Candle School Refresher Jo Macfarlane Candle School Workshop Refresher Contents Getting started History of candle making Types of wax Wicks Scenting Thanks Bibliography Getting Started Here is a brief reminder of all the hands on 'making aspects' of the Jo Macfarlane Candle School workshop. 1. You chose your fragrance (definitely the hardest part) 2. Put your wick centred in your vessel using wax glue. If you are using a larger vessel you will need to work out how many wicks you will need. Use the bbq skewers to keep in place. You can buy proper wick supports if you wish. 3 Fill your pan with around 1/3 of water and put on a low heat You don't want too much water so your jug is bobbing around or splashing water into the wax. 4 Measure out your wax by filling the vessel twice, weigh. Remember to 'zero' the scales so you are just weighing the wax. Pop glass jug with wax in it into the pan. I use glass or metal jugs, they conduct the heat better than a plastic jug. 5 Work out 8% of the fragrance, this is industry standard but it does vary according to personal taste, it can go 5-10% but each scent varies too and also if it is a concentrated scent i use 6% but it all comes back to testing and testing again. 5 continued - 100g wax multiplied by 8% = 8g take the 8g which will be your fragrance away from the 100g of the wax =92g So the 92g will be your wax weight & 8g will be your fragrance weight making a 100g candle. 6 Wax must never be heated directly in a pan. Heat to the desired temperature of the type of wax you use, adhering strictly to the regulations. 7 It is imperative to use a thermometer, add the fragrance at the temperature recommended by your wax supplier. I can't advise on what you used up to 31st March 2017 as it is no longer available. 8 I Always use weights in both the wax and the fragrance. My wax has just changed due to it no longer being available in the UK so i am currently testing new waxes. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch by my email [email protected] or social media i'd love to hear how you are getting on and see your pictures of your new candles. H i s t ory of Candle making Candle making has a distinguished position in history as it is one of mans earliest inventions. It has been going on for more than 5,000 years, the early Romans began candle making about 500 bc, these were made by rolling papyrus and soaking in Tallow which is a fat from cows or sheep. China made candles from Whale fat dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) In India wax from boiling cinnamon was used. Yak butter was used for candles in Tibet. Japanese candles were made from wax extracted from tree nuts. Egypt made lit torches made from the core of reeds that had been soaked in animal fat. The Israelites lit candles to celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Light. Early Christians lit blessed candles during religious ceremonies. The early animal fat candles didn’t burn well and had an unpleasant smell. During the middle ages beeswax which had a sweet smell, burned cleaner and longer found its way into Europe. Only in the homes of the wealthy and churches were beeswax candles exclusively used. With the growth of the whaling industry in the 18th Century, Spermaceti oil which was from the cavity in the head of the sperm whale was used and that saw the start of mass produced candles, this wax burned brightly. By the late 19th century London based Prices candles became the largest manufacturer of candles. William Wilson invested in 1000 acres of coconut plantation in Sri Lanka, to make candles from coconut oil. An accidental discovery happened when his son George, a chemist distilled the first petroleum oil in 1854. From 1879 when the light bulb was invented candles came to be marketed as a decorative item TYPES OF WAX Soy Soy wax – With the demand for ‘natural’ eco candles growing, soy is available as an alternative to petroleum-derived paraffin and the natural but expensive beeswax. Soy was developed in the early 1990’s by Michael Richards as an alternative to Beeswax. In 1995 the Body Shop was the first to offer Soy candles. Like Paraffin soy wax comes in a variety of blends and melt points. Many waxes are 100% soy bean, others are blended with coconut, palm and beeswax. Soy is renewable, creates longer burning time, burning soy candles does not increase the Co2 level. Soy based candles produce 90% less soot than paraffin alternatives. Paraffin Paraffin is one of the most common waxes used, it is suitable for pillars, votives and containers. Because Paraffin is a by-product of the crude oil refinement it is not universally embraced. It doesn’t necessarily mean it is toxic, and you are using parts of oil that would otherwise be discarded. Cons: Emits air pollutants, black soot, allergens Bees wax Beeswax is the oldest candle making wax, it burns clean and long. It is a by-product of the honey making process, bees excrete the honey fragranced wax into ‘combs’ to incubate their larvae, it has the naturally sweet smell of honey, or whatever flowers or plants the bees have been feeding on. Palm Wax Produces brighter flame than other waxes, longest burning vegetable derived wax. Similar to Soy in that it is made from natural oil. It produces a feathered, almost crystalline effect on the candle. Suitable for pillars and votives. About 75% of the palm oil harvested is used for food and the other 25% for candles, detergents, soaps etc Pros: Great for use in hot weather Gel Wax Combination of polymer resin and mineral oil, it is transparent and has the consistency of firm jelly. Used for containers, it can be embedded with decorations and shells, dried fruit, ornaments. Comes in three different densities. WICKS Cotton core Burns a hot flame, ideal for vegetable and soy waxes, constructed of tightly braided cotton strands. Paper core Offers rigidity, when waxed. This wick works well in paraffin, gel, soy and vegetable waxes even with a heavy scent load. Zinc core Popular in the States, the metal core creates a more rigid structure. It can stand on its own so stays upright when a larger burn pool is created by the heat transmitted down the wick. Works well with any type of candle. Burns the coolest. Flat braid Made with three sets of cotton filaments, braided together. They curl into the flame, which causes clean burning and self trimming. Hemp core Strong natural fibre which makes rigid wicks stand up during burning, can be used for containers, votives and pillars. SCENTING Essential oils - Derived from nature, these can be made from leaves, virtually any flower, bark, roots, herbs and fruits. Used for the purpose of aromatherapy. Luxury Fragrance Oils – Not all scents can be obtained from nature so synthetic oils can be made, they do not have the healing properties of essential oils. They are cheaper to make than essential oils. Thanks Thank you so much for attending the Jo Macfarlane Candle School. This follow up ezine is intended as a refresher after your candle making workshop, for any information you might have missed. The information gathered here is by no means exhaustive. And issued to guide you on your way with basic candle making to make gifts and use yourself. I highly recommend doing your own extensive research on candle making and test burning to find what is right for you. So many waxes and scents are different and all need tested. Everything talked about in the basic candle making workshop is through my own experience. Please get in touch if you have any feed back and questions, i'd love to hear from you. Please sign up for my newsletter if you haven't already done so. Please share your lovely candles on social media with the #candletowers Jo at Candletowers x BIBLIOGRAPHY www.soya.be www.candlecauldron.com www.thecandlemakingshop.co.uk www.makingcandleseasy.com Wikipedia.org www.alohabay.com www.naturesgardencandles.com wwwcandleshack.co.uk www.doityourself.com www.scentednest.com www.candlescience.com www.theflamingcandle.com www.historyoflightling.net .