Their soft curves and their colors, shimmering or pastel, always bring a note of elegance to the decorative line. The enveloping scents they deliver in the atmosphere, while burning, invite you to relax. Candles are real wonders that can be enjoyed in many ways and more, if their composition does not include additives or petrochemical derivatives. Discover the recipe for making your DIY candles, using ingredients that respect health and the planet.
The manufacture of the perfect candle could not be achieved without a meticulous selection of the components. Know, from the outset, that you have to combine ingredients belonging to 4 different categories. The consistency of the candle and its ability to melt are obtained by mixing an oily phase with wax. Natural fragrances and essential oils provide the scent that the finished product will diffuse, while burning, while the color is obtained by dyes or pigments. You can choose a wax of animal origin, such as beeswax or vegetable wax, like carnauba, soy or mimosa wax, which you will easily find in DIY cosmetics stores. When selecting the oil, you will take into account its oxidation potential - avoiding those that oxidize quickly -, its color and its odor as well as the price. Then, you will be spoiled for choice:calophylle, St. John's wort, buriti, which also have coloring properties, or simply olive, or sunflower. Alternatives for coloring the mixture include tea bags, herbal powders. Some essential oils also possess pigmenting abilities. Turn, for example, to the HE of blue chamomile. Otherwise, the essences intended to scent the candle are available in all preferences:vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, lavender, cedar, cinnamon, anise, and so many others. For information, it will take a maximum content of 5 to 10% of essential oil in your composition.
You have to start by placing the wax – ideally in shavings – in a bowl that you put in a bain-marie, over low heat. Off the heat, dip a length of cotton wick into the melted preparation to prime it. Priming helps to expel the air trapped between the threads of the wick, which is replaced by wax. This then ensures that the wick can burn as the candle burns down. Soaking should hardly last more than 2 minutes. Place the soaked wick on aluminum foil and shape it straight before putting it in the freezer to cool.
Once all the wicks have been awarded, the rest of the ingredients must be added to the liquid wax:fragrance, macerate, oil, plant powder, etc. A mini-whisk will allow you to mix everything until you reach the perfect homogeneity. The locks will have had time to harden properly:take them out of the freezer and remove the aluminum foil. Thread one end of the wick into the hole in the metal base, which you will have previously provided and tighten to hold it in place. In a candle glass, or any mold, for those who choose a particular candle shape, pour the preparation. Making sure that the base touches the bottom of the container, carefully place the wick and put the whole thing in the freezer for a few minutes to solidify it. If you prefer natural cooling, count up to 3 hours of waiting.
