Candle Dyes and Candle perfumes

Soft, flattering candlelight is delightful and the glow of candles can enhance even an ordinary room, but color and perfume can add a whole new dimension to candles in the home.

Creating Candle Color

Although crayons and powder paint will color wax, they are insoluble and will gather in the wick when the candle burns, causing spluttering and an unpleasant odor. Wax-soluble dye or candle pigment can be used for coloring wax for candle making.

Wax-soluble dye is available in disc form. Each disc will color 2kg (4lb) of wax for casting in moulds, or 500g (lib) for over dipping. The amount of dye required to give a particular shade will vary according to the blend and opacity of the wax mixture, and the bulk of the finished candle. To test for the finished color, allow a teaspoon of the dyed wax to cool on a piece of greaseproof paper. The final color will be apparent when the wax is completely cold.

A finely ground candle pigment can be used to color wax for painting or surface decoration. It cannot be used to color an entire candle as it clogs up the wick. Although it is possible to mix dyes to the required shade, be careful not to over-dye the wax, as this will diminish the glow of the candle. The amount of stearin used in a candle has a considerable effect on the opacity and brightness of wax dye. Whitening and pearl sing agents can also be added to alter the color of a candle.

Using Perfumes

As well as enhancing a room with flickering light, candles can also please the olfactory senses. A huge choice of fragrances is available which means you can experiment at will, and never create unpleasant odors!

Care is needed when choosing your perfume. Candle perfumes are oil-soluble and they are specially formulated to be burned. The best of these use natural fruit and flower essences. If you want to use another type of perfume, always check that it is going to smell pleasant when burned. To do this, place a drop on the end of a piece of wick, ignite it, then blow it out. This will indicate what the perfume will smell like when it is added to a candle.