Candle Facts

 

 

PARAFFIN WAX

 

There are many misconceptions about the use of paraffin wax in candles, but we find that a fully refined paraffin wax produces beautiful, excellent quality, long burning candles. It is the only wax capable of producing really stunning colours!

 

Referencing an article from www.igiwax.com entitled 'Paraffin Wax... A Safe & Natural Product':

 

"Paraffin wax is a natural wax derived from ancient plant and animal forms that lived millions of years ago. Once obtained from the ground, this product is transported and processed (refined) into many different product forms, one of which is paraffin wax. Fully refined paraffin wax is a non-reactive, non-toxic, colourless mixture of hydrocarbons that is solid at ambient temperature, thermoplastic in nature and is effective as a moisture barrier and clean burning fuel. Due to its very nature, few substances will chemically react with or bind to paraffin wax thus making it a convenient and safe raw material to use in many different applications."

 

 

SOY WAX

 

Soy wax is derived from the soybean oil that is extracted from soybeans, and through a process called hydrogenation, is turned into a solid wax. It is considered to be made from a renewable resource and is mostly produced in the United States.
 

 

Soy wax is known for its clean burning qualities. It produces a quick and long lasting scent throw which is a result of a lower melting point and cooler burning candles. This creates a larger wax pool around the burning wick to promote the release of the fragrance from within the wax.

 

Soy wax also produces very little soot. Soy is definitely the best type of wax to use in container candles for these reasons. Wax spills are also very easy to clean up with hot soapy water.

 

Soy wax in its purest form does not produce satisfactory pillar candles and through extensive trials, we have found that adding paraffin or palm wax to the soy wax, gives us the best result - it creates a harder wax which helps the candles hold their shape.

 

 

PALM WAX

 

Palm wax is an all-natural, renewable resource that is obtained from the oil palm in well managed and regulated estates. Due to its environmentally friendly attributes, palm wax offers us, as candle makers, an alternative choice to paraffin and soy wax. We do NOT source our wax from any supplier that contributes to the deforestation of habitat. 

 

We purchase several palm waxes - Icicle, Cloud, Feather & Spider. By far the most popular of the palm waxes is Feather. The beautiful crystal formations that form on the outside of the candle are greatly influenced by the pouring temperature and rate of cooling. By adjusting these variables slightly, we can create a wonderful array of crystal formations.

 

There has been quite a lot of media lately about the destruction of rain forests in South-East Asia (home to some of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in the world). With the threat of losing these rain forests and destroying the livelihood of native people, orang-utan, Sumatran tiger populations and other important wildlife, we don't purchase palm wax from any supplier that involves itself in any such destruction of the environment.

 

 

WICKS

 

We purchase wicks which are made of cotton. They are lead and zinc free.

 

 

SCENTS

 

We source Australian based, high quality essential oils and synethic oils to scent our candles. Our speciality is triple scented aromatic candles, but we can do single scented or no scent candles on request.

 

Most of us love triple scented candles and want our choosen candle scent to fill the room for us to enjoy, but we do have customers who prefer just a little scent, or no scent at all, which we can easily accommodate. 

 

We can also glaze your candle. Glazing is a unique coating which effectively blocks scent, this way you can enjoy the scent of the candle when it's lit, but at all other times, it produces no scent whatsoever, which is great for those with allergies.   

 

 

CANDLE FINISHES

 

There are 3 important factors which greatly influence the uniqueness of a candle’s finish. (1) wax type; (2) the pouring & cooling temperature used; and (3) the addition of essential oils or premium plant derived fragrances.

 

Here is a brief description about each type of candle finish:

 

RUSTIC: The finish produces a wide variety of interesting surface blemishes. It usually looks aged, chalky, rough, has frost lines, is nostalgic. It is the most common of all candle finishes. 

 

MOTTLED (snowflake): The finish is physically created by a chemical reaction during the candle making process. This process creates air bubbles and other defects, which appear white, and provide a delightful colour contrast that adds character to the candle.

 

CHUNK: The candle has chunks of coloured candle pieces placed into the mold, then a transulent moulten wax is poured over the pieces. In the finished candle you see the chunks embedded into the candle and the moulten wax takes on a hue of colour - very popular, a real "character" candle!    

 

FEATHER: An elegant candle that speaks quality and sophistication. Using palm wax and high temperatures, the moulton wax when it sets, crystalises leaving a soft white pattern in the outer layer.  Often the finish is referred to by the pattern .. feather, icicles, cloud, spider vein etc. 

 

OPAQUE: A rich and creamy smooth finish, commonly associated with soy wax.  Unfortunately, soy wax is very soft and we must blend other waxes with it to give pillar candles their strength.  The alternative to this is to use chemicals to harden the wax, which we prefer not to do.  

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!