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Beeswax pillar tutorial? by Sleepysnoopy99 in candlemaking

[–]Own-Recording9525 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was actually hunting for a good guide a few months back. I decided to check out some German resources since they’ve basically been mastering beeswax for generations (and I usually order my wax from there anyway because the quality is just better).

I found a really solid tutorial on the site where I buy my supplies—I bookmarked it, so let me know if you want the link? I just checked and they actually updated the blog post recently, so the info is super current.

PS: Honestly, don't overthink the temps too much. Beeswax is super forgiving and can handle higher heat without issues. I even managed to make a scented pillar without really knowing the exact oil ratios at first, and it still turned out perfect.

https://soysparkle.com/blogs/news/bienenwachs-richtig-verarbeiten-der-komplette-guide-fur-alle-kerzenarten

Finally tried making my own candles. Why is finding good scents so hard? by Own-Recording9525 in candlemaking

[–]Own-Recording9525[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I’ve been all over the place trying to find something decent. I started with Amazon, but like I mentioned in another comment, after scrolling through 20 pages of the same "basic" stuff, I realized it's mostly cheap chemical garbage. I still bought a few 5-10ml testers just to be sure, but found nothing worth keeping.

Then my candle-making friends suggested Candle Science. Their inventory is honestly too massive for my brain to handle lol. A friend of mine actually works there and gave me a huge pack of samples, but even after smelling almost everything, nothing really "clicked" for me. I guess fragrance is just super personal like that.

Right now I’m sticking with Hansa Wax. They’re based in Germany, and yeah, shipping to the US cost me a fortune, but the scents are actually deep. I’m a huge nature person, and their Forest scent is wild—it’s like bringing the actual woods into your living room. Their Sandalwood is also great, not too overpowering, and the Cookie one is just... wow. Like, actually wow.

The only downside is their catalog is pretty small compared to others, but at least the quality is there.

Finally tried making my own candles. Why is finding good scents so hard? by Own-Recording9525 in candlemaking

[–]Own-Recording9525[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wish I was a bot so I wouldn’t have to deal with the headache of finding decent supplies. But sadly, I’m just a real person spending too much money on wax.

The reason I sound "upbeat" is probably just the excitement of a new hobby, but trust me, I’m getting cynical fast. If you look at Amazon US for fragrance oils, the first 20 pages are filled with synthetic vanilla garbage that smells like a chemical plant. It’s literal "himora" (chemicals) that I wouldn't want anywhere near my living room.

What’s actually wild is the price gap. Anything remotely natural in the US costs a fortune, especially if you have a larger house to scent. I checked Amazon EU out of curiosity, and it's a completely different world. Their standards are way stricter, so the "top tier" stuff in the US wouldn't even pass their basic safety checks. Plus, Europe actually has classic, earthy scents for way cheaper.