating your own wax melts
Key ingredients:
Additional items:
• Cooker / microwave / heat source to melt the wax
• Container to melt the wax in such as a double boiler or a pan inside a pan
• Pouring jug
• Utensil to stir the wax
• Thermometer
Most of these items are available in our Miscellaneous section.
Now let’s get started with making your wax melts!
Step 1: The wax – Ensure you have chosen a pillar blend wax, pillar blend wax shrinks when it is cooled making it ideal for wax melts. Kerasoy pillar blend is the preferred wax for making wax melts. This gives off a great scent throw & leaves the melts surface very shiny.
Step 2: Heating the wax – Empty your pillar blend wax into your heating pot. Gently heat your wax to 75 – 80°C whilst stirring gently. Do not exceed 80°C. Remove your wax from the heat source at this point.
Step 3: Adding your colour – Leave your wax to cool to 70°C & then add your candle dye chips or liquid candle dye. Stir gently until all the colour has dissolved & spread evenly. We suggest using 0.2%, therefore a 10 g of dye will colour 5 kg of wax.
Step 4: Adding your fragrance – We suggest to add 10% fragrance oil, so if you are working with 1 kg of wax, we suggest to add 100 grams of oil. Have the correct amount of fragrance measured out ready to add. Between 65°C – 70°C is the best time to add your fragrance oil. Once added you need to stir thoroughly.
Step 5: Pouring – Now all your ingredients are mixed, continue stirring until your wax reaches 60°C. Once this temperature is reached, it is time to pour the wax into your clamshells (or other moulds you may have) until filled. It is important gently pour into your clamshells to avoid air bubbles.
Step 6: Curing – Allow your wax melts to set for at least 3 hours before closing the clamshell lids. Give your wax melts at least 3 days curing time for best possible scent throw.
Please note, our wax melt making guide is a general starter guide for beginners into melt making. Variations in waxes, fragrances and dyes can all effect the finished product, what works for some melts may not work as well for others.
The key to great melts is trial and error.
For wax melts and candles, we recommend to add around 10% fragrance oil. This means if your candle is 100 grams in total – 90 grams of should be wax and 10 grams should be oil.
For reed diffusers we suggest to add 25% fragrance oil, so in a 100 ml diffuser jar, 25 ml will be fragrance oil and 75 ml will be reed diffuser base.
For wax melts we suggest to use a pillar blend wax.
Pillar blend waxes shrink once set so they pop out of moulds easily.
If you want to make ‘natural’ wax melts, we suggest the kerasoy pillar blend or Ecosoy Q230.
For paraffin wax melts with optimum scent throw we suggest the paraffin pillar blend.
Absolutely! Our fragrance oils can be used for a range of applications such as soaps, bath bombs, room sprays, diffusers, perfumery etc.
Please see the IFRA certificate for the maximum % of oil used for each application.
The IFRA certificate is available to download under the data sheet tab on each fragrance product page.
For a natural soy wax container candle, we suggest the kerasoy container wax.
For a paraffin high scent throw container candle, we suggest the paraffin container wax.
To work out the amount of wax you need to fill your container, first fill your container with water.
Once the container is full, pour the water into a measuring jug.
You then need to minus the amount in the jug by 20%, this will give you the total amount of wax the container will hold in grams.
For example, if a container holds 100 ml of water, it will roughly hold 80 grams of wax.
Under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, it is required that all producers and distributors of any potentially dangerous product must be fully labelled with information and warnings relating to that product. Our candle safety label contains all the information a consumer may need to safely use your candles. So for this area, we have you covered!
Your candles or melts must also be CLP compliant. The CLP Regulation (for “Classification, Labelling and Packaging”) is a European Union regulation from 2008, which aligns the European Union system of classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances and mixtures to the Globally Harmonised System (GHS).
This article gives a great summary of CLP and it’s requirements. http://www.cirs-reach.com/CLP/Labelling_Packaging.html
Fragrances all contain a number of different chemicals, some potentially more harmful than others. This means each candle with a different fragrance will require it’s own CLP label, with all the hazards and pictograms which come with that fragrance. But remember – you are not using 100% fragrance, you are using 90% wax and 10% fragrance, so we supply a data sheet which contains all the hazards for the fragrance at 10% (for candles and melts) and 25% (for reed diffusers.)
To make CLP even easier, we have already created a CLP template for each fragrance for you, the CLP label can be downloaded under the data sheet tab for each fragrance. SImply download, edit your company details, print using a label printer, you can now legally sell your candles.
For 25% reed diffuser labels, simply download the 25% fragrance data sheet. Once downloaded, open the data sheet and scroll to section 2.2 ‘Label Elements.’ Everything in this area needs to be put directly onto your candle label. Try editing the candle CLP label and adding the extra hazards which arise at 25% to easily create your own diffuser labels.
Fragrances all have different specific gravity and flash points which effect the burn of your candle.
Heavy fragrances such as vanilla will require larger wicks, compared to light fragrances like orange.
Every candle with a different fragrance needs to be tested for the correct wick size.
Sink holes are an unavoidable part of candle making, it is caused by the wax shrinking.
To minimise sink holes pour at a lower temperature and preheat your containers.
The best way for a flat surface is by doing a second pour to smooth out the sink hole. Ensure the wax is poured at the same temperature.
This is caused by overloading the wax with fragrance, causing the fragrance to leach out.
Try using less fragrance to avoid this.
This is known as ‘mottling.’ This is caused by too much oil to being added to the candle, or the candle being cooled too quickly.
Try reducing fragrance load and preheating the containers.
Air bubbles are caused from the wax setting too quickly, or the wax being poured too fast.
Try preheating the containers to slow the cooling temperature.
Use a steel pouring jug and pour carefully.
Frosting is caused by the wax being poured at the incorrect temperature, usually too cool.
Try increasing the pour temperature.
For best results, use trial and error – pour a number of candles in 5 degree increments to see which gives the best results to minimise frosting.
Poor scent throw can be caused by a number of factors.
Ensure you are using the maximum fragrance load in the wax (usually 10%.) Fragrance load can be increased by adding Vybar to the wax.
Ensure you are not burning off the fragrance. Many fragrances have a flash point of 70 C, if you add fragrance to the wax at this temperature, you risk burning off a lot of the scent.
Wet spots are caused by the wax not adhering fully to the glass.
To avoid this try pouring at a lower temperature. Other solutions are preheating the containers or using a softer wax.
Heat guns can also be used on the outside of the container to minimise wet spots.
Try spraying your moulds with silicone spray to aid in mould release.
Try adding Vybar or Palm Stearin to increase hardness of the wax to help this.
Cracks are generally caused by the wax being cooled too quickly.
Try preheating your containers before pouring, or allow to set in a warmer room.
This caused by the second layer not being poured at the same temperature as your first pour.
Wax sets up differently depending on temperature, ensure your second pour is the same temperature as your first pour.
There are a number of causes for a candle to produce smoke.
The most common reason is the wick is too large, or the wick hasn’t been trimmed short enough.
Other causes are fragrance overload and air pockets in the wax.
Make sure the candle isn’t over wicked, and ensure the wick is trimmed to less than 2 cm.
Try reducing fragrance load and pouring the wax more slowly to reduce air pockets.
A good trick is to hold the wick upright when pouring wax into your containers are clothes pegs rested on the top of the glass with the wick running through the middle.
Another tip is using 2 pencils or BBQ skewers to hold the wick in place.
The major cause for candles extinguishing themselves is due to the wick being too small. Try a larger wick size.
Another explanation is the wick is too large, and the flame is being extinguished in the melt pool. Try using a smaller wick size to decrease the melt pool depth.
The main cause of wax not melting to the edge is from using a too small wick. This is known as tunnelling.
Try using a larger wick to increase the melt pool to reach the edge of the container.
The most common reason for the flame flickering is because the candle is over-wicked. Try a size smaller wick to reduce this.