I tried my hand at making soy candles today. Soy candles are better than petroleum based ones because they burn cleanly and don't diffuse harmful oil and toxins into the environment (or your lungs). They burn 50% longer than usual candles, and supposedly carry the fragrance better.
The wax was on sale for $6.99 at the craft store. I got lead-free wicks. I melted the wax and poured it into some unused jars we had on hand. Using a meat thermometer I monitored the temperature. When the temp reached 125' I added essential oils as the package instructed. Then I put the wick in the center and tied the end of the wick to a pencil to hold it.
To one candle I added eucalyptus and rosemary. I'll use this one in the guest bathroom (where I take bubble baths) to help my breathing. (Eucalyptus is good for breathing.)
To another candle I added a lot of rose essential oil (in jojoba oil). This one hardly has any fragrance, despite putting in a lot. I'll put this one in our room anyway.
The the third candle I added sweet orange essential oil and a dash of lavender. This smells very good and is in the kitchen.
Overall impressions: It's nice to know that I'm burning good-for-everyone candles, but I feel limited in the fragrance dpt. The essential oils are expensive. I poured a lot of rose EO into the rose candle--and I don't feel like the scent was very strong. The orange EO is better, but not as strong as a usual store-bought candle. (And orange isn't my favorite smell...) The eucalyptus was very strong, however it smells like a medicine cabinet. I need to tinker more with soy candles to find a nice combination.
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