SOY WAX Candle Trouble Shooting
Always follow the Manufacturers recommended heating and pouring instructions
.
All soy waxes are not hydrogenated and formulated
to the same specifications so they will vary.
NEVER OVERHEAT
OUR SOY WAXES AS THIS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO ALL THE PROBLEMS LISTED BELOW
1)
Not a full melt pool or too deep of pool (ideal is 1/4” – 3/8”
deep)
a)
Wick may be to small or to large.
b)
Be sure to have your test burn be of a long enough duration
(larger diameter candles may take 4-5 hours). Don't blow out your candle until it has burned a melt pool all the way to the edge of the container. This can take 1 hour for each Inch across the widest section of the jar. Repeatedly blowing out your candle before the melt pool forms all the way across will cause tunneling.
c)
For the same sized container you may need a smaller or a larger
wick depending on the fragrance oil (fragrance oils have different flash
points) and the amount of dye used.
d)
Too much liquid dye added (maximum of 30 drops per pound) this can
clog the wick
e)
Too much fragrance oil. Although The wax can
hold 10% we recommended 7% (by weight) .
f)
Fragrance oil added at too low of temperature. Our wax must be heated to the recommended temperature before adding the fragrance so it mixes on a molecular level.
2)
Poor fragrance throw
a)
Not enough fragrance oil or to much fragrance oil added to the
wax (we recommended 7% by weight). Always use weight measurement on a scale and not
volume, as in tablespoons, as fragrance oil weights by volume vary greatly.
b)
Fragrance oil is not added at the correct temperature (if the
temperature is too low the wax molecules are not expanded enough to trap
the fragrance oil between them as they cool).
c)
Fragrance oil not formulated to be used in soy wax (soy burns
cooler than paraffin so all oils that work in paraffin may not work well
in soy wax).
3)
Fragrance oil leeching out of the wax
a)
Too much fragrance oil (we recommended 7% by weight)
b)
Fragrance oil not added at the correct temperature (if the
temperature is too low the wax molecules are not expanded enough to trap
the fragrance oil between them as they cool).
4)
Poor glass adhesion (wet spots)
a)
Wax poured at too high of temperature (when wax cools it shrinks
and the hotter it is poured the more it shrinks)
b)
The area you are pouring in is too cool. (soy wax seems to pour
best when the ambient temperature is between 67 – 75 degrees F.)
c)
The inside of the glass container isn’t clean.
d)
We do not recommend preheating your containers before pouring
5)
Frosting (colored candles turning white)
a)
Pouring at too high of a temperature (always pour soy wax at the
coolest possible temperature)
b)
100% Soy wax has a tendency to frost more than soy blends (our
Millennium Soy has other natural (no paraffin) additives blended with
the Soy to lessen this issue)
6)
Rough tops after pouring
a)
Pouring at too high of a temperature (always pour soy wax at the
coolest possible temperature)
b)
100% Soy wax has a tendency to have rougher tops than soy blends
(our Millennium Soy has other natural additives blended with the Soy to
lessen this issue)
7)
Rough tops after burning and resolidifying
a)
This is natural for Soy Wax candles and when relit it will return
to a nice liquid melt pool.
8)
Wick mushrooming or smoking
a)
Mushrooming seems to occur with most natural wicks (we don’t
worry about this, just remind your customers to trim to .25” (1/4") before
relighting)
b)
Excessive smoke can be caused by too large of a wick or the candle
is sitting in a drafty area (drafts supply more oxygen than the wick can
burn causing incomplete combustion)
c)
To much fragrance oil
9)
Miscellaneous
a)
Can Soy Wax be heated in a microwave oven?
Yes, but we don’t recommend it as it
is difficult to control the temperature.
b)
Does Soy Wax work for novelty candles?
No as it is too soft.
c)
Does Soy Wax work for pillars or tapers?
Pillars No, it is too soft. Some Chandlers have had
success adding palm wax to harden votive wax for short wide pillars but proper wicking is critical.
d)
What causes votives and candles to crack?
Cooling to fast. Try warming the room you work in, make sure your jars are at room temperature and put some cardboard or newspaper to insulate the molds and containers from tile or granite countertops that can cause uneven cooling.
e)
Can you make floaters and tarts with Soy Wax.
Yes, we recommend using Votive
wax as this will release easier from your molds.
