# Bitter Creek Candle Supply



## math ace (Jun 4, 2020)

I searched the forum and find references to BCS and BCN (Bitter Creek South or North).  These references are from 2018 and before.  It looks like there is just now a Bitter  Creek Candle supply (not or North or South).  It also looks like this company obtained the recipes for some much liked fragrances from a company called Bubbles n' Lights. 

I think I want to try this company next.  They offer a BAKERS Dozen 13 samplers for $20.  I am looking at the following scents:

Basil Sage Mint,
Fresh Squeezed Oranges,  
Twigs & Berries,
Wildberry Zinger Tea,  
Juniper Breeze Type,
Almond Cherry,
Cupid (Bubbles n' Lights),
Dream Weaver,
Autumn Warmth,
Apples N' Oak Type,
Cucumber Melon,
===============
Cucumber Melon (Bubbles n' Light ver)
Heather,
Lemon,
Mulberry,
Banana,
Bayberry,
Black Cherry,
Blackberry,
Drakkar Type,

Please, share your experiences with the above.  From what I've been able to piece together, the fragrances above the dashed line are suppose to be stickers in CP.  I can't find any info on the ones below the dashed line and that always makes me nervous!


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## lsg (Jun 4, 2020)

I was going to try Bitter Creek, but the shipping was much too high for me.


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## math ace (Jun 8, 2020)

Yep, looks like their min shipping is $20 per order.  That is what rustic escentuals charges too.  Neither company will use USPS , which would be cheaper.


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## shunt2011 (Jun 9, 2020)

I've never tried their FO's but I do get my Vanilla Stabilizer from them.   I order several bottles at a time.  I think they adjust their shipping if it's less expensive, but can't remember for sure.  I only order once a year or two.


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## jcandleattic (Jun 9, 2020)

Ditto what shunt said for me. - With the little amount I buy, I've never had an issue with them though, if that helps...


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## amd (Jun 9, 2020)

math ace said:


> Almond Cherry,
> Cupid (Bubbles n' Lights),


Check the usage on these two - if I remember correctly one of them is not body safe. If I remember correctly it's Cupid because I was disappointed because that was the better smelling of the two.



math ace said:


> Drakkar Type,


Smells amazing, soaps really well at room temps.

For regular orders - not samples - their shipping (to me in the upper Midwest) was really reasonable. You do need to watch which FO's you buy because not all can ship USPS and that's where the higher ship rate comes in. I've ordered a handful of times from them, and every time the next day I've gotten a refund on shipping overcharge. Their shipping calc on the website is a bit outdated I think, so [I assume] they have someone double check what actual shipping is and return the difference. I have this happen every time I order from Lotion Crafter too, btw.

ETA: try their love spell dupe too - it's amazing!


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## math ace (Jun 9, 2020)

@amd 

They don't ship anything USPS anymore.  I contacted them to confirm.  Also contacted them to confirm shipping amount .. $19 - $20 to ship less than a 1 lb of merchandise.

I've heard so little about them, other than their vanilla stablizer, that I'm hesitant to do anything.


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## amd (Jun 10, 2020)

The last time I ordered from them was September, so it's been awhile. Unfortunate. I quite liked them but shipping can be a killer.


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## AliOop (Sep 4, 2020)

I broke down and ordered their vanilla stabilizer, plus a couple of scents to make the shipping worthwhile. The order arrived within one week of the order date - fastest soap supply delivery that I've gotten in a LONG time.

I like to sniff new scents without looking at the label first, just to see if the scent seems true without any preconceived notion of what I'm smelling. Word to the wise: if you also do this, put the vanilla stabilizer aside first so you don't take a big whiff. It so acrid that it could probably be used for smelling salts!

ETA: their Champagne smells really nice OOB. The Strawberry smells very fake, but I got it to mix with the champagne. Not sure I want to do that and potentially ruin a good scent.


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## sarahmarah (Sep 5, 2020)

I got Irish Whiskey to make a Hot Toddy candle and wow....it’s exactly like Jameson. So much like the actual thing that I had a hard time blending it.

I’ve always wanted to tryout more things but never got around to it. I’m curious about their Hinoki FO.


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## blucrsr (Sep 17, 2020)

I made the mistake of giving the vanilla stabilizer a big sniff.  You could knock someone out doing that!


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## shunt2011 (Sep 17, 2020)

blucrsr said:


> I made the mistake of giving the vanilla stabilizer a big sniff.  You could knock someone out doing that!



It is potent but doesn't stick around long in the soap.


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## Megan (Sep 17, 2020)

AliOop said:


> I broke down and ordered their vanilla stabilizer, plus a couple of scents to make the shipping worthwhile. The order arrived within one week of the order date - fastest soap supply delivery that I've gotten in a LONG time.
> 
> I like to sniff new scents without looking at the label first, just to see if the scent seems true without any preconceived notion of what I'm smelling. Word to the wise: if you also do this, put the vanilla stabilizer aside first so you don't take a big whiff. It so acrid that it could probably be used for smelling salts!
> 
> ETA: their Champagne smells really nice OOB. The Strawberry smells very fake, but I got it to mix with the champagne. Not sure I want to do that and potentially ruin a good scent.


I feel like most strawberry fragrances are like that, but get better in soap. Have you tried putting a couple of drops on a paper towel with the Champagne to see if that makes it any better?


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## AliOop (Sep 18, 2020)

Megan said:


> I feel like most strawberry fragrances are like that, but get better in soap. Have you tried putting a couple of drops on a paper towel with the Champagne to see if that makes it any better?


That’s a good idea - I will try that! Thanks


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## earlene (Sep 18, 2020)

blucrsr said:


> I made the mistake of giving the vanilla stabilizer a big sniff.  You could knock someone out doing that!




I am glad I read this; I will be careful when I open the bottle once my order arrives! Not that I ever take a whiff with my nose directly over the bottle; but I do sometimes pre-pour & leave a fragrance out for a while before making soap and the odor does tend to linger.


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## shunt2011 (Sep 18, 2020)

@AliOop I too have found that most strawberry fragrances smell kind of fake.  I have one, I haven't used it yet but it's called Strawberry Jam from WSP.  I bought it a couple years ago and it's not bad in the bottle but haven't given it a go.  Maybe once I get back to making soap (if I can) I'll give it a go.  I had a Strawberry Shortcake that wasn't bad but faded quickly.


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## AliOop (Sep 18, 2020)

shunt2011 said:


> @AliOop I too have found that most strawberry fragrances smell kind of fake.  I have one, I haven't used it yet but it's called Strawberry Jam from WSP.  I bought it a couple years ago and it's not bad in the bottle but haven't given it a go.  Maybe once I get back to making soap (if I can) I'll give it a go.  I had a Strawberry Shortcake that wasn't bad but faded quickly.


Thank for you that feedback. I'm having trouble motivating myself to try some of the tester scents that I bought, because the Christmas scent was so overpowering and gave me such a headache that I had to send it to a friend's house to cure. She is probably going to give it back bc it is too strong for her, as well. And I used half the recommended amount. 

It's such a bummer not being able to use many FOs without a bad reaction.


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## The_Phoenix (Sep 19, 2020)

shunt2011 said:


> @AliOop I too have found that most strawberry fragrances smell kind of fake.  I have one, I haven't used it yet but it's called Strawberry Jam from WSP.  I bought it a couple years ago and it's not bad in the bottle but haven't given it a go.  Maybe once I get back to making soap (if I can) I'll give it a go.  I had a Strawberry Shortcake that wasn't bad but faded quickly.


Nurture Soap's Sugared Strawberry is soooo nice. It's not artificial smelling at all. Our pet mouse, Jorge, loves strawberries. I made a lotion bar using the FO and used it on my hands before handling him. He couldn't stop smelling my hands and tried to nibble on them--he never bites. So if Jorge approves...


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## earlene (Sep 19, 2020)

Does anyone recall how long orders take for delivery when they chose the Spee-Dee Delivery?  

Incidentally, those of you who have not ordered because of the high shipping costs, they DO have a cheaper option.  
You can calculate the estimated delivery based on weight & zip codes at this link, which is NOT a part of BCN. I found it via Google. It is suggested you add up the weight of your products & add 2 pounds for packaging, when you use the Spee-Dee calculator.  Then enter the sender's zip code (BCN's zip code is 54806), then your own.  

My calculation estimate was $6.96, but it ended up being $7.13, so not bad for what I ordered, which was a pound of vanilla stabilizer and a few 1 oz size FO's to test out.

Now I just want to know when my order will arrive.  I haven't received a confirmation of shipment or a tracking number, although on the site it does say it shipped.  I just emailed them how much I am looking forward to my order & a question about why everything on my order (dated 9/14) was still listed as in my cart.


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## shunt2011 (Sep 19, 2020)

I have t ordered in quite some time so can’t recall. Hopefully soon for you.


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## Jersey Girl (Sep 19, 2020)

earlene said:


> Does anyone recall how long orders take for delivery when they chose the Spee-Dee Delivery?
> 
> Incidentally, those of you who have not ordered because of the high shipping costs, they DO have a cheaper option.
> You can calculate the estimated delivery based on weight & zip codes at this link, which is NOT a part of BCN. I found it via Google. It is suggested you add up the weight of your products & add 2 pounds for packaging, when you use the Spee-Dee calculator.  Then enter the sender's zip code (BCN's zip code is 54806), then your own.
> ...


When I put the vanilla stabilizer in my cart, the shipping came out to $18+. I was shocked!


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## hlee (Oct 9, 2020)

I have not ordered from them for a while but their Oak Moss is really nice.


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## sarahmarah (Oct 9, 2020)

I know they are really good about refunding the difference in shipping—or at least I got one for some wick clip sets.


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## earlene (Oct 10, 2020)

I posted here about the delivery of my order: Bittercreek North Vanilla Stabilizer

I received my order 7 days after ordering.


Jersey Girl said:


> When I put the vanilla stabilizer in my cart, the shipping came out to $18+. I was shocked!


 
Sorry to be so late to respond, Jersey Girl.  Was that with the Spee-Dee delivery option?  I would be shocked, too!


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## Jersey Girl (Oct 10, 2020)

earlene said:


> I posted here about the delivery of my order: Bittercreek North Vanilla Stabilizer
> 
> I received my order 7 days after ordering.
> 
> ...


@earlene...NJ wasn’t a state listed for the spee-dee delivery unfortunately. When I added 3 to the cart it went up to $20. How much of the stabilizer would I use per oz of FO?  Does it vary according to how much vanillin % is in that particular FO?  I have quite a few that have vanillin in them and if I knew that a few bottles of VS would last me a while I may order a few, but if I’m going to go through it quickly...I don’t want to spoil myself and add another expense.  I was understanding that you had to add equal amounts of VS to the FO amount. I can see an 8 oz bottle going fast if that’s the case.    But then I met a gal in a soap supply store who I started chatting with and she told me she only used small amounts (not 1 for 1) depending on the vanillin content.  Would appreciate any experience you have with it. Thanks!


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## earlene (Oct 10, 2020)

This is the first time I have purchased it, so hopefully someone with experience using BCN's VS, and there are many here at SMF, will reply to address your question.


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## amd (Oct 12, 2020)

Jersey Girl said:


> How much of the stabilizer would I use per oz of FO? Does it vary according to how much vanillin % is in that particular FO?



For me it depends on the vanillan %. For example WSP Nag Champa is right around 6% vanillan (from memory, I might be slightly off). I did some test batches and found that to prevent the color change during cure I had to use VCS:FO at 1.5:1 - this does a remarkable job of holding the discoloration for approx 12 months. When I used the VCS at less than 1.5 (I tried 1.25:1 and 1:1) they started to darken before the cure was finished. They did not brown all the way through, but the colors became muted and "dusky". But you can see that I like bright colors:





So I did not like the dusky look.

I have had other FO's though with higher vanillan % that did well at 1:1. So I believe it is somewhat dependent on the FO formulation and the colors you are trying to keep. I did find in my test that at 1.75:1 or higher ratio I can smell the VCS in the cured soap, although my smell testers could not, so that may be just my sensitive nose.

Edited to clarify, as I did not really explain my initial point... by default anything more than 5% Vanillan I use 1.5:1, even though I have had it work at 1:1 for some FO's. Anything less than 5% I use 1:1. Anything in the 2% or less range I typically don't bother and work with whatever discoloration happens. I usually find that just using TD in lye water will help the lower vanillan contents.


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