Milk Candles

[MrsMilk]

Now that my second batch of soap is curing nicely in the curing room - AKA The spare room. I'm obviously so skilled I want to turn my hand to something else new...

Milk Candles.

There are a few dotted around and I have been in contact to a couple of the makers to ask about shelf life.

1 of the 3 people I contacted said their candles were made from powdered milk, one confirmed it was liquid milk, and the other I'm not so sure about... Sooooo....

Experimentation time!!!!!!!

A couple of questions if I may.

Have any of you folks been crazy enough to make them? If so, any advice you'd care to impart?

For example milk powder? Straight in or mix with a little oil first?

Or liquid milk, allow to cool first? I'm using Beeswax if that makes any difference.

Such fun!!! I'll be sure to post results here when I'm done.

XXX

 

[LilyJo]

My only thought was why?

What does the milk add to candle??

 

[shunt2011]

That would be a nope for me. I've never even heard of such a thing. Are just adding milk to wax? I get a big eww factor with that one. I imagine sour milk smell.

 

[cmzaha]

It would be a huge Nope for me and I also wonder what is the point.

 

[MrsMilk]

That would be a nope for me. I've never even heard of such a thing. Are just adding milk to wax? I get a big eww factor with that one. I imagine sour milk smell.

LOL - That was my first thought but there is a woman a few miles from me making and selling them - I've got two on order. Granted hers are scented.

I should get on and order the one from Scotland too - Those are not scented so it'll be interesting to see.

 

[jcandleattic]

I'm really not sure how the person said they added liquid milk to a candle.
There is no way a liquid such as milk would mix with wax, unless they are only using such a small percentage that it's imperceptible, (literally just a few tiny drops), and in that case, really is there a point to doing it, because anymore than that and it would leave huge gaping holes in the wax once the wax hardened, and the liquid milk would run out of the candle.
Scented or not, that would be a big NO from me too. Not only have I never heard of it in my 23 years of me making candles, but I just cannot imagine a reason for this. Like at all...

As for the powdered milk, it might be doable, but I will echo others here - why??? Just because something CAN be done, doesn't always mean it SHOULD be done, and really, is there a market for such a thing? Not anywhere near me, and I live in a rural (ish) area, and have raised goats and never would have crossed my mind to make milk candles.
I also get the "ewww" factor thinking about it.

 

[Marsi]

pure cream might work in a candle

i remember there was a craze for adding ice cubes to parafin candles
the ice would melt and the candle would have interesting shapes inside
those candles always spluttered

milk would splutter AND stink

 

[MrsMilk]

Glad I asked!!!!

Thinking that maybe now I should abandon mission and stick to soaps.

 

[jcandleattic]

pure cream might work in a candle

i remember there was a craze for adding ice cubes to parafin candles
the ice would melt and the candle would have interesting shapes inside
those candles always spluttered

milk would splutter AND stink

cream would pose the same problem, and not work. Anything liquid (other than some oils and fragrances) will not mix with the wax.

Those candles sputtered and would go out because of the holes, and there is no way to correctly wick a candle like that. The drafts from the holes would blow the candle out, and there would be no way to contain the melt pool because it would just run out the holes and drip.

 

[lenarenee]

So I did a little Googling and found bloggers making milk candles. One inferred that because milk was so wholesome, why not reap the benefits of breathing it too. (Seriously. It takes what...12 hours for milk to spoil at room temperature? So I want to burn a week old candle with spoiled milk?

SF Gate had an article saying the milk should be 1/8 of the candle. Also claims the milk binds to the wax.

 

[Obsidian]

I also read about goat milk binding with wax. Now, maybe some of the fat would but I just don't believe it all will.

Maybe thats why all the instructions I found were making dip candles, in theory the water aspect wouldn't stick the the candles, idk.

They also claimed it makes sweet smelling candles, yeah, I believe that. Sorry goat people, but goat milk flat out stinks if you aren't used to it.

 

[Marsi]

cream would pose the same problem, and not work. Anything liquid (other than some oils and fragrances) will not mix with the wax.

Those candles sputtered and would go out because of the holes, and there is no way to correctly wick a candle like that. The drafts from the holes would blow the candle out, and there would be no way to contain the melt pool because it would just run out the holes and drip.

Cant say im ever wasting double cream (pure fat) to test my (tallow like) thoughts on this particular fat blending with beeswax, so im just going ...


The solution to the spluttering ended up being to use a taper with the ice formed parafin as a hurricane shell decoration
the candle was rolled around to drain the water and left to dry before use - no splutter
just an ugly candle

 

[sarahmarah]

Someone asked that in a FB group a few weeks back and my first thought was ‘but why???’ Lol. I can’t get my head around it. Must be a marketing gimmick.

 

[lyschelw]

IMO Milk should stay out of candles. If you want to play around with it to see what you get, that could be fun. But I wouldn't expect much. If the powdered milk is fatty enough it may mix in ok. But definitely a big big no to liquid milk. Liquid milk is mostly water. Wax is basically hydrogenated oil. And as everyone knows - oil and water don't mix....

 

[lyschelw]

Glad I asked!!!!

Thinking that maybe now I should abandon mission and stick to soaps.

Or play with regular candles

 

[lyschelw]

LOL - That was my first thought but there is a woman a few miles from me making and selling them - I've got two on order. Granted hers are scented.

I should get on and order the one from Scotland too - Those are not scented so it'll be interesting to see.

Did you get your order of milk candles? I am kinda curious as to what they smell like.

 

[MrsMilk]

Did you get your order of milk candles? I am kinda curious as to what they smell like.

Nothing. They smell of nothing. I lit it the the other day, burned it for a couple of hours. Blew it out, left the house for a bit, came back hoping to smell something but could smell nothing.

However, made some soap with geranium eo today and holy smokes.... found my favourite smell ever.

 

[lyschelw]

Nothing. They smell of nothing. I lit it the the other day, burned it for a couple of hours. Blew it out, left the house for a bit, came back hoping to smell something but could smell nothing.

However, made some soap with geranium eo today and holy smokes.... found my favourite smell ever.

Well, I guess that is better than bad milk smell.....