How To Make Soy Candles
Why learn how to make soy candles? Soy candles are natural and burn cleaner than paraffin candle wax. The popularity of them is growing. Despite being expensive when compared to paraffin wax, people are quickly becoming addicted to using soy wax.
Soy wax is a vegetable wax that is made from soybeans. Oil is extracted from soybean flakes, then hydrogenated. The states of Illinois, Iowa and Indiana are the major producers of soybeans.
It is believed that soy candles burn cleaner than paraffin candles, which is why many want to learn how to make soy candles. This is true to an extent. All candles emit soot. There is no way around that. But, paraffin candles emit black soot while soy candles emit white soot. Soot is not dangerous, but white soot is still a bit cleaner than black soot.
As you learn how to make soy candles, you will discover that the only thing that is really different between making soy candles and paraffin candles is the wax. The techniques and equipment that go into making both candles are one and the same. Soy wax is melted using a double boiler. A double boiler is a smaller pot with the wax placed in a larger pot full of water that is placed on the stove top. Heat the soy wax to 150 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful not to keep the melted wax above 150 degrees Fahrenheit for too long because it could burn which will give the wax a yellowish appearance. Colors can be added to the wax, once it is fully melted. Fragrance can be added after it is removed from the heat.
The amount of fragrance should be always maintained to 7%. What that means is that 1.12 ounces of fragrance oil should be added with 1 pound of soy wax. This should be taken note of when learning how to make soy candles, as excess candle fragrance will result in the bleeding of the candle. The temperature of the soy wax can be around 140-150 degrees Fahrenheit. You can then cool the wax by pouring it into the mold.
Be careful not to pour the wax at too low of a temperature or the candle could crack. The wax should be between 95 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Water should never be used for cooling the candle at a faster rate. It could cause more cracks in the candle.
The paraffin wax candles and the soy wax candles are pretty much the same, except for a couple of differences. As you learn how to make soy candles you will know that soy wax is not suited for some kind of candles, because of its soft nature. Novelty candles cannot be made with soy wax. It also does not work well for pillar candles. You can also not make taper candles with soy wax. Floating soy candles can be made if they are up to 3 inches in diameter.
Soy wax candles and paraffin wax candles are made using the same method, so you can definitely learn how to make soy candles. Making candles is kind of like trying out a new food recipe; sometimes you have to try things one way then the other to see which works best for you. The final conclusion is that both soy wax and paraffin wax could hold color and scent but, it is very interesting to learn the art of candle making and offer a variety of candles for pleasure or business.
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