Making candles from soy wax - the most common problems and their solutions!

Don't worry, we've got your back! Take a look with us at the most common problems that one willy-nilly encounter when making candles from soy wax. We have also written a lot of improvements and recommendations to make homemade candles brighter and easier, so that it always turns out the way it should!

What "problems" do we all face in production?

1. ROUGH UNEVEN CANDLE SURFACE

Everything looked great, but after it cooled down and hardened, the surface of the candle showed bumps, bubbles, and other defects and blemishes that make the candle look less professional, but which you definitely didn't see there after pouring? But now they are there, it freezes. But there is no reason to worry for long! You may be pleased to know that you are definitely not alone in this and that one or two of you can do it.

Why did it happen?

As the wax cools, it naturally forms solid crystals. Ideally, all the crystals are nicely uniform and the same size, which makes the surface of the candle smooth and beautifully creamy. But. If the wax cools unevenly, too quickly or too slowly, or if there are a lot of air bubbles in it, the surface of the candle will not be smooth. On the contrary - it will be spotted, pockmarked or unattractively scarred. Does not matter! There are several options to prevent these imperfections or even fix them.

What with this?

Do not mix or beat excessively.

The more you stir the wax and whisk while melting or adding scents, the more air gets into it. The bubbles will then harden in the wax and become visible. Therefore, do not mix or beat unnecessarily. After pouring the wax, gently tap the candle wrapper (like when baking) to release the air from the wax.

Determine the correct melting and pouring temperature.

We won't give you a clear answer here. The melting and pouring temperature of the wax needs to be researched a bit - because it will also be affected by how warm and humid your home is, and we don't know that. So test, try and search - it's worth it! Soy wax melts at temperatures around 50 to 60 degrees. If this temperature clearly does not suit the candles, try to reduce the temperature by about 5 degrees or, on the contrary, increase it during the next production.

Keep some wax for "what if" cases.

If you are just starting out with candle making or if you often encounter uneven surfaces on candles, it is not a bad idea to always keep some wax and in the event that unevenness appears on the solidified candle, melt it again, cover the surface of the candle with melted wax and cover the imperfections.

Have a hair dryer or heat gun handy,

Smaller imperfections can be easily cleaned using a hair dryer or heat gun. It is enough to heat the surface of the candle slowly, closely and to the lowest temperature with the air coming from the hair dryer or gun and let the wax loosen and melt a little. And the inequalities will be gone!

2. EMPTY SPACES WITHOUT WAX WHICH APPEARS WET

The candle looks great from above, but when you look at the glass, do you find places around its perimeter that seem somehow wet or steamy? They're not wet, they're places where the wax has shrunk and detached from the container due to the fact that one place got colder and hardened faster than another. Don't worry, this is probably the most common "problem" of all container candles. Burning will not be affected and you simply cover the place with a sticker or label. And next time you're crafting, keep this in mind:

What with this?

Give love and packaging - clean and preheat.

Washing well the container or glass in which you are going to make the candle is the basis of success. Use mild soapy water and dry the glass well after washing. Then heat it - on the heater, or even better in the oven - to about 35-40 degrees. This will ensure that the warm wax does not "suck" the cold and pull away from the walls of the jar.

Pour patiently.

By slowly and calmly pouring the wax into the package, prevent air from getting into the candle, which would cause mischief in the wax, change its temperature in some places, and thus cause imperfections.

Give each candle enough space.

If you are making more candles at once, give each of them enough space - maybe ten centimeters - so that they do not touch and heat up their surroundings, which, again, could cause the candles to cool down faster in some places than in others.

3. CRACKS

It is not unusual to find a crack a few centimeters from the wick. Most people may not even notice it, and you don't have to worry about the fine groove affecting the quality of the burn.

Why did it happen?

This is mostly due to a combination of wax "shrinking" during rapid cooling and tiny air bubbles at the bottom of the container. As the wax hardens, it sinks into the places where the air was.

What with this?

Knock knock into the container.

After pouring the wax, tap the jar to release any air trapped in the jar. But be gentle, you don't want to spill the wax or break the package.

With a candle to the heights.

Just as freshly baked cupcakes are better on a wire rack where they have time to cool evenly, freshly made candles will also be better. After pouring the wax, do not leave the candle on a cold work surface, but find a place for it on the grate where it will cool and harden evenly without being cooled from below.

4. DROPS ON THE SURFACE

The candle has cooled and hardened nicely, but when you bring your face close to it, a strong smell hits your nose and you see drops of "something" on the surface. That something is probably an essential oil, essential oil, or cosmetic fragrance that didn't mix well enough with the wax and therefore leaked to the surface. Too many fragrances or insufficient heating of the wax when adding them are often to blame. The right temperature of the wax and the right amount of fragrance oils will ensure that the wax and the fragrance are firmly connected. If there is a mistake somewhere, the bond between the substances is too fragile and the fragrance will escape and "leak" to the surface or, in some cases, to the bottom of the candle.

What with this?

Monitor the temperature.

Especially if you use aromatic substances, the density of which is rather higher, the wax will need to be heated more. In general, around 70 degrees is stated as a suitable temperature for mixing essences and fragrances into the wax. In the case of soy wax, the temperature can be a little lower, but mixing fragrances with cold wax is not ideal.

Mix gently but for a long time. Like 2 minutes.

Two minutes may seem like a long time, but your candle deserves it. Wax and fragrance need time to get to know each other, touch and bond. :) Indulge them. Stir continuously, sensitively and without whipping, directly before pouring the wax into the prepared container.

Check the quantity.

Natural candles will definitely not smell as strong as the ones you buy in the store. You have to accept that. Each type of essential oil or fragrance also has its maximum dose - that is, the amount that the wax can hold. Add fragrances to a maximum of 10 % of the total weight of all ingredients, however, most fragrances smell pleasant already at 6-8 % . Here too, less is often more. :)

5. SPRAY AND SMOKE

Everything that burns smokes. But if the flame of your manufactured candle is dark and clearly visible to the eye, there is a mistake somewhere and the candle is telling you that some changes need to be made in the manufacturing process.

What with this?

Correct wick size.

If you see a thick, continuous plume coming from the flame around the candle, dark puffs of smoke, or a ring of smoke around the edge of the candle container, it is very likely that the wick is too large for the candle. Next time, simply choose the smaller version.

Reduce the dose of fragrances.

Are you sure about the wick, but the flame still smokes badly? Maybe there is an unnecessarily large amount of essential oils, essential oils or cosmetic fragrances that burn when burning. Take it next time

6. CRATER AROUND THE WICK

If a crater forms around the wick, either too much fuel - wax and fragrance - is used up when burning and the candle burns too quickly, or the wax is not heated enough and instead of a nice, even and slow pond forming in the candle, extending from the edge to the edges, melts only the wax around the wick.

What with this?

It needs a bigger wick.

If a crater forms around the wick and there is an intact layer of "cold" wax around the walls of the container, the wick is too small and does not have the power to heat all the wax.

It needs a smaller wick.

If, on the other hand, the wick is too large, the candle burns too quickly and a crater will soon form around the wick. This variant of craters is generally a little rarer, but of course it can appear.

7. THE WICK CURVES AND LOOKS LIKE A MUSHROOM

If the wick turns into a strangely twisted mushroom before your eyes, know that you are not alone. This happens due to the large amount of carbon formed during combustion, which is caused by the fact that a large amount of fuel is burned - wax, fragrance, paint. You can prevent this next time by doing this:

What with this?

Less is more.

This applies to essential oils, essential oils, cosmetic fragrances or dyes that you use. Reduce their dose. Sometimes it's even the case that if you use less fragrance, it will evaporate more slowly, so it will smell better and longer.

Trim the wick after each burn.

Some wicks simply like to twist. Clamp them and before you light them, cut them to a length of about half to three quarters of a centimeter.

Try a smaller wick.

If the wax burns off quickly and a deep crater forms around the wick within half an hour, the wick will be exposed and twisted. Next time, go for a smaller wick.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

- Give the wax time to melt and do not speed up the process by putting it in the microwave or placing it in a saucepan directly on the stove. A water bath is a candlemaker's best friend.

- In order for the wick to be exactly in the middle of the candle, always measure the center of the container well during production and then fasten the wick - with a peg, knitting needle, pencil, etc. The wick in the center means safe burning, don't underestimate it!

- The color of the wax can be affected by essential oils, fragrances and light. Therefore, it is possible for a snow-white candle to become an ivory or yellow candle, especially if you add fragrances with a higher content of vanillin or flower oils. And just as the sun changes the color of clothes over time, the color of the candle also changes due to the influence of light. The white, undyed ones will turn slightly yellow, and the dyed ones will fade.

- When burning, the candle needs time to form a "pond" of melted wax around the wick. Before you start exploring your candle, give it an hour to burn.

- After burning, the surface of the wax will no longer be perfectly smooth. And that's good, it means you used a natural wax that works. By blowing out the candle, you cool the wax on the surface and it hardens as it is. Therefore, perhaps upon closer examination, the candle will no longer be perfectly velvety, but finely speckled. It doesn't mean it's your fault or that the wax isn't burning properly. It is normal.

TIP

Are you tempted by natural candles, but have you decided to make them yet? Take a look at the VonTree Candle shop, where you can find a lot of beautiful soy candles, and by purchasing you will also support the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing CR a.s.

Note: Images and inspiration for the article were taken from CandleScience.com. :)