Q. I read a lot about vybar and stearine additives that Is hould be adding to my wax. Do I need to add vybar and/or stearine to my wax?

A. If you are using wax from The Cajun Candle Factory, you DO NOT need to add anything to it. All of our waxes are pre-blended with just the right amount of additives to give our wax the exact properties that it needs in order to keep your candles consistently head and shoulders above the rest. If you are using another wax, check with your supplier about amounts and additives you need to add.

Q. What does the flash point of a fragrance oil mean?

A. I get lots of questions about the flash point of a fragrance oil and what it means. I'll answer this in as simple terms as I can. All fragrance oil(s) have a flash point. We note the flash point of each of our fragrance oils in the chart above. Flash points are not a concern when making paraffin or soy candles or when making skin care products. However, keep in mind that not all fragrance oils are skin compatible regardless of the flash point.

The flash point of a fragrance oil has absolutely no relationship to the solubility, appearance, safety, or general burn performance of your finished paraffin, soy or palm wax candles.

U.S. law dictates that flash points must be noted by the manufacturer because fragrance oils with a flash point of 141 degrees or lower can not be transported by air transit. The reason is that there is a concern of ignition should a large volume of the oil come into contact with a spark or other combustible mechanism at a very high altitude. Now remember, first of all the fragrance oil must be in a very dark, unvented and enclosed area (such as the cargo area of an airplane) and it must also come into contact with something that will ignite it such as an open flame or a spark at a very high altitude. It is important to remember that these flash points are only valid for closed containers with sparks or flame and must be at a very high altitude, higher than 25,000 feet.

As with all chemicals keep fragrance oils out of the reach of children and pets.

Q. Are there really any differences in waxes? After all, aren't all candle waxes just straight paraffin wax?

A. Yes, all candle waxes (except gel) begin from straight paraffin. However, that is where the similarities stop. The quality of a good candle wax depends on how it was manufactured. There are a lot of waxes on the U.S. market that come from several foreign countries, and are not manufactured with quality or consistent procedures. Some of these waxes will have a high water content, some will have a high oil content, and most will not be consistent in either. That's where the problem comes in, because once you think you have your additives down, the next batch of candles you make won't turn out right, because of inconsistency during the manufacturing. You will have to constantly be reformulating your wax formulas. Our waxes are blended with exact quality procedures, to offer you a professional, quality and consistent wax.

Q. What degree should my wax be before I add my color and fragrance?

A. If you're making container or votive candles, we suggest that you add your color between 160-170 degrees, then add your fragrance oil after your color. We recommend you add your fragrance oil around 170 degrees. If you're making pillar candles, we recommend you add your color between 175-180 degrees. Add your fragrance at about 180 degrees. Be sure you stir well and always use a thermometer to regulate your temperature.

Q. I just poured some candles and the last portion of the wax had a bunch of gunk in the bottom of it. Did I get hold of some bad fragrance oils?

A. No, it's not a fragrance oil problem, it's a stirring problem. Be sure you are stirring your wax for a full two minutes after you add your fragrance oil, so that the wax, color and fragrance oil will all bind together. There are a few fragrances, usually vanilla based ones, that need to be heated slightly before you add them to your wax. Tip: Use a wire wisk to stir fragrances into the wax that gives you a hard time. Also, be sure that you are shaking your fragrance oil bottles well before you pour the oil into the wax.

Q. I use one and a half oz. of fragrance oil per pound of wax in my candles to make them strong. I have heard good things about your fragrance oils and would like to try some, but your prices seem slightly higher than the company I am getting mine from now. Why are yours more expensive?

A. You will never have to use more than 1 oz per pound of our fragrance oil to make an extra-strong scented candle. All of our fragrance oils are 100% pure, uncut Grade AAA fragrance oils. You simply don't need more than 1 oz. per pound of wax to make a great candle. For example, if you are buying a discount fragrance oil for $14.00 per pound and using 1.5 oz. per lb of wax, you are spending $1.32 to scent one pound of wax. By contrast, if you spend $17.00 per pound for a quality, pure fragrance oil, your cost-per-pound is only $1.07 to scent a pound of wax! That's a savings of 25ยข for every pound of wax you scent. You really will save money in the long run by using and producing only quality products.

Q. I made some 16 oz. apothecary jar candles, and I can't get a full melt pool across teh diameter of the candles. They are tunneling straight down and I have lots of wax left on the sides. I've used the biggest wick available, and it still does it. Is there something wrong with my wick or wax?

A. There isn't anything wrong with either. Unfortunately, a 16 oz. apothecary jar is too wide for most of the wicks on the market. The wicks that can get a full melt pool will smoke too much, so we don't recommend using that. We have solved this problem simply by using two smaller size wicks in the apothecary jars. We center the two wicks in the jar about 1 inch apart, and we get a great melt pool and a fantastic scent throw, since we are using two wicks instead of one! Our customers love it and the extra wick does not burn the candle down any faster than one wick would with a full melt pool.

Q. My candles keep sinking in the middle, even after I do my second pour. Sometimes it takes me 4 or 5 repours to get a flat top on my candle. This is very discouraging to me, how can I fix this?

A. You need to be patient and wait for your candle to completely cool before you do your second pour. If you wait until your candle is 100% cool before you re pour, you'll only have to do it once.

Q. I have some old wax here that I would like to use. Are your fragrance oils compatible with other waxes?

A. Yes, our fragrance oils are blended especially for candles, so all of them are compatible with any type of wax. However, your scent throw will vary, depending on the quality of the wax and whether you have correct amounts of additives in the wax you are using.

Q. Can I use scents I got from another company in your wax?

A. Yes, and to be perfectly honest there are several companies that offer high-quality fragrance oils comparable to our own. However, there are many more companies out there with a lower-grade of fragrance oils, and if you use those they will not work as well. Some companies even "cut" their oils with a liquid chemical in order to make it less expensive to the consumer.