Soy Candles

Citronella candles are a candle that is blended with essential oil from citronella.  Citronella is a grass that is native to Asia.  This essential oil is found to be useful as a natural insect repellent to mosquitoes.  However studies conducted at the University of Ontario have found only a 45% efficiency rate in their use.  With this in mind a citronella candle should be used in conjunction with other methods of repelling insects for full protection. 

It is necessary to use a large number of citronella candles to protect from insects, especially in a large area.  If the candles are spaced to far apart the insects will sneak through and if you stray to far from the candles you will find unwanted insects pestering you.  You can find citronella candles in pillars, tapers and various other shapes as well as ones that are able to float in pools and ones in containers to help reduce the risk of fire.  Another option is to pour the citronella essential oil into a diffuser and place it in a strategic place outdoors to ward off unwelcome insects. 

The essential oil of the citronella grass has a strong lemon scent and a bright yellow to brown color.  The candles give off a strong citrus odor and are usually yellow in color.  This essential oil is also used in creams that can be applied to the skin and in torches designed to cover a large area.  The oil can cause rashes, hives and itching in children and adults if coming in contact with the skin.  Test out the cream on a small section of skin first and see if a reaction occurs before using on the entire body.   

Scented soy candles come in all shapes and sizes, colors and fragrances.  You can find them in free standing like pillars or in various containers.  You can mix and match them for elegant table decorations.  They make excellent gifts for the hard to buy for.  There are even ones for romantic occasions.  Soy candles are a safe and healthy alternative to burning the standard paraffin candles.  Soy candles are non-toxic, are made from a renewable resource the soybean, produce little to no soot, burn 50% longer, burn at a lower temperature thus being safer to use and clean up with just soap and water if there is a wax spill.  You can even save the container and wash it out and reuse it for something else.  Give soy candles a try.  You will be pleased with the results.   

An LED or light emitting diode, are so close to looking like a real candle that you might not notice the difference at first.  The wick is recessed inside the candle body, looking like the candle has partially burned.  This allows the LED to be hidden from view, while the top part of the candle glows, giving the appearance of translucent wax.  They flicker to stimulate a real burning flame.  There are several models.  They can be used inside or out, are resistant to rain or wind and can be used as a night light for children.  Some are rechargeable while others are battery operated.  If you love to burn candles and want to try something different, this might be an option for you.

If you are looking for something different and want a healthier choice in burning candles, try scented soy wax candles.  They come in various sizes, shapes, scents, styles, containers and colors.  Soy candles are non-toxic, a renewable resource, burn at a lower temperature thus making them less prone in causing burns, burn 50% longer than paraffin candles and produce no black soot.  Another benefit of using soy candles is easy clean up, just soap and water on any wax spill.  There are so many positive benefits to using soy candles versus paraffin candles.  You will be glad you gave them a try! 

Tart warmers, also know as a tart burner, come in many styles, shapes and sizes.  You will find them made out of ceramic, glass or metal. They can add flair and design to your home.  If used to melt aromatherapy tarts they will benefit your inner being as well.  A tart warmer will melt your tarts without the use of a flame.  There are two types: an electric one and a non-electric one.  They can also disperse the aroma of fragrance oils as well as soy candles.  To melt a soy candle simply remove the tart dish and set your candle directly on the warmer.  When using soy tart melts your warmer will disperse the aroma by melting the soy wax and thus allowing the aroma to fill your home.  The fragrance of your tarts, when melted in a warmer, will often be much stronger than that of a traditional scented burning candle.

The electric warmer works by the use of a small bulb that heats the oil or tart and melts it.  As it is being heated the aroma is released.  A non-electric warmer uses a tealight to melt the oil or tart.  With this style you will have a flame since the tealight is a candle.  The decision is up to you which style you prefer. 

The advantage of using a tart warmer is that your melts will last much longer than a candle would.  When you are done with the warmer simply turn it off or put the tealight out.  The tarts will harden and can be used again and again.  If you want to enjoy a different fragrance simply remove the harden tart wax and store it.  Another advantage is that you can use that soy candle that is to low to burn anymore and put it in your warmer and still enjoy the fragrance as it melts.  No more wasted scented soy candles. 

Jasmine is a member of shrubs and vines in the olive family.  There are around 200 species that grow in the tropical, warm temperate regions of the Old World.  The majority grow as climbers and can be green all year round or have falling leaves in the autumn.  Jasmine is cultivated for its flowers, worn by women in their hair in southern and southeast Asia.  Other uses include using jasmine as a herb to treat a number of aliments, such as fevers, conjunctivitis, topically for corns on the feet, sunburn or rashes using a lotion made from jasmine.  Jasmine provides restored elasticity to the skin by promoting the production of natural oils.   

 A tea called jasmine tisane is consumed in China.  It is made by using a base of green tea and the jasmine flower.  The flower only opens at night during the full moon.  It is picked in the morning when the petals are closed and stored in a cool place till night.  The petals will open as the temperature cools in the evening.  The tea and flowers are put together in a machine that controls the humidity and temp.  The tea absorbs the fragrance of the flower.

Many species of jasmine are used in the production of perfumes and incense.  Jasmine essential oil is commonly used.  Chemical extraction is used on the flowers to obtain the essential oil.  A large amount of flowers are needed to produce a small amount of oil, thus making it very expensive.  India, China, Egypt and Morocco all produce jasmine essential oil. 

Aromatherapy uses jasmine in the form of body oils, incense and scented candles.  It provides a pleasing aroma that is believed to elevate the mood, relieve stress, encourage a healthy libido, treat insomnia, treat postpartum depression and desensitize pain during childbirth. 

Using scented soy candles offers the benefits of jasmine and also the healthier choice of candle usage.  Soy candles are non-toxic, environmentally friendly, a renewable resource and burn 50% longer than paraffin candles.  You can find the fragrance of jasmine in the following soy candle aromas: French Kiss, Colour My World, Ylang-Ylang, Oui Oui, Seduction, Tango, and Jasmine. 

Ylang-ylang is a tropical tree.   Its flowers, when processed by steam distillation, produce an essential oil used in aromatherapy and in making perfumes.  It has a heavy, sweet scent similar to jasmine.  It is often associated with weddings and honeymoons.  The essential oil comes in four grades: ylang extra, ylang I, ylang II and ylang III.  The variance in grades is based on when the oil is removed in the steam distillation process.  The process can take 24 hours and the lengthier it is the lighter the scent of the oil.  Ylang extra has the strongest scent and ylang III has the weakest scent.  All grades have a heavy scent, so be sure to add carefully to any blend you are making.  It can easily overpower other scents.  You can use ylang-ylang essential oil in recipes that call for jasmine.  Jasmine is more costly and many budgets can’t afford it. 

Ylang-ylang fragrance is considered an aphrodisiac.  It is also used in aromatherapy and is considered to have stress relieving properties.  Try a few drops in a hot bath to melt the cares of the day away.  It is believed to reduce anxiety and even relieve depression.  In people sensitive to heavy floral scents the aroma of ylang-ylang can be overpowering and may cause headaches.

If you don’t have time for that hot bath to unwind the day with, try instead a scented soy candle with the fragrance of ylang-ylang.  You can find this fragrance in the soy scents of Ylang-Ylang, Enchanted Journey and Sensual Moments.  A gourmet body massage soy candle with this fragrance is great for that romantic honeymoon getaway.

Have you ever had a birthday cake and when you blew out the candles they reignited?  You had trick candles on your cake.  I have used them before for a joke but not everyone would appreciate them.  You have to pick your intended victims carefully.  Trick candles can be frightening and upsetting.  Be sure that the recipient will receive your joke in good humor before using them.   Trick candles come in various sizes, shapes and colors.  They are usually used on birthday cakes but could be used whenever a candle is required to be blown out.  However use them with caution as they could start a fire. 

A regular candle has a small ember that continues to burn in the wick when blown out for a moment.  A plume of smoke rises from it when blown out.  The smoke is caused by the ignition of paraffin vapors rising from the candle as the ember dies out.  The heat of the ember won’t relight the wick as it is not hot enough, as paraffin requires a higher temperature to burn.

The wick of a trick candle is impregnated with a substance what will burn at a lower temperature, causing it to reignite.  A popular choice is magnesium which ignites when the candle is blown out, causing the candle wick to begin burning again.  Sparks are often thrown off in this process, making them a potential fire hazard.  To put out a trick candle for good and not reignite simply snuff it out and keep it snuffed for a few moments.  This will cut off the oxygen supply to it.  You can also dunk it into a glass of water, thus cutting off the oxygen supply as well.

There is no trick to soy candles.  They come in various sizes, shapes, colors and fragrances.  They are easy to clean up with soap and water, making the container reusable.  They burn at a lower temperature than paraffin making burns less likely.  They are made from a renewable resource the soybean and using soy candles promotes the farming industry.  Soy candles are non-toxic, burn with little to no soot and are Eco-friendly.  You don’t have to worry that the intended recipient will be offended either.  Scented soy candles make the perfect gift for the person hard to buy for.   

Simply put, votive candle holders are designed to hold votive candles.  The holders come in an array of  sizes and shapes.  The material used to make them can be from metal, wood, stone, glass, or ceramic.  You can find them in home supply stores, from companies who deal in candles and lighting, or even make them yourself. 

A votive candle is a small round pillar candle of standard size, usually 2 inches high by one and a half inches.  They can come in other sizes and shapes also.  A votive candle is used in religious services in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.  They can be made from paraffin, beeswax, soy wax or other waxes.

Candle holders made to hold votives are designed to allow the candle to burn freely without guttering in the wind.  A classic holder is tall and cylindrical with a closed bottom, is made from glass that is clear or colored.  Since the flame is contained in the tall glass holder, making it relatively safe, you can use votives in a large display for parties.  Since a single votive doesn’t give off much light, used in large numbers you will have a nice lighting effect.  A votive candle holder can also be found shaped like a lamp, a candlestick, a candle tray, and a candelabra.  Many holders are versatile and can also hold tea-lights, and taller pillar candles.

For a truly economical and environmentally safe votive candle, try one made of natural soy wax.  Scented soy votive candles are non-toxic and clean up with just soap and water.  They produce little to no soot and burn 50% longer than paraffin wax candles.

Those nubs of left over candle wax in the bottom of the jar are excellent for fire starters.  Simply melt the nubs of candle wax and reuse them.  A great idea is to coat a pine cone with the melted wax by dipping the pine cone into it.  Let it dry and now you have a wonderful fire starter for the fireplace or bonfire outside.  If your nubs were scented, you have a wonderful aroma filling your home as well.

Another use is to take a cardboard egg carton and fill the spaces with dryer lint.  Melt the nubs and pour the wax over the lint in each space.  Let the candle wax harden.  Then cut the egg carton spaces into sections, you will have 12 of them, and use one to start your fire.  Once again if your wax was scented it will give off a pleasing aroma. 

Remember using scented soy wax candles makes good sense.  They are environmentally friendly, non-toxic, produce little to no soot, burn 50% longer than paraffin, come in many fragrances and clean up with just soap and water.  Be sure your nubs are soy wax.

Frankincense is used to make incense and perfumes.  It is actually a dried tree sap or aromatic resin.  It has been associated with the story of the birth of baby Jesus as one of the gifts the wise-men brought.  It comes from trees of the “Boswellia” genus, one of which is the  deciduous tree “Boswellia Thurifera”.  These trees can be found in Somalia, Oman and Yemen.  They are known for their ability to grow in unfavorable environments, such as seemingly to grow out of solid rock.  A disk-like growth at the base of the tree somehow attaches itself to the rock, that prevents it from being torn away during the frequent violent storms in these areas.  Trees that are grown in gravel or rocky soil don’t exhibit this bulbous disk-like growth in such extreme. 

The aromatic resin or tree sap is diverse within this species of trees depending on the soil and climate it is grown in and the species of frankincense tree.  Frankincense is tapped by scraping or cutting the bark and allowing the sap to ooze or bleed out and harden.  The sap is then collected and now is called tears.  This process is done 2 -3 times per year.  Younger trees produce a higher quality resin and if opaque is of superior quality.  Resin value is determined by fragrance, color and clump size.  The lighter and larger clumps are more valuable. 

Frankincense was used in the ancient world to make incense, to perfume the homes of the ancient Greeks and Romans.  It was used in religious rituals of the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians and Babylonians, later in Jewish rites and even later in Catholic rites.  It was also know for its medicinal purposes in history: the first antidote for hemlock poisoning; cure for vomiting, diarrhea, fever and tumors; and today in China to treat leprosy and gonorrhea; in Asia used in medicine to treat digestion and for healthy skin.  Frankincense is edible.  It is chewed like gum but must be pure, no black or brown impurities.  It must be translucent, a light yellow with a slight greenish tint.

Frankincense is used today in perfumery and aromatherapy.  It can be mixed with spices or seeds to create its desired aroma.  The chunks of raw resin can also be placed directly on a heat source to create an incense quality aroma that repels mosquitoes.  The essential oil “Olibanum” is obtained through steam distillation of the dry resin.  Perfumes may contain this essential oil that evaporates slowly, thus maintaining its fragrance.  The essential oil is also used in aromatherapy and is known for its stress-reducing properties.  It has a fresh sweet fragrance that is characterized by a balsamic-spicy, slightly lemon, slight conifer-like undertone.

For a simple way to enjoy the scent of Frankincense try scented soy candles.  You can find this aroma in the scent of “Oh Holy Night”.  This fragrance comes in a variety of styles and sizes of gourmet scented soy candles, soy container candles, soy jar candles, soy candle tins, soy votive,  gourmet soy tart melts, and fragrance oils.

Patchouli was around in the sixties.  It was a symbol of peace and love.    It was a scent used in perfume oils and incense that was used to help cover up other burning odors.  It is actually a plant, originally grown in the East Indies.  It was used in flavoring as a herb for foods and was believed to repel moths.  The Asian silk and cashmere manufacturers would sprinkle it into their packages before sending them to marketplaces, to repel the moths.  The scent had done a process of permentation on the cloth and thus gained the reputation of an exotic fragrance.  It brought to Westerners the idea of romance of far-off places.  Today, patchouli is grown in hot southern climates for commercial reasons.

The essential oil from patchouli is derived from distillation of the leaves of the plant.  It is used today in perfumery.  The fragrance is rich, woody, heady,  earthy with a blend of floral sweetness and has a musky scent that reminds you of fresh-turned soil.  It is an acquired fragrance of like, either you do adore its powerful aroma or you don’t.

Patchouli is associated with love and money.  It is known for its sensual aroma.  It is an aphrodisiac and has an up-lifting effect.  It may help with cracked skin, sores, depression, fluid retention, scalp problems and apprehension.  It is used in magi-ck for passion and love.  The herb is burned in clairvoyance and divination incenses.  You can make your own perfume oil by following these steps:

1. Add 10-15 drops of patchouli oil, some cinnamon oil and vetiver to a 15 milliliter bottle.
2. Then fill the bottle with a scentless blending oil as grape-seed or apricot kernel oil.
3. Don’t apply these essential oils directly to your skin.  Some are very strong and can burn.

Or for a light perfume spray:

1. Put handfuls of the dried herb patchouli into vodka and allow it to steep for several weeks.
2. Next strain off the alcohol from the herb.
3. You now have a patchouli tincture that you can dilute with water to make a cologne spray.
4. You can blend it with other tinctures to create your own personal aroma.

Please be sure and consult a qualified aromatherapist before using internally and avoid use during pregnancy.  Don’t apply undiluted oils on the skin.  Be extremely cautious in using oils with children.  It is always best to do a skin patch test first before using an oil you are unfamiliar with.

For the easiest way to enjoy the aroma of patchouli, try burning soy candles in your home.  No mess, no fuss.  You can find this scent in the following fragrances of scented soy candles, gourmet body massage soy candles , parfum oils and fragrance oils: Egyptian Musk, Angel, Sensual Moments and of course just plain Patchouli.