As the Holidays are just around the corner, I thought it was a great time to look at making your own scented candles at home! Although you can purchase scented candles at any mall store for just a few dollars, these types of candles are not the same quality as those that you can make at home. Making your own candles is easy – and you get to customize your scents too! Here’s a few tips to get you started!
The Difference Between Store Bought Candles and Homemade Candles
Store bought candles are usually petroleum based and made with artificial scents – both ingredients are not beneficial to your health in the long term. If you make your own candles, you can choose either a soy or beeswax base (both of which are natural bases) – and add in essential oils for fragrance. Although essential oil candles are not as strong in aroma as store bought candles, they are more healthy, and less toxic to the atmosphere.
Soy and Beeswax Candles
Soy and beeswax are the two main types of bases used to make natural candles. However, there are many variations on these bases – depending upon whether you are making tealight, votive or container candles – so do your research before buying. A good candle supply store will give you guidance on choosing waxes, containers – and the right type of wick for your candle too.
Vegans may prefer to make soy candles which are plant based: Beeswax is manufactured by bees.
Essential Oil Candles
Essential oils do not “hold” their scent in candle bases as well as fragrance oils – which is why many candle makers prefer to use fragrance oils. The temperature which you melt your wax at – and the temperature of your room for cooling down the wax – may also affect how well your candles “set.” Sometimes, it may be necessary to re-pour/top up the candles to avoid bubbling and imperfections on the surface of your candles when they set.
I have had success with the following essential oils holding their scent in soy based candles:
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ylang ylang
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sandalwood
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nutmeg
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melissa
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peppermint
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petitgrain sur fleurs/neroli
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lavender
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sweet orange (in combination with a base note oil).
Base note essential oils hold their scent longer – but if you combine a base note oil with a top note essential oil, you can vary the overall scent.
You will need a significant amount of essential oil to fragrance a soy based candle: I find that a range of 10 – 20 drops of essential oil per 1 oz of soy wax works well – the variation depends upon the essential oil which you use.
How to Make Soy Candles at Home
If you want to learn how to make soy candles at home for the Holidays, watch this short YouTube video that I created – and don’t forget you can pick up a simple candle-making kit* direct from Sedona Aromatherapie! You can also add on your own choice of essential oil to the kit – just let me know which essential oils you are interested in and I will send you an up-to-date price list.
*Kits are available for the Holidays while stocks last. Essential oils need to be ordered well advance in order to receive them in time for the Holidays too.
Happy Holidays
