How to make DIY soy candles with natural essential oils? Step by step instructions.
Natural, aromatic soy candles are the perfect gift for virtually any occasion — both for her and for him. But did you know that you can easily make this original decoration yourself, at home? Just stock up on all the necessary products and…. let your imagination run wild! We present instructions for a natural, fragrant DIY soy candle.
What do you need to make scented candles?
Probably each of us sometimes feels like relaxing with a beautiful scented candle. Unfortunately — such products often involve a considerable expense, especially if they are made of soy wax. This natural substitute is healthier than — most often used to create candles — paraffin (burned soy wax emits several times less harmful substances and burns longer), as well as much more environmentally friendly. However, not many people know that you can make a natural candle yourself at home, and the whole process will not take you more than 2 hours. All you need is to stock up on soy wax (you’ll get it easily at most stores with semi-finished products for making cosmetics), a vessel for the candle, as well as your favorite essential oil and a few necessary utensils, such as a saucepan, a pot, wooden sticks, a kitchen thermometer and a scale.
You will most likely make the candle in the kitchen: you will need a burner to melt the wax. During the whole activity you may dirty yourself or the furniture, but you should not worry about it. Soy wax is very easy to remove, and you will wash it off with warm soapy water.
Products and accessories needed to make a scented candle at home
Have you decided to make a scented candle yourself from soy wax? To make it even easier for you, below we throw in a detailed shopping list with all the necessary products:
- natural soy wax,
- essential oil of your choice,
- a vessel for the candle, made of heat-resistant material (for example, a jar of thick glass),
- a wooden or cotton wick,
- possible decorations for the candle, such as dried flower petals or natural pebbles,
- a metal tin or foot for the wick,
- tape to hold the wicks,
- wooden sticks to hold the cotton wick,
- a medium-sized pot,
- a vessel for melting the wax, such as a smaller pot, saucepan or glass beaker,
- kitchen scale,
- kitchen thermometer,
- a glass vessel with a volume measuring cup,
- a wooden stirrer,
- alcohol-based degreasing liquid,
- scissors,
- kitchen towel,
- latex gloves.
How to make a soy candle?
Once you have gathered all the necessary products, you can get down to making the candle. Prepare and disinfect the workstation, put on an apron and latex gloves, and turn on the burner. Let’s get started!
STEP 1: PREPARE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CANDLE WAX
How much wax you should melt depends primarily on the size of the container you have prepared. In fact, you can make a candle of any weight, but the most common is 100–300 g. Measure the wax on a kitchen scale, remembering to weigh the vessel in which it will be melted beforehand.
When preparing the amount of wax necessary to fill the vessel for the candle, do not forget to add the essential oils you will use to the calculation. They should not make up more than 12% of the wax volume, but when making larger candles, they can affect the amount of product and cause some of it to go to waste after production.
STEP 2: MELTING THE WAX
Once you have measured the amount of wax you need, you can get down to dissolving it. To do this, prepare a water bath. Pour warm water into a large pot (about half its height). Place the pot over low heat and wait for the water to heat up. Pour the appropriate amount of wax into a saucepan or heat-resistant glass beaker, and place the vessel in the water bath. Do not allow the water in the pot to boil or boil, and refill it every time it runs out.
After a short time, the wax should begin to change its state of aggregation to liquid. Gently stir it with a wooden spoon or chopstick until the whole thing liquefies and has a clear, transparent color. However, do not leave the melted wax in a hot water bath for too long: overheating can cause its structure to be damaged, and unsightly cracks and spots will form on the finished candle.
STEP 3: ADD ESSENTIAL OIL
Once the wax is liquefied, you can get down to adding fragrance. It’s best to choose a natural essential oil, such as lavender, orange, pine or (our favorite) ylang — ylang. You can also mix several types of oils together, but remember that the total amount of oils must not exceed 12% of the volume of the candle: this is very important because soy wax has a limit on the additives it can take in so as not to spoil its structure.
You should add the oils to the wax at a temperature of 60–65 degrees, which means that after the melting itself you will probably have to wait a while for the substance to cool down. Pour the fragrance into the pot with the wax in a gentle stream, stirring the contents of the pot all the time, preferably with a wooden or ceramic stirrer. For best results, stir the wax for about two more minutes after adding the oil.
STEP 4: PLACE THE WICK IN THE CENTER OF THE CANDLE
Once the wax is mixed with the essential oil and cools down, you can get down to preparing the vessel for the candle. Use any container (for example, a jar), making sure it is made of strong metal or thick heat-resistant glass. Before casting the wax, the vessel should be thoroughly cleaned and degreased (using an alcohol-based liquid).
Place the candle container in a dry and cool place, and then take care of preparing the wick:
- if you are using a cotton wick, place an amount of string, a tad longer than the height of the jar, in a tin, and then put a piece of wick tape on the bottom of the tin; stick the tin on the bottom of the jar, trying to place it exactly in the center, and hang the wick on a stick placed on the top edges of the container,
- if you choose a wooden wick, trim it to the height of the jar, and then place it in a special foot, and glue it with mounting tape in the center of the bottom of the container; for a stronger candle burning flame, place two wooden wicks in one tin.
STEP 5: POUR THE WAX INTO THE JAR
When the wax has cooled and reached a temperature of +/- 55 degrees, you can get down to casting the candle. If it has a volume of more than 100 ml, it is best to pour the wax into the container in layers. This will prevent unsightly air bubbles in the candle and unevenness in the top structure of the wax. Pour the first layer about halfway up the container, pouring the wax slowly in a small stream. Remember to correct the position of the wick — so that it is always placed in the center of the candle.
When the first layer of wax has solidified, you can pour another one, remembering to check its temperature beforehand. On the second attempt, the wax should be poured almost to the full height of the vessel. If you notice an uneven, unsightly texture or air bubbles after it has solidified, you can pour another “cosmetic” layer. Remember to make it very thin, and expose at least 0.5 centimeters of the wick.
Once the last layer has been poured and has solidified slightly, you can get down to decorating your candle. Here, as with the choice of fragrances, you must use your imagination and create a tailor-made composition using natural pebbles, dried flowers or wax decorations. However, remember not to put any flammable or synthetic materials on the candle, which could cause a fire hazard while the candle is burning.
Leave the candle to cool in a cool and dry place. Once the wax has cured, it is theoretically ready for use, but it will achieve its best fragrance if you let it mature a bit: ideally, the first burning of the candle should be carried out about two weeks after it is cast.
How to burn a soy candle?
It might seem that such a simple activity as burning a candle should not require an instruction manual. Nothing could be further from the truth: in order to enjoy this original decoration for as long (and as safely!) as possible, you need to stick to a few important rules:
- The first burning of the candle is the most important. Remember to wait for the entire outer layer of wax to liquefy before extinguishing the wick. This way, on subsequent burnings, a tunnel will not form in the wax, and the wick will not be flooded.
- Remember that if you used a wooden wick to create your candle, you should gently trim it before each subsequent burning. You also need to remove the residue of the burned wick, which can settle on the top layer of wax. A wooden wick won’t produce as high a flame as its cotton counterpart, but it can produce the relaxing sounds of a crackling fire in the fireplace.
- A soy candle should burn no more than 3 hours at a time.
- Essential oils added to the wax will smell most intensely when the entire top layer has already liquefied. Remember that even natural fragrances can be allergenic: if you are allergic, carefully read the ingredients of the candle.
- Don’t touch or carry a lit candle: remember that the container can get very hot and cause skin burns.
- Never leave a lit candle unattended! Also remember not to put it in a draft or near flammable materials such as thick carpets or curtains. A burning candle should be kept away from children and pets.
Good luck!
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