Important things to know about using fragrance oil

There are some important things to know to protect yourself, your family, and your workspace, when it comes to using fragrance oil.  We want to be sure you are armed with the knowledge you need to use fragrance oils responsibly.

girl in latex gloves shows a heart shape.
girl in latex gloves shows a heart shape.

How can I protect myself while using fragrance oils?

  • Use fragrance oils in a well-ventilated area. You can create ventilation by installing a vent in your work area, opening windows, and using fans to circulate the air.
  • Avoid prolonged exposure to fragrance fumes.  Consider wearing a face mask to reduce your exposure.
  • Wear gloves when working with fragrance oils to avoid skin contact.  Wash hands and any other areas of exposure thoroughly with warm water and soap after any accidental contact.
  • Wear safety glasses or eye protection when working with fragrance oils.
  • When possible, keep pets away from work areas where you are using fragrance oils.

How can I protect my workspace/home?

Again, it is important to use ventilation if you are working with fragrance oils at home.  When possible, separate your work and living space until the majority of the scent has dissipated.  An example of this might be closing doors to bedrooms at night after making candles in the kitchen.

Fragrance oils and essential oils can damage surfaces if drips or spills occur.  Protect your work surfaces to avoid damages countertops, stoves, carpets, flooring, etc.

Just like any other oil, it can be difficult to remove fragrance oil from carpet, clothing, furniture, or curtains.  We find the best way to remove fragrance oil from fabric is to spot treat the stain with a liquid soap before washing. Avoid drying the fabric until the stain is completely removed. Several wash cycles may be necessary.

**We are happy to provide the SDS sheet for any of our fragrances.  Please email info@communitycandlesupply.com for any SDS, or with any questions regarding our products.  The IFRA document for each fragrance can be found for each of our fragrances by clicking on the “IFRA” tab under the product description section of the listing.

TLC for “Winter Feet”, Make a Menthol Foot Scrub

Image of soothing foot massage

If you are like me, your feet take a lot of abuse.  We spend our days walking, standing, running, and wearing crazy shoes sometimes.  It is often easy to over look the importance of taking care of your feet.  According to Harvard University, a foot massage can “improve circulation, stimulate muscles, reduce tension, and often reduce pain.”

So why not pamper yourself or someone you love with a soothing foot massage with this DIY scrub?  This also makes a fabulous, handmade gift.

Relax with a soothing foot massage.

You will need:  Heat source such as stove or hotplate, metal pot, digital scale,  medium mixing bowl, stick blender (preferred) or wire whisk, a silicone spatula is also helpful, and a medium sized glass vessel for weighing/measuring. Best practices for manufacturing include wearing an apron, hairnet, gloves, and mask,  and maintaining a clean work space.

Directions:

To metal pot, add emulsifying wax, stearic acid, Cocoa Butter, and Shea Butter.  Melt over low heat on stove top or in double boiler until completed melted.

In a separate bowl, combine sweet almond oil, apricot kernal oil, and castor oil and blend.

Remove butters and wax mixture from heat when fully melted, and add menthol crystals. They will dissolve in the warm liquid. Stir to fully incorporate the menthol.

Pour liquid oils into wax mixture. Using a hand mixer, stick blender, or wire whisk, mix until thick.  Let mixture cool completely.

Begin to mix slowly while adding salt (or sugar). Continue until all salt or sugar has been incorporated.

Add preservative and Walnut Shell Powder. Mix for approximately 5 minutes until scrub is thick and fluffy.

Fill jars, and label product with ingredients.

Note: Be sure to thoroughly rinse/wipe product from your feet before standing to prevent slipping.

Using Liquid Candle Dyes

Liquid dyes are capable of providing rich, vibrant colors in most waxes.  However, there are some things to learn before beginning to use these dyes.

Storage: We recommend storing your dyes inside a box or container of some sort.  Although we package our dyes in quality HDPE bottles, over extended periods of time plastics can degrade and become compromised.  If this happens, leakage can occur from bottles and containers, so it is helpful to store you dyes within a secondary box or container in case this happens.  Be sure to store you dyes upright to avoid leakage through the lids.

Candles in different shades of purple
three burning purple toned candles with purple background

Preparation: Liquid candle dyes are extremely concentrated.  As such, it is important to protect all surfaces from spills and stains when using liquid dyes.  We recommend covering your work surface with a sheet of cardboard, thick paper or multiple layers of paper, or even working over a metal baking pan that can catch drips and spills. In addition, gloves should be worn to protect your skin from staining, and old clothes or an apron can be worn to protect clothing.  It can also be helpful to wear old shoes (ask us how we know!).

For a medium to dark shade, you will need to use roughly 0.05% dye, which is roughly 7-8 drops per pound of wax.  **You can also calculate this mathematically like this:

  • Total batch size X 0.005=amount of liquid dye to be used. (Medium Shade)

For darker shades, try using 0.1% dye, or multiply the batch size by 0.01.

For paler shades, try using 0.005%, or multiply the batch size by 0.0005.

Measurement conversions:

1 oz=28 grams

1 pound = 454 grams=16 ounces

1 Tbsp=15 grams=roughly ½ ounce

1 Tsp=5 grams=roughly 1/5 ounce

½ Tsp=roughly 2 grams

¼ Tsp=roughly 1 gram

One drop=roughly 0.03 gram

1 gram=roughly 33 drops

How Much Fragrance is Too Much? The IFRA

Spa image with oils in glass bottles

Some articles on the internet give set recipes or directions for making products, which is really great for beginners!  However, once you start altering your process, many new makers get confused about how to determine the amount of fragrance they can use in a product.   The goal of this article is to help our customers more fully understand how much fragrance can be safely used in a given product. 

Luckily, the International Fragrance Association has established standards for fragrance manufacturers to use in order to determine and disclose safe usage rates for end users.  As the end user, it is your responsibility to abide by these guidelines in your products in order to protect yourself, and your customers from harm.  Community Candle Supply posts the IFRA document for each fragrance under the product description for each fragrance we offer for sale. You can find this document by clicking on the “IFRA Data” tab in the product description.

In that document,  different types of products are broken down by type and a maximum usage rate is listed for each category.  The maximum safe usage is NOT necessarily the amount of fragrance you should use for your formulation, it simply the most of that fragrance that has been determined safe for those products  based on the components of the fragrance.  As the maker, it is up to you to research and test your product formulations to determine the desired amount of fragrance that is within the limits provided on the IFRA.  If you want to use more fragrance than the maximum amount on the IFRA, you need to find a different version of the fragrance, or you risk harming your customers.

Spa image with oils in glass bottles
It is important to conduct proper testing prior to selling your products.

Candles:

Most candle makers use between 6-9% fragrance for their candles, although some makers use as much as 12% fragrance. So here is an example of the formula I use to calculate the fragrance for a batch of 5 candles, where I am using 5 ounces of wax per candle and want a 7% fragrance load.

  • {# oz of wax} X {percentage of fragrance in decimals} = amount of fragrance per candle

Plugging in the numbers: 5 X 0.07 = 0.35 oz per candle.  Since I am making 5 candles, I would then multiply this times 5 to determine the amount of fragrance needed for my batch.

  • Batch: 5 X 0.35 = 1.75 oz fragrance for the whole batch of 25 oz of wax.

Soap Making:

Most lye calculators include a fragrance calculator, so when plugging your oils in to the lye calculator you can also plug  your desired fragrance level in to determine the amount of fragrance needed.  The important thing to do is to be sure that the percentage of fragrance you intend to use is allowed by the IFRA. Remember, you can find the IFRA on our site on the “IFRA Data” tab of the product description.  Other vendors may post a fragrance calculator, or you may have to request the IRFRA.  If your vendor cannot provide an IFRA, you might want to consider using a different vendor.  **Again, if your desired usage rate is higher than the IFRA rate, choose another fragrance for your project.

You can find more information about the International Fragrance Association and IFRA on their website which is here: https://ifrafragrance.org/home.

Candle Troubleshooting

Candle Troubleshooting Tips

Wet Spots:  Shrinkage & air bubbles that occur as the wax is cooling in  container causing the wax to pull away from the glassware. Possible Causes: Humidity, raising or lowering the pour temp, environmental temperatures, pouring too quickly, cooling candles are placed too close together & hold heat unevenly. Possible Solutions: Pre-heat your glassware prior to pouring, pour wax very slowly into container, tap the glassware gently after pouring to release any air bubbles, a room temp of 70-72° is best when pouring, place freshly poured candles about 4″ apart when cooling to avoid extra heat being held in on sides.

Candle wax is not burning evenly all of the way down: Possible Causes: Wick may not be centered, wick may be too small, your wax may be too hard (too high of a melt point). Candle may be in a draft, under a fan, near a vent. Possible Solutions:  Use a device to help center wick such as wick bar, or other centering tool. Try using a softer, lower melt point wax  or try using a larger wick. It is very important to choose the right size wick for the diameter of each container you use. Keep away from drafts.

Tunneling: Candle has “tunneling” effect (leaving wax on the
sides of container candles. Possible Causes: Wick size is not large enough for your wax, container, fragrance, dye combination. Dark or highly-fragranced candles often need a larger wick. Possible Solutions:  You may need to go up one or two sizes in the wick series you are using. If you have a container with varying widths, measure the widest & narrowest & use an average for the
diameter.

 Mushrooming: Candle wick is “mushrooming” or has a carbon buildup at the end of the wick. Possible Causes:  Wick is too large for the container, wick has not been properly trimmed, using a higher amount of fragrance oil in your candles may cause a “fragrance mushroom”. Possible Solutions: Try using a smaller wick for your container, burn candles no longer than 2-3 hrs at a time without blowing out & trimming the wick to 1/4″.

Frosting: “White Frosting” in Soy. This is caused by tiny crystal growth that forms on the top & sides of the wax. It is a natural byproduct of a natural  wax, it does not affect the burn & is very common. Possible Causes: Pouring wax too quickly into containers, pouring wax at too high of a temp, candles cooled too quickly (wax in container), wax blended/stirred too vigorously prior to pouring, environmental temperatures. Possible Solutions: Mix/stir wax slowly, preheat glassware in a warm oven to a max of 100°, pour your wax at a lower temp to help reduce the crystal formation, cool at room temperature & keep out of drafts, try making non-colored soy candles to make frosting less noticeable, elevate your candles on a wire rack for even cooling.

Fragrance leaching: Fragrance oil is “leaching” through top of candle. Excessive soot and/or smoking. Possible Cause: Overloading a wax with a higher fragrance percentage than recommended can cause oil to seep out or leach” as it is not able to hold it. Too much fragrance load can also lead to soot, smoking, wick drowning out. Possible Solutions: Reduce the amount of fragrance oil used. Always research & test your wax to find out how much fragrance oil it can retain.

Little or No Scent Throw: Scent is less than expected when candle is burning. Possible Causes: Too small amount of fragrance oil used, poor quality of fragrance oil, adding fragrance at too low or too high temperature, not letting your candles cure after pouring, type of wax used, improper wick or wick sizing issue. **Note: Recommended temp for adding FO is 185° to ensure that it binds & mixes completely with the melted wax. As soon as you remove the melted wax from the heat source, it will begin to cool. Adding FO also continues the cooling process. If you add FO when the wax has cooled below 180°, you risk the possibility of poor cold and/or hot throw. Some internet bloggers recommend adding fragrance at or below its flash point. Flash point is the temperature at which the oil will ignite if introduced to a spark or flame. There is no safety concern whatsoever in adding fragrance at higher temperatures than the listed flash point. Possible Solutions: Add more fragrance, know the minimum & maximum percentages that are recommended for your wax, use high-quality fragrances, try & test different waxes (paraffin is well-known for it’s excellent scent throw, try blending a little in if using soy), be sure to use oils designed for candle-making, always make sure to have properly sized wicks for each container you use to ensure a great melt pool, let your candles cure before test burning (24 hrs minimum, 1-2 weeks recommended.)

Unstable or Large Flame: Candle flame is too high, wick is flickering continuously & jumping. Possible Causes: Wick is too large for your container. Wick needs to be trimmed. Possible Solutions: Always measure & test your wicks to ensure they are the correct size for the diameter of your container, keep wicks properly trimmed at 1/8 to 1/4 inches before burning & after long periods of burning (2-3 hours).

Wick Extinguishing: Candle wick is drowning out, won’t stay lit. Possible Causes: Too heavy use of additives (fragrance oil, dye, etc.), wick is too small for container.  Possible Solutions: Use the right size wick for your container, always use proper amount of additives (know the minimum & maximum that your wax will allow.

Rough Surfaces/Cracking: Candles have an uneven, rough surface or small air bubbles which lead to small holes, cracking, and/or jump lines. Possible Causes: Stirring too vigorously, water somehow got into the wax, your candles cooled too fast, candles were poured at too cool of a temp. Possible Solutions: Avoid over-stirring, pour at a slightly hotter (+5 degrees) temperature, avoid water or moisture getting into your solid, flake & melted wax,  heat your containers to 90-100° in a warm oven, pour more slowly, use a heat gun on low for any imperfections (you can also use it to preheat or warm your containers before pouring), cool your candles at room temp (avoid extremely hot or cold rooms). **Note: One overlooked source of moisture is humidity. If you reside in a humid area and have a recurring issue with this, consider storing your wax in a room with a dehumidifier.

Odd Scent: Candles have a “fuel-burning” type smell. Possible Cause: Wick is either too large or too small, candles have not cured long enough, “citrus” and/or “mint” fragrance notes seem to be the most common issues for some candle makers, too heavy fragrance load. Possible Solutions: Try either going down or up a wick size with these certain fragrance oils, let candles cure for a minimum of 24 hrs; 1 week is usually best, try a smaller percentage load of fragrance oil, some candle-makers feel that adding a very small amount of a ‘creamy vanilla” type fragrance oil helps to eliminate this problem.

**Disclaimer: We have taken every effort to ensure that this guide is as accurate as possible. Community Candle Supply is providing this  information to be used a guide only & this does not substitute for proper testing & experimentation.  We cannot guarantee or take responsibility for any errors or omissions in this guide. We are also not responsible for any actions or outcomes that are a consequence of using the above information. Thank you for your understanding!



Does Coconut Oil Improve the Performance and Appearance of Soy Wax?

We get frequent questions about eliminating wet-spots and reducing frosting in soy candles.  It seems as if even experienced candle makers battle this problem at times, whether it’s due to changes in the weather, variations in cure temperatures, different fragrances or colors – it’s one of the most frustrating things a candle maker can encounter.  It’s also very difficult to trouble-shoot as it’s nearly impossible to control all of the variables.

We have heard anecdotal evidence of a possible remedy for some of the pitfalls of working with soy wax, so we decided to jump into testing mode and see if this remedy might actually work the way everyone says, and we were thrilled with the results.  Read on for more information!

Rumor has it that you can use 1/2 teaspoon of Coconut Oil per pound of wax to help reduce or eliminate wet spots and frosting.  But what happens when you actually do this?  Many soy waxes are pretty soft already.  Will adding coconut oil make the wax even softer?  According to the chatter on the web, it can make your wax even softer, which is why you don’t want to use any more than 1/2 teaspoon per pound.

Well, we tried this out to see how it worked using GW464 wax.  The candle looked absolutely beautiful. Creamy looking wax that adhered completely to the glass, and continued to adhere to the glass even with multiple significant changes in temperature caused by our crazy Alabama spring.  However, the wax is pretty soft.  So if your candles are on display and someone touches the surface of the candle it would almost certainly leave a fingerprint or mark on your candle.  We liked the result we got, but we still wanted to try to harden the candle up a bit.

For our next test, we wanted to see if using a bit of stearic acid with the coconut oil would harden up the wax while still retaining the creamy appearance and excellent glass adhesion.  So I made four large candles using GW464, 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil per lb of wax, and 1/8 teaspoon of stearic acid per pound of wax.  Stearic Acid is made from palm oil and is known to raise the melting point of wax and harden it.  I was absolutely delighted with the result of this test.  The candle once again adhered to the glass without a single wet spot and the wax is firm to the touch and does not leave fingerprints or marks on the top of the candle.

But what about the burn?  The candles made both with and without stearic acid burned exactly the way a candle without these additives burned.  We noticed no significant difference in scent throw, melt pool, or burn rate.

I believe I have found my new favorite method of making soy candles.  If you have experienced the frustration of wet spots in your soy candles or frosting, you may want to consider testing by adding coconut oil and stearic acid to see if they make a difference for you.  We make no guarantees about how this might work, but we can say with conviction that it worked during our tests, and we have become believers!

Happy Candle Making!

Fragrances for Lotions & Body Sprays

We have compiled a helpful list of our fragrances that can be used in lotions, body sprays, and other products.  For your particular product we recommend you consult the IFRA for each fragrance.  The IFRA is listed on our website under the fragrance description. Look for a tab marked “IFRA Data” and consult the appropriate category for your formulation to determine what the safe usage rates are for your products.

If you have any questions about our fragrances, please email them to info@communitycandlesupply.com!

Please Note: We add new fragrances often.  We will update this list as new fragrances become available so be sure to check back often! 

Lotion & Body Spray Fragrance Oils

True Rose Yankee Type®

Volcano by Capri Blue Type®

Japanese Cherry Blossom BBW Type®

Lick Me All Over

Lavender

Lavender Linen

Island Lavender

Vanilla Patchouli

Patchouli

Diva Type®

Egyptian Musk/Red Sea Romance

Luxe Linen

Birmingham Belle

Grateful Heart

Honeysuckle

Jasmine

Pink Sugar Type®

Pink Magnolia

Magnolia

Caribbean Coconut

Kudzu

Vanilla Sandalwood

Pearberry BBW Type®

Warm Vanilla Sugar BBW Type®

Sugar Cookie

Oatmeal Milk & Honey

Baby Powder

German Iris

Driftwood

Pomegranate & Blackberry

Peach Nectar

Butt Naked/Tropical Paradise

French Vanilla

Butter Cream

Southern Sweet Tea

Coconut Lime Verbena BBW Type®

Birthday Cake

Small bottle with clear body spray base.
Pair one of these great fragrances with our Body Spray, Foaming Bath Whip, Shower Gel, Melt and Pour Soap, or Multi-base EL-1 Easy Lotion for quick additions to your product line!

Sea Salt & Agave

Gain Type®

Vanilla Bean BBW Type®

Vanilla Sandalwood

Zesty Citrus/Ruby Red Grapefruit

Macintosh Apple Yankee Type®

Sandalwood

Seaside Citrus

Almond

Coconut Creme Pie

Green Apple Jolly Rancher Type®

Kentucky Bourbon – Great For Men!

Blooms & Butterflies/Spring & Renewal Febreze Type®

British Parliament-Great for Men or Women

Bluebonnet

NEW! – White Sand Beaches BBW Type®

NEW! – Cotton Candy

NEW! – Tropical Serenity

NEW! – Rainbow Twist

NEW! – Peony & Blush Suede by Jo Malone®

NEW! – Fiji Date & Lemon

NEW & IMPROVED! – Cucumber

NEW & IMPROVED! – Cucumber Melon

NEW & IMPROVED! – Cucumber Mint

NEW & IMPROVED! – Cucumber Sea Salt

 

 

Confused about wicks? Read this.

Which Wick?

We get TONS of questions about wicks pretty much every day.  We know there is a lot of confusion about wicks so we decided to shed some light on this murky subject!  Read on to learn more about wicks and how they work for your container candles.

A container candle that is properly wicked will have certain characteristics.

First, the wick should be centered in the container and trimmed to 1/8-1/4 inch. A wick that is not centered may cause your candle to have excess un-melted wax on one side.  Some people might assume in this case that the wick is not the correct size, however it could simply be that the wick was not centered in the container.  In addition to the base being placed in the center of the container, most wicks need to be stabilized in the candle to ensure that the wick does not sag or move as the candle wax is solidifying. Sagging or slanted wicks will also cause the candle to burn irregularly.

When burned for 2.5-3 hours, the melt pool should reach the outer edges of the container, leaving little to no excess wax. The depth of the melt pool should be roughly 1/4-1/2 inch deep.  If the melt pool being created is deeper than 1/2 inch, then consider testing a smaller size wick.

Excessive mushrooming or smoke may also be an indicator that the wick is too large. However, some fragrances may cause more mushrooming than others  and excessive candle dye or other additives can also cause mushrooming and smoke.

Personal preference is a huge factor when choosing a wick. This is why we recommend testing when you change even one variable in your candles.  Some people prefer a low flame while others like the look of a taller flame.  Some candle makers are alarmed when they see any carbon formation on the tip of the wick, while others don’t mind at all. This is a highly personal process so please, test, test, test!

When we are asked to recommend a wick, we use our own experiences and knowledge to make recommendations, however product testing is critical and the maker is always responsible for their own finished product.

We have personally tested the entire LX series of wicks in both soy wax and paraffin wax. Because of this, we are most comfortable recommending this wick series to those that ask our opinion.  We have included a diagram of our burn results for your use.  Your results may vary depending on fragrance, color and wax used.  This diagram does not substitute for proper testing, and the images may not be actual size. Please note the measurements in the centers of the circles. The manufacturer’s recommendations in addition to our burn test results are posted at CommunityCandleSupply.com.  (Did I mention testing?!).

The LX wick is a uniquely braided cotton coreless, flat wick manufactured with stabilizing threads that ensure an optimum burn profile.  This allows for a very stable and consistent flame, which minimizes or eliminates carbon buildup (mushrooming) while reducing afterglow, smoke and soot.

 

Why is Soy Wax getting more expensive?!

I just got of the phone with my Soy Wax supplier and I am in shock.  Total shock.  Our cost has recently gone up a bit each time we have ordered our Soy Wax over the last six months, and knowing there was a drought in the areas of the South last year, we assumed that the rising cost was related to the drought.  Boy, was I wrong!

I learned today that the cost of Soy Wax is going up and will continue to go up, because the FDA has passed regulations requiring the food industry to eliminate all hydrogenated and partially  hydrogenated products by 2018.  What does this mean for candle and soap makers?  It means we are going to see our Soy Wax, Cotton Wax, Soy Shortening, and any other hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated products go up, up, and up.

The manufacturers of these hydrogenated products have relied heavily on business from food service.  Now that these products are close to being eliminated in food service, the manufacturing facilities are having to re-tool their production to comply with FDA regulations and shift emphasis to more profitable products.  This means their costs are going up, which means they will charge more for their products.

At the same time, sales for these manufacturers are shrinking because food service can’t buy these products anymore.  So guess who gets to bear the burden of the price increases?!  You guessed it! The remnant of users of these products are candle makers, soap makers, and any other industrial, non-food customers.  We (and our customers) will absorb the cost of these new government regulations.  I hate to be all gloom and doom, but this is real and it’s starting NOW.

So what good news can I give you?

  • The good news is that the elimination of hydrogenated oils in the food industry means that we will likely be a healthier, and hopefully thinner, society.  In addition, the waxes that you love will still be available so there is no need to panic.
  • Let’s face it, soy candle lovers aren’t going to quit buying your soy candles just because your price increases a little bit.  They LOVE your products.
  • Increases will be gradual, so luckily we will not have to absorb these changes all at once!  Just make sure you are staying tuned.
  • For soap makers, the news is not so bad.  Odds are good that if you are using vegetable shortening, you can easily substitute another oil for that shortening, if you choose.  However, for most soapers shortening is only a small percentage of their oils, so costs will not rise much per bar.

4 Things To Keep In Mind as the impact of these regulations begins to trickle down to us:

  1. There will likely be new blends of waxes commercially available in response to these changes in the industry.  This is exciting!  There may be new things for us to try!  We may even stumble upon something that is BETTER than what we are doing now. The important thing is to keep an open mind.
  2. Be prepared to adjust your prices, and check pricing on your wax regularly so that you can be sure you are charging enough for your products.
  3. Using blended waxes may become a very appealing option.  If this is an option for you, keep tabs on prices of a variety of waxes (not just soy) so that you can take advantages of savings that might be possible by blending waxes.  Right now Soy Wax is still very affordable compared to other waxes, but that situation could change.
  4. Whether you purchase from Community Candle Supply or some other company, please understand that your suppliers do not WANT to raise prices, and sometimes we even make decisions to accept a reduction in profit on some items to be competitive, but there are times that we simply have no choice.

Which Wax?

Which wax is best? Working at a candle supply company, we get asked this question nearly every day.  As with most things in life, there are a numerous factors to consider when answering this question.  If you are trying to decide which wax is best for you, you need to first identify the factors that are important to you.

Will you be making container candles or pillar candles? When making container candles, you want to select a wax that adheres to the glass.  Conversely, if you are making pillar candles, you will want to use a wax that shrinks a bit so that it easily comes out of the mold when it has cooled.

Are you using candle dye in your candles? If you want vibrantly colored candles, it is best to use a paraffin wax such as IGI4633.  You can also use our Golden Wax Soy waxes with candle dye, however it is more difficult to achieve bright colors with soy wax.

Is cost a factor?  Many people choose soy wax over other waxes, simply because the current retail price of soy wax is significantly lower than most other waxes.  Soy wax and all other natural waxes are vulnerable to price fluctuations due to environment factors, such as the recent drought that occurred in the southern US.  We are seeing prices go up now for soy wax due to the poor growing conditions many farmers experienced due to the drought.  But in spite of that, prices for soy wax are still significantly lower than most paraffin waxes.

Blended waxes are also a terrific option. Some candle makers will blend their own waxes, making a custom blend of wax that is unique to their business.  This is a wonderful option because you can take advantage of the characteristics of each type of wax.  Incorporating soy wax will help keep the cost down, and your wax will benefit from its clean-burning characteristics.  Using some paraffin in your wax will aid in hot and cold throw, glass adhesion, and help your candle hold vibrant color.  Incorporating a small amount of stearic acid into your blend will help raise the melting point of your wax, which can help protect it from the damaging effects of sitting in the heat (for example, when shipping candles or at summer time markets).

These are a few of the important things to consider before purchasing a wax.  Hopefully, this helps shed some light on the advantages of different waxes.  Be sure to read the product descriptions for whichever wax you choose, and remember to take the time to test every product for yourself.