EcoSoya CB-135 & 120
(Container Blends)
Suggestions and Tips for Use
EcoSoya CB-135 Wax
EcoSoya CB-135 is
a one-pour soy wax resulting in a level surface with excellent container adhesion. It’s 100% all vegetable made from
soybeans and has outstanding stability with no experienced shelf life in or out of
candles. Old or partial candles may be remelted and the wax reused. Keep EcoSoya CB-135 stored in a cool dry area away
from direct heat or sunlight.
General Candle Making
Making a candle is a process of combing wax with dye, fragrance, container configuration
and wick. All these components can have a
dramatic effect on the wax and how the candle performs.
Dyes and fragrances can react poorly with each and cause problems with
wicking. They can also react with the wax to
produce undesirable effects.
Choose a
container that you want to use for your candle. Pick
and mix a dye with the wax that gives you the desired look, use a wick you think will burn
well. Confirm that the combination looks the
way you want it to. Then choose a fragrance and add it to the container, wax, dye and wick
combination. Check the look and scent throw
(both cold and hot) of the candle. If the look
is off then you may need another type or manufacturer of dye or fragrance. If the scent throw is not good you may need another
type of wick or a different type or manufacturer of fragrance. Fragrances vary from company to company; for
example, one company may have hundreds of different vanillas that are different from
another company’s vanillas.
Now check your
wicking. Test burn the candle for burn pool
diameter and “mushrooming”. Mushrooming
is when carbon and/or other substances build up on the end of the wick interfering with
combustion. Mushrooming can cause sooting and bad odors.
Try different wicks until you have your desired burn pool diameter and a
good clean flame. The burn pool should be
about ¼ to ½ inch deep.
Every combination of container,
wax, dye, fragrance and wick must be tested for burn quality.
Containers
Containers should
be clean and room temperature. No container
preheating is necessary.
Color
Most any dyes
work with EcoSoya. We recommend using liquid dyes. Pigments do not dissolve in EcoSoya. When using liquid dyes, color blocks or chips or no dye
heat the wax to 165° F.
If you wish to
make your candle darker or “richer” add a little black dye to the color you are
using.
Fragrance
EcoSoya CB-135
may be used with most any fragrance or essential oil.
Soap fragrances can be used for matched gift sets. Burn pool size and depth greatly affect scent
throw. Strive for a full diameter pool with a
depth of ¼ to ½ inch.
Some
fragrances may react poorly with the wax causing bleed or objectionable frosting; try a
different fragrance or manufacturer.
Wicking
EcoSoya soy wax
when melted is more viscous than paraffin requiring the use of larger wicking than you may
be use to with paraffin. For example; a
#4 or #5 square braid wick, or a 45 ply & higher flat braid wick will create a pool size of 3.5 to 4.5 inches depending on container
type, shape and size as well as fragrance and dye types used. However, we recommend
using cotton core wicks for best results. In general non-cored wicks work best.
EcoSoya tends
to burn more down then out as compared to paraffin allowing them to have longer burning
periods. The ideal burn pool depth to achieve is ¼ inch over the life of the
candle.
For example,
an apothecary jar should take about 4 to 5 hours for the burn pool to reach the edge of
the glass. Over wicking will produce deeper,
quicker pools but may cause sooting or emit the fragrance too fast. Wicks should be kept trimmed 1/8 to 1/4 inch;
retrim as the candle is burned.
Melting
We recommend that the wax be heated to 190 before adding dye liquid or dye block, flake, or powder.
When using liquid dyes
or no dye at all, heat the wax to 165° F. EcoSoya
waxes can be melted in the microwave, if desired.
Allow the wax
to cool to your desired pour temperature, add the fragrance and mix well.
Pouring
We recommend pouroing at 165 degrees after fragrance and dye have been added. This will allow the candle to cool slowly.
Candle Cooling
Cool undisturbed
candles at room temperature (about 70° F). The
containers should be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch apart to allow air circulation for even
cooling. The container should remain open
during cooling, at least 24 hrs, (large candles, 2 lbs and greater may require longer
times).
General Troubleshooting
If you experience
a problem with your candle, try the following steps to isolate the cause. Whatever the issue may be it’s important that
you test for only one variable at a time. This
enables you to isolate the cause of your problem. Variables
include but are not limited to the container, wax, dye, fragrance, wick, pour temperature
and even environmental conditions.
- First make a
candle in the container with only the wick (no dye or fragrance). If it looks good then the wax is performing
normally.
- Then one at a
time change a variable. Try adding the dye without fragrance to the container, wax and
wick. If it looks good and burns well the dye
is compatible with the wax.
- Try adding the
fragrance without dye to the container, wax and wick. If
it looks good and burns well the fragrance is compatible with the wax.
- Try the dye and
fragrance together with the container, wax and wick. If
it looks good and burns well the dye/fragrance combination is compatible with the wax.
- If you are
experiencing burn problems, try a different type or size of wick.
- Other variables
to try are different pouring and cooling temperatures and even different containers.
Be sure all
equipment and materials are contamination free. This
can be a lot of work but you will find the cause of your problem. Be sure to record all your testing and results. When you do find the cause, substitute a different
type or manufacturer of that component until you achieve the results you desire.
The above
suggestions are only suggestions, your results may vary. Testing and experimenting are the
only way to achieve the effects and results you desire. Be sure to follow all safety
precautions and directions recommended by the manufacturer of the tools, materials and
equipment you use. We welcome your comments
and suggestion.
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