Homemade Soy Wax Candle Making Instructions
 

Are you interested in how to make soy candles as a non-toxic alternative to traditional store-bought candles that often release a number of dangerous toxins? If so, you’re in the right place!

At 1502 Candle Co. we pride ourselves in providing cleaner-burning alternatives to traditional candles, using all-natural soy wax candles along with high-quality fragrance and essential oil blends and recycled containers.

We’d like to share the candle making process with you. Keep reading and have fun while you're making soy candles for your family, friends and home!

Soy Wax Candle Making Supplies & Instructions

The great thing about making soy candles is that you can make them almost anywhere as long as you have a pouring pitcher and a stove top.

That being said, it's easier to make soy candles from the comfort of your home. We love making soy candles from home where we can make a pot of coffee (or perhaps a glass of wine), turn up the tunes and really let the creativity flow.

Soy Wax Candle Making Supplies

Our favorite part of making soy candles is experimenting with blending different fragrance and essential oils. There are some interesting and amazing combinations. At 1502, our favorite is woodspice & honey, perfect for those fall nights.  

Outside of fragrance and essential oils, there are a few other supplies that you’ll need for making soy candles:

• Soy wax

• Thermometer

• Pouring pitcher

• Cotton wicks

• Containers

• Gloves

Instructions for Making Soy Candles

If you’re new to soy wax candle making, below I have outline a few instructions and helpful tips that can help you create the perfect candle!

1. Put your pot filled with water on the stove. Fill your pouring pitcher with soy wax and set in the pot. Gently heat wax to 185 degrees.

2. Weigh out your fragrance and/or essential oils

3. Remove the pouring pitcher from the heat

a. Add fragrance and essential oils to the wax
b. Stir Gently

4. Glue wicks to the center of the candle container

5. Let wax cool to 145 degrees

6. Then, pour wax gently into containers

7. Be sure to center and prop up wicks

8. Once wicks are centered, place candles in a safe, non-drafty area where they should cure for at least 24 hours

 9. After 24-30 hours, the wax should be settled and you can cut your cotton wicks to 1/2 inch or smaller.

10. Light your candle and enjoy the wonderful fragrance!

 Candle Making Safety Tips

We love making soy wax candles as it can be incredibly fulfilling, the process must be handled with care when you are mixing boiling hot wax at extremely hot temperatures.

To help make your soy wax candle making process as safe as possible, be sure to consider the following safety tips:

• Be sure that the wax doesn’t heat up past 200 degrees so that you don’t burn and discolor the wax

• Wear gloves while handling fragrance and essential oils

  • Some are known to irritate your skin

  • Be sure not to leave heating wax unattended, especially if you have kids or pets

• Pour hot wax gently to avoid bubbles in candles and burning yourself

Soy Wax For Candle Making

Now that you understand the basic steps to making soy candles, it’s important to cover how to choose the proper soy wax for your candles.

At 1502 Candle Co, all of our candles have a great scent throw and feel it's an important factor to consider when making soy candles.

Scent throw is the appealing smell that the wax gives off. For example, when you get home and take off the lid of your oakmoss & amber candle you'll smell a very intense cold scent throw. Once you light your soy candle you'll be smelling it's hot and more intense scent throw.

To make your soy candles most effective, make sure you always select high quality, fresh soy wax that allows you to use high quantities of fragrance or essential oils.

Also, make sure you choose a soy wax that has a melt point that works with your climate. If you live in a hotter climate choose a wax that has a high melt point to avoid your candles getting too soft in the summer. If you live in a cold climate choose a wax that has a lower melt point to have a good burning candle year round

Why is Soy Wax Special?

Soy wax is special for a number of reasons, but we choose soy wax because it aligns with our mission to be environmentally friendly. Soy wax comes from the oil of soybeans, which is a renewable resource. The only limit to it would be the amount of soybean we can grow. The majority of soybeans are grown in the United States and we like the fact that we are supporting the local economy.

Soy wax is also special because it burns slower and longer than paraffin candles. Soy wax candles are not only sustainable, but they also perform better across the board, making them a win-win for any candle lover!

Waxes to Avoid

When evaluating waxes, there are a few that we feel you should avoid.

The first wax that we avoid is palm wax. The issue we have with palm wax is that the creation of palm oil (which is hydrogenated and turned into palm wax) results in major deforestation of our world’s rainforests. The clearing of rainforests is resulting in global warming and the killing of many species including those who are endangered.

One Indonesia study found that the deforestation linked to the production of palm oil is causing Indonesia’s temperature to rise. One United Nations report suggests that over 80 percent of the habitat for Borneo’s critically endangered orangutan could be lost by 2028.

As global warming continues to become a prominent and important issue, it’s important for us as individuals, families, companies, and corporations to do as much as we can do to reduce our environmental impact. At 1502 Candle Co., we pride ourselves on being an environmentally conscious company and palm wax does not align with our ethos.

Another wax that is neither environmentally friendly or healthy is paraffin wax. When lit, paraffin wax can release dangerous toxins into the air that have been associated with brain and lung damage, and in some cases even cancer. Paraffin wax is also a known source of indoor pollution, which is something you certainly want to avoid if you have children or pets.

Although not harmful like palm or paraffin wax, we don't use beeswax because it doesn't hold as much fragrance and essential oils as soy was done. However, if you’re in the mood for experimenting, go ahead and give beeswax a try!

Candle Scents: Choosing the Best Fragrance Oil for Your Candle

We love appealing and unique scents at 1502 Candle Co., and having done quite a bit of experimenting, we’ve gathered a few tips to help you select the best fragrance and/or essential oil for your candle. We choose fragrance oils that smell the most natural.

When we light candles we want to smell strong, beautiful fragrances, and do not want our environment to be overwhelmed with thick fragrances that may cause reactions like headaches. There are thousands of oils available for use, but what we’ve found is that the best oils for creating a relaxing environment are those that smell as close to nature as possible.

Not all fragrance oils are approved for use on skin. We choose ones that are skin safe because we come in contact with the oils we use on a daily basis and don’t want our candles to cause any irritations to our customers either.

Many fragrances on the market today contain phthalates. Phthalates are toxins that are connected to everything from liver and lung damage to obesity. We always choose phthalate free fragrances!

Low Temp Candles: Soy Wax Melting Point

When making soy wax candles, you’ll want be sure to pay attention to the melting point.

The exact melting point will range between 120 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the blend of soy and fragrance.

Once your wax has melted, you’ll pour the soy wax into the candle container. This process can be a bit tricky, especially considering the hot temperatures, so here are a few tips for pouring the soy wax into the candle jar:

• Always make sure that the jar is clean and at room temperature

• Take your time

• Pour slowing - bubbles will cause sink holes in your solidified candles.

• If you’re new, keep a candle journal

Note information such as:

• Cooling length

• Temperature

• What types of fragrances and essential oils were used

• How much wax and fragrance were used

• What kind of soy wax you used

After you’ve poured the wax into the jar, now it is time to let the candle cool.

For proper cooling, you’ll want to place the candles in a safe, non-drafty area where they will cure for 24-30 hours. Once candles have cured, be sure to trim the wick before use!

Pick Your Candle Containers

Now that we’ve covered fragrances and melting points, it’s now time for the last step: selecting your soy wax candle container. There are a number of different types of candle containers, at 1502 Candle Co. when we make candles at home we used recycled jars and glasses but now prefer to make then in either travel tins or apothecary jars.
 

Travel Tin Containers

We absolutely love our travel in containers at 1502 Candle Co. Not only do tin containers use recyclable steel, but it’s also very lightweight (meaning that it costs less to ship) and easy to take on the go. So if you travel quite a bit or are looking for a sturdy, eco-friendly option, we highly recommend tin containers!
 

Apothecary Glass Jars

Glass jars are a more traditional option that creates a beautiful ambiance and glow at night. Not only do they look beautiful but we love glass jars because they are recyclable, reusable and refillable, making them another great eco-friendly option.

Now that we’ve walked you through the steps of making soy candles and covered a few tips and suggestions, it’s time for you to get started making your own soy wax candle.

If you ever have any questions about our sustainable practices or candle materials, please feel free to reach out to us at 1502 Candle Co. We’d love to hear from you!