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. 

The basis of how essential oils works on our body through inhalation is as follows;

1. They have an immediate effect on our sense of smell or also know as olfaction. 
2. When we inhale essential oils our olfactory receptors are stimulated.
3. This is transmitted to the limbic system, which is the emotional center of our brain.
4. The limbic system is connected to the areas of our brain that operate the memory, respiratory or breathing, circulatory or blood, and the endocrine glands.
5. The endocrine glands regulate different hormone levels in our body.
6. The property of the essential oil that was inhaled, will determine what system is involved and what kind of stimulation occurs.

Essential oils are also effective when used topically or on the skin.  When used in massage oils the route of administration is two-fold.  One in the inhalation of the oil, thus working as explained above, and two in a topical application as the oil is massaged into the skin. 

1. Topically, they penetrate the skin tissues.
2. Next they find their way into the bloodstream or circulatory system.
3. Here they are transported to the organs and other systems of the body.

How many of you have been to the spa and had a terrific massage with a wonderful smelling massage oil?  Now you can have that massage right in the comfort of your own home with a gourmet body massage soy candle.  Share the experience with your loved one and spread the love around!

There are many forms of aromatherapy.  Take for example the application of scented body lotion or body spray or perfume.  Then there is taking a warm fragrant bath, burning potpourri, or even just walking through a scented garden.  Last but not least is the burning of a scented candle.  How many of these have you done and not realized it was a form of aromatherapy?  Even better yet is the lighting of a scented soy candle.  You get added benefits in the use of a scented soy candle; less soot, renewable resource, non-toxic, longer burn time.  In fact a soy candle will burn 50% longer than a paraffin candle.

Aromatherapists have known for a long time that odors have a huge impact on how we feel, our mood.  Medical research has also stumbled upon this significant fact.  The sense of smell is strongly linked to our brain and our emotions.  Scents can take us for a walk on memory lane, pleasant or unpleasant.  Alan Hirsch M.D., a neurologist and psychiatrist, states that “smells act directly on the brain, like a drug.  We know that from brain wave frequency studies that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation.  An odor such as jasmine increases brain waves in the front of the head, which are associated with a more alert state of consciousness.”  As you can see the medical profession has also begun to recognize the value of aromatherapy in medicine.  But they have only begun!

Aromatherapy uses the essences of aromatic plants.  These essences are the essential oils that are in high concentration from the plants.  Aromatherapy then is the art of using these essential oils to promote healing of the body and mind.  The oils are found in various parts of the plants like the flowers, leaves, twigs, bark or rinds of the fruits.  They can be used in combinations or alone.  There are different methods of extracting the oils which can be time consuming and expensive.  The essential oils themselves can be expensive, but a small drop goes a long way and is very effective.  You can purchase essential oils from catalogs, websites, and in health food stores.  You can also purchase scented soy candles from the same places.  Why not try one today and get in the aromatherapy groove!

Though most women consider perfumes as the traditional product to achieve a heavenly scent, fragrance oils can be a potent and more natural option.  Different from perfumes which are sprayed on the skin (often the neck, wrists, and clothes), fragrance oil is rubbed onto the skin, much like a moisturizer.  Fragrance oil provides a more permanent, natural scent that isn’t quite as overpowering as perfume.  It’s great for setting the mood for a relaxing massage or an intimate evening.

The scent from a fragrance oil will also tend to rub off less, as it is applied to the skin, so you won’t get a guy in trouble with his wife if you give him a hug!

Grandma deserves some thoughtful consideration when it comes to holiday gifts; after all, without her, you wouldn’t be here!  Here are a few delightful gifts sure to please grandmothers of all ages:

~Scented Candles – a grandmother will love a scented soy jar candle or paraffin wax candle to fill her home with a heavenly aroma.

~Jewelry – grandmothers like to feel beautiful too, and jewelry makes a great gift for women of all ages.  Just avoid anklets and toe rings for grandmothers!

~Bath Sets – a luxurious scented bubble bath complete with handmade soaps is a sure way to rejuvenate grandmothers everywhere.