Just call me Little Miss Mythbuster today.....
I want to tell you about something that's been bugging me for quite a while now. Those of you who are candle lovers will know what I'm talking about.....it's the "triple scented candle" conspiracy. You buy a candle online or at a craft show that is advertised to be 'triple scented' and the maker states "We add 3 times as much fragrance as everyone else".... and you get it home and fire her up.....to find out the scent really isn't strong. Why? It's a triple scented candle right?
WRONG!!!
Triple scented candles are a MYTH!!
But how can this be? I'll tell you!!
Companies that advertise their candles as being triple scented (or even double scented) and say "they add three times as much fragrance than anyone else" are using this as a marketing gimmick, for the simple fact that wax (ANY kind of wax) is like a sponge.
You know that kitchen sponge you have in your kitchen? Think of your wax candle just like this sponge. Now go in your kitchen and get a shallow pan and your sponge (a standard 3 x 4 kitchen sponge). Squeeze it out really good so it's almost dry. Put it in the pan. There's your sponge (let's say we'll make your sponge be a pound of wax) without any water (fragrance) in it. Now get a cup of water and pour it on the sponge. It may take the all of the cup of water. Get another cup of water and pour it on the sponge. It starts to seep back out right? No matter what you do, you can't get that sponge to hold any more water than 1 cup (or less in some cases). The same goes with wax and fragrance oil. Candle companies simply can NOT add more fragrance than the wax will hold! It's physically impossible.
Lets say that as small time candle makers, we were privy to the candle making formulas of the big guys, like Yankee, Gold Canyon, etc. If we KNEW the formulas, and how much fragrance they added to their wax, and we actually DID add 3 times as much, we COULD use this as a marketing technique (providing it didn't start leaking back out), but I highly doubt that the big boys will share this information with anyone. So you see, triple scenting is simply a myth.
Has anyone ever gotten a candle that has little puddles of liquid on the top? That's the fragrance oil leaking back out! If it's been really hot and the candle has been sitting on your porch waiting for you to get home and unpack it, just give it a chance to set up in the coolness of your home. If it IS set up, and there is still a pool of liquid on the top, be VERY careful lighting it, as this poses a fire hazard!! Better to get a paper towel and wipe the candle (with it unlit of course) and get that excess oil off, then to risk starting a fire. This candle has too much fragrance in it, way more than the wax will hold.
In my opinion, it's better to make a quality (and still highly scented) candle, and let them sell themselves by quality and your customer service, than to use false gimmicks to undercut your competition and get more sales. Hopefully this post has been educational to everyone.
If you have any questions regarding this post, please feel free to Email me, I don't claim to be an expert, but I'll do my best!!
I want to tell you about something that's been bugging me for quite a while now. Those of you who are candle lovers will know what I'm talking about.....it's the "triple scented candle" conspiracy. You buy a candle online or at a craft show that is advertised to be 'triple scented' and the maker states "We add 3 times as much fragrance as everyone else".... and you get it home and fire her up.....to find out the scent really isn't strong. Why? It's a triple scented candle right?
WRONG!!!
Triple scented candles are a MYTH!!
But how can this be? I'll tell you!!
Companies that advertise their candles as being triple scented (or even double scented) and say "they add three times as much fragrance than anyone else" are using this as a marketing gimmick, for the simple fact that wax (ANY kind of wax) is like a sponge.
You know that kitchen sponge you have in your kitchen? Think of your wax candle just like this sponge. Now go in your kitchen and get a shallow pan and your sponge (a standard 3 x 4 kitchen sponge). Squeeze it out really good so it's almost dry. Put it in the pan. There's your sponge (let's say we'll make your sponge be a pound of wax) without any water (fragrance) in it. Now get a cup of water and pour it on the sponge. It may take the all of the cup of water. Get another cup of water and pour it on the sponge. It starts to seep back out right? No matter what you do, you can't get that sponge to hold any more water than 1 cup (or less in some cases). The same goes with wax and fragrance oil. Candle companies simply can NOT add more fragrance than the wax will hold! It's physically impossible.
Lets say that as small time candle makers, we were privy to the candle making formulas of the big guys, like Yankee, Gold Canyon, etc. If we KNEW the formulas, and how much fragrance they added to their wax, and we actually DID add 3 times as much, we COULD use this as a marketing technique (providing it didn't start leaking back out), but I highly doubt that the big boys will share this information with anyone. So you see, triple scenting is simply a myth.
Has anyone ever gotten a candle that has little puddles of liquid on the top? That's the fragrance oil leaking back out! If it's been really hot and the candle has been sitting on your porch waiting for you to get home and unpack it, just give it a chance to set up in the coolness of your home. If it IS set up, and there is still a pool of liquid on the top, be VERY careful lighting it, as this poses a fire hazard!! Better to get a paper towel and wipe the candle (with it unlit of course) and get that excess oil off, then to risk starting a fire. This candle has too much fragrance in it, way more than the wax will hold.
In my opinion, it's better to make a quality (and still highly scented) candle, and let them sell themselves by quality and your customer service, than to use false gimmicks to undercut your competition and get more sales. Hopefully this post has been educational to everyone.
If you have any questions regarding this post, please feel free to Email me, I don't claim to be an expert, but I'll do my best!!
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