Soy Candles

Sandalwood, a name for several fragrant woods.  These woods are used for their essential oil.  It is a yellowish, fine-grained, heavy wood.  Other uses for Sandalwood besides its fragrance are carving and medicinal qualities.  Genuine sandalwood’s are found in India and Australia, also Indonesia and the Pacific Islands. 

Indian Sandalwood is endangered and therefore very expensive.  Their prices have risen up to $1000-1500 per kg in the last 5 years.  Some countries regard this oil trade as ecologically harmful, since it promotes the over-harvesting of sandalwood trees.  In Western Australia, huge plantations have been developed to grow Indian sandalwood for trade.

Hawaiian sandalwood was so sought after due to its high quality that it became just short of extinction. 

Australian sandalwood differs considerably from the above sandalwood’s.  It is used by some aromatherapists and perfumers. 

To produce sandalwood fragrance oil the tree needs to be at least 40 years old, 80 years and older is actually preferred.  Since the demand for real sandalwood is high a tree 30 years old can be used with the production of an inferior sandalwood.  The entire tree is harvested and even the stump and roots are used.

Sandalwood essential oil has a definite wood base note. It has a bright and fresh edge and is an excellent fixative to enhance other fragrances.  It is used widely in the cosmetic industry and is expensive. 

Also sandalwood is used for rituals and ceremonies in Hinduism.  Buddhism uses sandalwood for several purposes, including meditation and incense.  The Chinese and Japanese use it in worship and various ceremonies.

For medicinal purposes it became popular in 1920-1930.  It was used as an essential oil for urogenital and skin antiseptic.  Its main ingredient beta-santalol has antimicrobial properties.  It needs to be diluted with a carrier oil first and then can be used to clear skin from blackheads and spots.

Australian Aborigines used sandalwood for food, eating the seed kernels, nuts and fruit.  Sandalwood oil is also used as an immersion oil in ultraviolet and fluorescence microscopy.

Sandalwood is also used in the making of scented soy candles.  These fragrances include the aroma of sandalwood: Sandalwood, Egyptian Musk, Angel, Sensual Moments, Burning Desire and Seduction.  You can find these fragrances in several different sized soy candle containers as well as in fragrance oil. 

A tea-light is a smaller version of a votive.  It is wider than it is tall and usually comes in a metal container.  As it burns it liquifies like a votive.  They can be used for warming food, warming tea, for decor, and for religious services.  They can be found scented or unscented.  Most generally they are made from paraffin wax.  They are inexpensive and can be bought in bulk form. 

A favorite party of mine growing up as a young adult was a fondue party.  The fondue pot was warmed by tea-lights.  Everyone would bring their pot and into it would go various sauces, like cheese, chocolate, oil.  Then when melted and hot, in would go the goodies on fondue forks for the coating of sauce or cooking of meat.  It was great fun and fellowship.  Fondue pots seem to be a thing of the past.  If you do use one these days it is usually electric, which takes all the fun out of the party.

Soy votive candles are a big sister to tea-lights.  They are taller and wider and of course last even longer.  They also come scented, colored, unscented, and are inexpensive.  In today’s economy it pays to count your pennies.  Using a votive can help you do just that, save money, especially when your votive is made from soy-wax.  They burn 50% longer than a votive made from paraffin wax.  You can find all sorts of holders to display your votive in and enhance your room decor.  With the holidays just around the corner, try one of our holiday fragrances and fill your home with a warm scent of holiday cheer. 

• Bayberry
• Dickens Christmas
• Eggnog
• Hollyberry
• Oh Holy Night
• Victorian Christmas
• Yuletide Memories

The process of making pillar soy candles with chunks in them takes more than one day to do.  It make take several days to accomplish.  You first need to make the colored chunks.  When they have hardened you are ready for the next step of making the pillars themselves. 

You will need soy-wax to begin and a double-boiler, that you won’t want to use again for anything else.  However the nice thing about soy-wax is that you can easily clean that double-boiler with soap and water.  With this in mind, you could use it to cook in once again.  Purchase the color dyes you will want to use and have on hand items to harden the soy-wax chunks in.  Ice-cubes trays work well for this step, if you want thick chunks.  For thinner chunks simply pour your soy-wax onto a cookie tray, let harden, then break off the size chunks you want.

Next plan out how you want your pillar soy candle to look, geometric or random.  What will be the width of your pillar mold?  This plays a big part in your pattern of placing chunks.  Spraying the mold with kitchen spray will help the pillar candle slid out easily when cooled.  Of course you will need wicks and will need to follow the manufacturers instructions on placing the wicks, as different molds have their own way of inserting the wicks. 

You can place different colored chunks in your pillar.  Once you have in mind your design for the chunks, pour white soy-wax into your mold and fill in the gaps between the chunks.  You can have some chunks come up over the brim of the mold if you want.  To be real creative, use cookie cutters to fashion your chunks.  Now brush on some melted soy-wax on the chunks and stick them to the inside walls of your mold.  Fill the rest of the mold with the white soy-wax as above.  If you want colored wax, just pick a complimentary color to use with your chunks.  A great idea for an inexpensive candle mold is old used wax milk cartons.  Simply clean and dry them out.  If you want a scented pillar soy chunky candle, buy a few favorite fragrances and add to your melted wax.

Now you are ready to set the stage for your table decor, for that family holiday dinner.  Make and use different heights of pillars for a stepped presentation, add some greenery around the base and presto, a lovely holiday creation!  What a wonderful gift idea to give to your special loved ones.  Be bold and let your imagination go, as you bring into creation your own new holiday tradition, that of making your very own pillar soy chunky candles. 

A pillar candle has a tremendous amount of wax in them to be able to burn for a longer time frame.  They are very wide to allow for this amount of wax.  They come in different sizes and heights.  If you have a power outage they come in handy for lighting or just to accent your home decor.  Pillar candles outstanding characteristic is its width.  This separates it from tapers.  They are most often found in a round or square shape. 

You can burn a pillar on any nonflammable object.  Many use a plate or dish.  You can buy a plate with spikes that will impale the candle and hold it in place.  It is recommended to use some sort of candle holder for your pillar to catch the wax and hold the candle in place, to reduce the risk of fire while it is burning. 

A pillar can be made from many different types of wax.  It can be dyed or just left a plain color.  You can find them scented or unscented.  It is easy to make a pillar candle at home with the right candle making equipment and knowledge. 

If you are concerned about the environment the best type of pillar to try is one made from soy-wax.  Soy-wax comes from the soybean.  It is a renewable resource, helping to give the American farming industry a boost.  Soy-wax is non-toxic and a better choice for individuals that have any sort of breathing issues.  It also burns at a lower temperature so lasts longer than a paraffin wax pillar.  The nice plus with soy-wax is that you can clean up a wax spill or your candle container with just soap and water.  Pillar soy candles come in a variety of fragrances.  You can try a traditional pillar or a chunky pillar.  They make a great holiday table decoration, intermingled with some garland and evergreen.  Ring in the holidays with your own creative centerpiece using pillar soy candles!

Drip-less candles do not drip wax when burned properly.  The advantage is that you don’t have a ruined surface and no mess to clean up.  You can find tapers, pillars and cylindrical candles that are drip-less.  Be sure to replace a drip-less candle before it burns all the way down, as it can create a wax plug in your candle holder that is hard to remove.  To burn it properly keep the candle upright, straight and still while burning.  If you allow it to lean, it will burn unevenly and may drip, even though it is a drip-less candle.  Also drafts can cause uneven burns, resulting in dripping, so keep the candle out of places where drafts occur. 

The wick on a pillar drip-less candle must be absorbent enough to not allow the melted wax pool to become to high.  If the wax pool does get to high, the flame will be reduced to a tiny flame and might even go out.  A quality drip-less candle will not have this problem.  You can also find pillars in may different fragrances.  They make a lovely accent piece in your home. 

To make a taper drip-less candle you will need a thick absorbent wick that will consume the melting wax before it can drip.  All you will have left of the taper candle in the candleholder is the stub, as the rest of the candle has burned away.  Pillar style drip-less candles are made with two different kinds of wax.  In the core a softer wax is used and on the outside a harder wax that has a higher melting point is used.  This will form the outer shell of the pillar that will stay intact as the inner core burns down the center.

If you are looking for a pillar candle that is easy to clean up and will elegantly accent your home decor, try a chunky pillar soy candle.  It cleans up with two easy items, soap and water.  They are made using richly scented chunks of soy wax that are over-poured with scented wax of a complimentary fragrance and color.  These soy candles are a marriage of artistry and fragrance.  The result is a work of art that is visually appealing and aromatically pleasing.  When lit they become even more beautiful as the flame dances behind the multi-colored translucent wax. 

Taper candles are widely used and very common.  They often come to mind first when thinking of candles.  They are tall, thin candles.  Their burn time depends on their height.  You can find them in a variety of sizes, colors and scents.  Taper candles are most often made by the dipping process.  This is done by taking a very long wick and dipping it into a pot of hot wax.  You can even do two at a time if your wick is extra long and looped at the top.  This process allows for different layers of colors in a single candle, while producing a very smooth texture.  Another way to make tapers is by using molds.  This allows for mass production, unusual shapes, and uniform looking tapers.  Beeswax can also be used for tapers by rolling sheets of beeswax around the wicks.  These are more expensive but have a very rich and delicate scent. 

The waxes used for tapers can vary.  Paraffin is one choice, beeswax as described above is another.  Then there is the cleaner burning choice of soy-wax.  It burns at a  lower temperature, produces much less if any soot, is non-toxic, and is a renewable resource.  Soy-wax is made from soybeans and helps promote the American farm industry.  Soy-wax can be dyed or scented as desired and holds its fragrance longer.  

Tapers must be burnt in a candle holder or they will fall over, becoming a fire hazard.  They are a good idea to have around in case of a power outage.  Better yet why not have several pillar soy candles around the house.  They will last longer, since they are made from a larger amount of wax and you don’t need a candle holder to keep them upright.  If you want a more elegant looking candle try a chunky pillar soy candle.  They have small bits of different colored wax mixed into the main pillar that when lit become even more beautiful as the flame dances behind the multi-colored translucent wax.

Simply put, a container candle is a candle sold in a container, such as a glass jar or metal tin.  A soy container candle is one made from soy-wax from the soybean.  The candles are molded directly inside their respective container with the hot soy-wax.  The soy candle is made to be stored and burned in its original container.  Using a soy container candle provides for greater safety from being a fire hazard.  You can find a wide range of containers ranging in many sizes, shapes, styles and materials.  You can even find container candles made from recycled materials. 

Scented soy container candles come with lids to keep the fragrance contained until you want to burn the candle.  A lid makes it easy to transport the soy candle from one room to another.  The lid also prevents the scent from becoming overwhelming when not in use, as it can permeate other objects.

You can make your own soy container candle at home.  Just purchase some soy-wax and collect your choice of container and go to work on your own creation.  Happy Holidays!  

A floating candle does what the name implies.  It floats upon some sort of liquid, while it is burning.  It is designed to sit low in the liquid but will not tip over or become waterlogged.  The candle goes out when the flame has burned its way through the wick, like a normal candle.  You can find many styles and even ones shaped to look like flowers floating upon the water. 

You can use a floating candle in a centerpiece for your table.  Just obtain a container for your liquid, put in your floating candles, add some flowers and different sizes of pillar soy candles around the outside.  Your centerpiece will be the grand attraction with your favorite holiday scented soy pillars. 

For an added flare to your centerpiece, try scented soy pillar chunky candles.  They are made using richly scented chunks that are over-poured with a scented wax of a complimentary fragrance and color.  These soy candles are a marriage of artistry and fragrance.  The result is a pillar soy candle that is a work of art, visually appealing and aromatically pleasing.  When lit they become even more beautiful as the flame dances behind the multi-colored translucent wax.

If you are interested in doing your own aromatherapy with essential oils there are a few basic ones that aromatherapy experts recommend purchasing.  You can find them in any local health food store and are relatively inexpensive to purchase.  The essential oils are citrus oils, floral oils, lavender, peppermint, rosemary and tea tree.  These oils are versatile and safe to use for beginners.  

To enhance your mood, try one of the citrus oils you purchased: lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit.  Your floral oils are great for stress relief: lavender, peppermint and rosemary.  Lavender is a versatile oil, can be used for bruises, insect bites, cuts, sleep and for stress relief inhalation.  Peppermint eases stomach aches and stimulates a tired feeling.  Rosemary is invigorating and works best in inhalation from a diffuser, aroma lamp or directly from the bottle.  Tea tree oil can be used as a mild antiseptic, apply it directly to the skin to heal cuts and pimples. 

Essential oils can be used in different ways in your home.  Some ideas are adding them to your humidifier, vaporizer, diffusers, spray bottles of water, baths, lamp rings, candle wax, or just inhalation directly from the oil bottle.  If you are thinking of using your essential oil internally, be sure and consult a medical doctor first.  Some oils are dangerous if used this way.  You should always research the essential oil you are planning on using beforehand to know its side effects if any and how best to use it.  A special note for pregnant women, you should avoid certain oils.  They are calamus, mugwort, pennyroyal, sage, wintergreen, basil, hyssop, myrrh, marjoram and thyme. 

To preserve your oil be sure and store it in a cool, dark place.  A dark, tinted glass bottle is best.  Light can damage the essential oil. 

Try using a gourmet body massage soy candle from the spa collection for a true aromatherapy experience.  Share it with your spouse for a romantic get-away and indulge yourself to a full body massage in your own home.  Great gift idea for use in the cold winter months ahead to help stay warm.   

Essential oils have three classifications: top note, middle note, base note.  These describe the evaporation rate of the oil.  The fragrance will last only a certain amount of time, depending on what note it is.  Here is the breakdown of the notes.

1. Top note: lasts for 3-24 hours, the most stimulating due to the fact it is the most strongly scented.  Examples of top note: basil, bergamot, clary sage, coriander, eucalyptus, lemongrass, neroli, peppermint, sage and thyme.
2. Middle note: lasts about 2-3 days, affect the metabolic and body functions, fragrance or scent is less potent than top note.  Examples of middle note: balm, chamomile, fennel, geranium, hyssop, juniper, lavender and rosemary.
3. Base note: lasts up to a week at the maximum, have a sweet and soothing scent, relaxes the body.  Examples of base note: cedarwood, clove, frankincense, ginger, jasmine, rose and sandalwood. 

Essential oils are very potent and are usually diluted with carrier oils or base oils.  Don’t confuse base note essential oils with base oils.  Unless essential oils are diluted they are very irritating to the skin.  A carrier oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fatty portion of the plant usually from the seeds or kernels or the nuts.  They carry the essential oil onto the skin.  Each carrier oil provides a different combination of characteristics and therapeutic properties.  Start with the therapeutic benefit wanted and then decide on what carrier oil to use.  Carrier oils do not evaporate and have only a faint sweet nutty aroma.  They however can go rancid and will then have a strong, bitter aroma.  True carrier oils are generally cold-pressed vegetable oils.  The most popular carrier oils are Sweet Almond and Grapeseed.   Here are some other carrier oils:

• Apricot kernel
• Avocado
• Evening Primrose
• Hazelnut
• Jojoba
• Olive oil
• Peach kernel oil
• Sunflower
• Wheatgerm oil
• Borage
• Cocoa Butter
• Kukui
• Macadamia Nut
• Peanut
• Pecan
• Rose Hip
• Sesame
• Shea Butter
• Cranberry Seed
• Meadowfoam
• Pomegranate
• Seabuckthorn Berry
• Hemp Seed
• Watermelon Seed
• Fractionated Coconut

Our gourmet body massage soy candles combines the use of these carrier oils: Grapeseed Oil, Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter.  They come in over 50 different fragrances.  You can get a truly relaxing total body massage in the privacy of your own home when you use a gourmet body massage soy candle.