candlewaxreport2

Candle Wax Truths Revealed ™

The Candle Report ™ Part 2

The Wonders of Soy

The developement of Soy Wax was the first innovation in the candle industry. In 1991 a candle maker named Michael Richards was looking for a cheaper alternative to using Beeswax for making candles.

About Soy Wax

Soy candles scented with essential oils are being touted as the best candle on the market. Everyone wants to jump on the Soy Candle Aromatherapy bandwagon. Burns clean, lasts long, smells great. What customer in their right mind doesn't want to buy a "Green" candle? Soy and Aromatherapy go hand in hand in the candle industy. Essential Oils are used to scent most Soy candles.

Soy Wax is a good alternative if you choose not to use paraffin. But you need to be aware that Soy Wax is more expensive than paraffin wax when making candles.

Soy wax comes from the soybean and is a product that is grown in America. But don't be fooled into believing that your Soy Wax is helping American Farmers. Chances are that your Soy Wax is coming from overseas because it is less expensive for candle manufacturers to buy it overseas. If one of your considerations on having a soy candle business is reliant on the Soy being produced in the USA then make sure you do your homework!

Spills from a Soy candle can easily be cleaned up with warm soapy water. This is a definite benefit for the unlucky folks that spill their candles. No iron needed!

The Disappointments of Soy

Along with the good qualities of Soy there are also some drawbacks. A pure soy candle is not able to hold the maximum amount of scent required for a good scent throw. When the pure soy candle burns the essential oils tend to leach up to the top of the candle and form an oil pool, which could be a fire hazard.

A pure Soy candle also doesn't always perform in a uniform manner, some of them burn great while others produce a lot of soot.

Conclusion on Soy

Soy is a good alternative to paraffin, however, it's not all it's cracked up to be. There are some issues with soot and fragrance pools after the first burn as well as lack of good scent throw. Consistency seems to be the biggest issue for the cnadles in the "Pure Soy" category.

The Veggie Wax Blends

The Veggie Blends are made up from different wax sources and generally exclude Paraffin. A Veggie Blend will never contain paraffin because paraffin, while a natural wax, it is not a vegetable based wax. The blends were produced to provide the upscale candle buyer with a candle that performed well, smelled great and was made from a renewable resource.

Keep in mind that Soy wax is made from a vegetable, therefore, it falls into the Veggie family. But in general Candle making terms, Soy wax is an entity within itself.

The Veggie blends tend to produce a candle with the stability of a paraffin candle and the good qualities of the Soy candle.

A blend of Soy Wax, Veggie wax and Beeswax in combination produces a product that is extremely stable and incorporates the best of what is available. Uniform from candle to candle, virtually no soot and great scent throw.

Drawbacks of the Veggie Blend

The only drawback I have found with the veggie blends is uniformity in pricing. Some are affordable and some are totally out of reach the average candle buyer.

Conclusion on Veggie Blends

I believe that the Veggie Blends are a great choice for those that don't want to use paraffin. The Veggie Blends offer the benefit of being a renewable resource and the finished product has the qualities that Candle lovers look for when making a purchase.

Moving forward to the Single Most Important Question that every Potential Candle Business Distributor or Candle Maker MUST ASK Before they put their money on the table...

The Single Most Important Question...

Who carries the liability insurance on the finished product?

This tends to be the most overlooked aspect of this industry. Every Candle Distributor and every Candle maker needs to be aware that while for the general population, Candles are used safely and there are not many reported occurrences of defects in candles, there is still the potential for our products to be dangerous (remember candles have open flames). You need to know and understand what type of insurance is carried on your finished products.

If you think about this in logical terms, it would be crazy for a company that distributes components of candle making to carry the liability insurance on the final product. Why? Because they really have no control over what a candle maker does with those components.

On the other hand, as a candle maker, are you willing to risk everything you have worked for in the event that one of the final products you produced runs afoul? It's a serious issue that just isn't talked about and should be.

And for the candle distributors...you aren't in the clear on this one. Are you melting down your votive's and making cute little tea lights for distribution? You are also at risk for losing everything should something go wrong.

Candle Distributors

Your products are probably covered by your companies liability insurance with the provision that you don't repackage the products. So you shouldn't repackage your final product if the 2nd generation product will require a flame.

Candle Makers

Candle Makers are in a much more precarious situation with the liability on their finished products. While your companies carry insurance on the components they sell you to make the candles, they have no control over the procedure you use or any additives you use in the candle making process.

Conclusion

Candle Distributors and Candle Makers both need to know the bottom line is on the Liability Insurance. Stay within the guidelines of your company to ensure that you don't put yourself and your family at risk for a lawsuit.

Find a product line you can support and if you choose to become a candle maker, protect yourself and your family assets and buy the liability insurance necessary to cover any defects or mishaps in your final product.

Don't bad mouth other product lines in an effort to build up your own. The only outcome to that tactic is that it makes you look unprofessional. If you sell a blend candle don't call it a soy candle. When your customers learn that it's not what you said it was, you lose credibility and will lose customers.

While Candles and Candle making is a lucrative business and a good option for starting a Home-Based Business, you must always remember that your foundation is key to your success. Take the time to learn everything you can in your field. To portray yourself as an expert in your industry will be one of your best assets!

It's up to you to draw your own conclusion. I've shared mine with you with the hope that you are able to use the information I've provided as well as your own research to understand that while candles are easy to sell, building a business with candles requires a bit more.

Cherrie Fishlowitz
Business Mentor
Team Leader
Independent Distributor

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