How To Make A Soy Candle
Last Saturday, I had the privilege of attending a soy candle making class. The usual first-time jitters crept in. I was asking myself questions such as "What if I make a huge mess?" or "What if the candle I made turned out to be a failure? The pre- conceived ideas were at the back of my mind, but my first impressions were erased when I started doing the activity. It turned out to be easy as 123. Let me first explain the advantages of lighting a soy candle instead of the ordinary candles that we buy.
Soy candles are made from soybeans making it environmental friendly. The wicks are usually coated with soy or vegetable wax. Soy candles last long than the ordinary candles because it has a 3 year shelf life. When we light soy candles, the soot that comes out of the candle is not black. The smoke is white and is not detrimental to the environment. Soy candles usually use eco wicks or the cotton core wicks. These wicks burns faster than the ordinary candle.
Here are the materials needed for making a soy candle:
Burner or a regular stove will be enough
Pouring pot
8 oz status jar
Thermometer
1/3 lb soy container wax
one 6 inches wick
1 wick stickum
1 wick bar
Warning sticker
3/4 oz fragrance oil in glass ramekins
1 plastic spoon
paper towels
Procedure:
1. Clean the jar with a paper towel to get rid off the residue and the dirt.
2. Stick warning label at the bottom of the jar. We need to caution the users to prevent the dangers of burning.
3. Stick the wick stickum to bottom of the wick.
4. Adhere the wick to the bottom center of the candle. Be sure the wick is firmly in place.
5. Turn on the burner to medium heat.
6. Allow the wax to reach 180 degrees F for 5-10 minutes. Then turn off the burner and remove pot.
7. Take the wick bar and place it on the rim of the jar and push the wick in the middle groove.
8. Add 3/4 oz fragrance oil into the wax and stir for 20 rounds.
9. Allow the wax to cool to 170 degrees.
10. Pour wax into the status jar.
11. Allow wax to harden for 30 minutes.
12. Light the candle after 24 hours and enjoy!
When we make candles in an 8 oz status jar, we use wick eco 12 which is 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide in diameter. We follow the 1:1 ratio in pouring the oil into the wax. We pour 1 oz of oil into a 1 lb wax. If we are making candles that have floral scents, we usually pour 1 oz of fragrance oil to 2 lb soy wax. The ratio shouldn't exceed the 1:2 limit. If you prefer to add color to the candle, pour the wax, then the color dye, then the oil. If you make a mess while doing the candle, don't pour the contents into the drain because it will clog the drainage. You can clean up the mixture with hot soap and water. Dilute the mixture, then throw it into the drain. If the candle didn't turn out to be smooth on top, you can blow torch on top. The wax will liquefy. After it has dried up, the top of the candle will appear smooth. You can actually use a hair dryer to liquefy the top surface to smoothen the candle.
I am proud to say that I have discovered a way to keep myself busy. It might spark an interest in business because soy candle making is easy to do. Just remember to be safe and always have fun making it.
