Expert: Neecie - 12/15/2006

Question
Hi Neecie,
Is there a big difference in fragrance scents(oils)for making candles? I'd like to make some very fragrant ones. Could you recommend some brands to buy (as well as some I should avoid)?
And the same question on brands for coloring candles.
Thanks, Sue  

Answer
Hi Sue,
There certainly can be some differences in the fragrance oils that you purchase. Some can be awesome and others nothing more than mouth wash. As a candlemaker, it's the expensive side of learning and testing to see what works well with your application. Perhaps you've heard this already, but testing your fragrances is important. As I have found over the years, not one particular brand or manufacturers fragrances will be pleasing to you or even work with the type of wax you are working with. Soy wax is one type of wax that can be very challenging to get fragrances to work well with.  When you are shopping for fragrance oils, stay away from alcohol based fragrances. You may lured in by the price tag, but don't be fooled. Fragrances that are made with alcohol, tend to evaporate and burn off quickly.  So with all of that being said, what should you stay away from?  First start off purchasing just small samples of the products that you'd like to try. Most suppliers offer sample sized fragrances. They can range from free to just a few bucks.  I believe the fragrances you can buy at any hobby type store aren't much to speak of. They too expensive, for a tiny amount, and aren't anything to write home about. If you are looking for fragrances there are plenty of distributors on the world wide web that will sell you fragrances. To answer the second part of your question, coloring your candles is a personal preference. I've seen just in the past few months, the trend to not color soy candles. In my opinion, a candle looks a little sick without it being colored. But, everyone has an opinion.... Anyway, there are many ways to color a candle as well. Dyes come in flakes, chips, liquids, blocks to name a few. Some people like liquids, whereas I don't care for liquids. I like the color chips myself. I feel I can get better looking results and a little more flexibility in achieving colors.  Looking on Ebay might be a good start, there are plenty of well established candlemakers and distributors, such as myself that will sell all types of candle supplies including fine fragrances and candle coloring. If you do not want to try Ebay, check out these companies:
www.genwax.com
www.candlewic.com
www.prestopotwaxmelter.com
www.Ebay.com