Wax melts and sachets

[Mobjack Bay]

After a bit of research here and on the Candle Science website, I decided against trying to make candles. Thank you @jcandleattic, @lenarenee, @Quanta and others for saving me from myself .

Instead, I’m forging ahead with wax melts and wax sachets. One challenge I set is to use up supplies I have on hand, which means I don’t have the wax recommended for melts/tarts. I came up with the following recipes and would greatly appreciate input regarding any adjustments I should make for whatever reasons I can’t anticipate due to lack of knowledge and experience. I also still have a few questions. Thanks in advance!

Wax Melts
96% soy wax GW 415
4% beeswax pastilles
6% wt. of wax for eo blend

V1 - Each piece is about 7 grams and they’re scented with lavender eo. A smaller piece has been in my electric wax tart warmer for just over three hours. The oil in the middle of the bowl is approx 225F and the temp drops below 200F towards the rim of the bowl. The lavender buds look fine and I can smell the lavender eo. I made this batch last night and the melts popped right out of the mold this morning. This silicone mold from the thrift store is not shiny, so I guess I should not expect shiny sides, but I think I also read something about the behavior of soy wax being problematic (crumbly?).



I happen to have a bunch of Ikea tea lights sitting around for a few years now. They’re in a closed container, so not dusty. Can I upcycle them into wax tarts for use with FOs? If so, can I use the paraffin on its own?

Wax Sachets
70% soy wax GW 415
30% candelilla wax
7% wt. of wax for eo blend

V1 - This is my first recipe and second try at decorating after I smashed the orange slice through the top of the first one. Figuring out when to decorate will be key because I created a bit of a crack even when I gently placed the orange on what still looked more or less like liquid wax on the top of this one. The “cold throw” is satisfactory.

I have family in Arizona and will warn them against using one of these in a car. Otherwise, how does the wax blend look for longevity/durability? This prototype made with 70 g of wax seems a bit too big/thick relative to pictures of sachets I’ve seen online, so I will probably try 60 g or even 50 g next. I plan to make a hole at one end using a hot nail and will add ribbon or string for hanging.

I’m also wondering if there’s a way to get powders to stay dispersed in wax.





Do candles made with soy wax ever go rancid? I’m wondering if I should add ROE.

 

[Carly B]

I have made wax tarts for years. In fact, after about a 15 year hiatus, I just started making them again. Given that they are what I consider disposable, i.e. each tart will last about one or two evenings, and that I'm only making them for my own enjoyment, I don't get fancy. I just use plain soy wax, melt it down, fragrance "to taste" (I find it's a great way to use up either sample fragrances or fragrances that don't play nice in soap), pour it into little silicone candy molds or small silicone ice cube trays, and they're good to go. I usually make less than a dozen at a time of any particular fragrance.

I very much admire (and am sometimes in awe of) your scientific approach, but for me, the appeal of the tarts is their ease of making and of use. I've never had any rancidity issues, and both hubby and I find the throw better with tarts
than with candles.

 

[lsg]

I use a little palm wax along with soy and bees wax for melts.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thanks @Carly B and @lsg I don’t have any palm wax, so that’s not an option for me. Actually, until I started reading this forum, I didn’t even know palm wax was a thing. @Carly B what kind of soy wax are you using? I noticed that the soy wax Candle Science sells for wax tarts has a melting point of 135F. GW415 melts at 125F. That’s why I added the little bit of beeswax. If GW415 will work on its own, easy peasy!

 

[Carly B]

Until KiwiMoose talked about using a specific soy wax (GW415) in her soap, I didn't even realize there were varieties of soy wax. I just got some GW415 to try with soaps and I haven't used it yet. I looked up my old orders--it looks like I got 444 on two separate occasions, and another soy wax I bought doesn't even specify.

The thing with tarts is that they are very forgiving. Just take a half cup of your GW415, melt it down, add a little fragrance, and pour it into a mold and let it set up. Then you can see if it's acceptable for what you want. I'd have no hesitation using it for tarts, but as I said, to me, they aren't like a candle or soap. I use one for a couple nights then pitch it and get another one.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Carly B Will do. Thank you again!

 

[Nona'sFarm]

I use half soy and half paraffin for my tarts. When I used all soy, I couldn't get them to come out of the clamshell cleanly. I might try some beeswax instead of paraffin and see how that works.
I found that beeswax on its own won't throw scent, but 20% or less in combination with soy is satisfactory.
I know @lsg uses EOs for her tarts, but I have not had much luck with good scent throw with EOs. So definitely test them.
If you find you want a stronger scent for any of your tarts, you can easily go up to 12% of the soy weight.
Never thought about wax sachets, what a great idea! Yours looks really nice. Please share more pictures as you make them.
As far as powders dispersed in wax, I have never tried that, so no experience here on that.
I'm sure what you end up with will be beautiful.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thanks @Nona'sFarm I will probably give the paraffin a try, mostly as a way to use it up

Wax sachets from Tuscany, only $38 for two.
I’m also planning to make undecorated round and square sachets using my moon cake impression molds, as loosely inspired by this one on the same site.

This site shows sachets made with a variety of materials, including some that would catch a lot of dust in my house.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

Thanks @Nona'sFarm I will probably give the paraffin a try, mostly as a way to use it up

Wax sachets from Tuscany, only $38 for two.
I’m also planning to make undecorated round and square sachets using my moon cake impression molds, as loosely inspired by this one on the same site.

This site shows sachets made with a variety of materials, including some that would catch a lot of dust in my house.

Oh wow, those are really cool. Thank you for sharing.

Just a side note from using the dried materials below on soaps:
Rose petals and lavender turn brown in a few months.
Cornflower petals keep their color a long time.
Dried calendula stays the same light gold/beige.

 

[dibbles]

Many years ago I melted votives and made wax sachets. I had a clay cookie mold that I poured them into. It worked well enough

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Many years ago I melted votives and made wax sachets. I had a clay cookie mold that I poured them into. It worked well enough

I have a Scandinavian Dala horse clay mold. More wax fun!

Using the candelilla wax seemed like a good idea for upping the hardness and melting temp, but the tops are getting brittle before I can add the larger botanicals, which want to sink if the wax is still liquid. V2 recipe will be with 20%.

In this YT video, Covet Alchemy Candles is using 50% beeswax and 50% soy wax (the kind made for tarts). Her mix looks firmer than the one in the next video, but still not as brittle as my V1. Maybe it’s the candelilla wax?

This YT video by 1818 Farm shows how they dry the farm’s flowers and make the sachets using a soy and beeswax blend. It looks pretty user friendly. She doesn’t share the proportions.

Some cute sachets and a tip. When the cold scent has dissipated, break the sachet into pieces and put it in a wax warmer to release the last of the scent.

 

[scmorgans]

I have a Scandinavian Dala horse clay mold. More wax fun!

Using the candelilla wax seemed like a good idea for upping the hardness and melting temp, but the tops are getting brittle before I can add the larger botanicals, which want to sink if the wax is still liquid. V2 recipe will be with 20%.

In this YT video, Covet Alchemy Candles is using 50% beeswax and 50% soy wax (the kind made for tarts). Her mix looks firmer than the one in the next video, but still not as brittle as my V1. Maybe it’s the candelilla wax?

This YT video by 1818 Farm shows how they dry the farm’s flowers and make the sachets using a soy and beeswax blend. It looks pretty user friendly. She doesn’t share the proportions.

Some cute sachets and a tip. When the cold scent has dissipated, break the sachet into pieces and put it in a wax warmer to release the last of the scent.

Thank you for sharing! I've been thinking about doing this here on the farm. It was SO interesting!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Here are the sachets I made last night with the 70:30 blend. I resorted to using a hair dryer to give the top wax a smoother look. Although the sachets are hard, I was able to trim the edges of the one on the upper left. The trimmings are on the brittle side, rather than pliable. The color is truer in this photo compared with the first one I posted. Candelilla wax is a golden color and the orange eo is probably adding to it. Now, if only I can make the holes without doing damage!

 

[AliOop]

So pretty, @Mobjack Bay!

For the holes, I am wondering if you could use a straw or dowel to create a hole when you pour, and pull it out when the wax is firm enough to retain the shape of the hole, but not so firm that it won't release the straw/dowel? I've seen CP soapers do that for soap on a rope. I've also seen where they trim off the straw after hardening, leaving a piece inside that makes a nice smooth hole for the hanging ribbon to go through.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I am going to try a hot metal skewer on these, but the straw idea might work if the wax doesn’t stick. What I really need are wax sachets molds that have the post for making the hole. Do they sell them on Amazon? Can I have them by tomorrow?

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Do they sell them on Amazon?

3D printers sell on Amazon, and once you have one, you can have literally everything by tomorrow (except filament refill).

 

[AliOop]

3D printers sell on Amazon, and once you have one, you can have literally everything by tomorrow (except filament refill).

Edit: you can have everything by tomorrow IF you have the Matrix Brain of a @ResolvableOwl that can:

a) figure out how to use the machine, and
b) figure out how to design the thing that you really want, as opposed to some jumbled mess that would come out of my designs.

I could see @Mobjack Bay and some other smarties on here being able to do both of those. Not me, however. I'd need one of you, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, to come to my house and run my printer for me.

Or better yet, you buy one, make stuff for me, and drop it on my doorstep. Am I asking too much??

Edit: @Mobjack Bay here you go. Not tomorrow, but Friday.

 

[gww]

My younger brother has one coming any day now and here I was wondering what the heck you could possibly use one for.
Cheers
gww

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Edit: you can have everything by tomorrow IF you have the Matrix Brain of a @ResolvableOwl that can:

Don't forget:
c) you live in the right time zone to bend the meaning of “tomorrow” into the shape you need

 

[Nona'sFarm]

Edit: you can have everything by tomorrow IF you have the Matrix Brain of a @ResolvableOwl that can:

a) figure out how to use the machine, and
b) figure out how to design the thing that you really want, as opposed to some jumbled mess that would come out of my designs.

I could see @Mobjack Bay and some other smarties on here being able to do both of those. Not me, however. I'd need one of you, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, to come to my house and run my printer for me.

Or better yet, you buy one, make stuff for me, and drop it on my doorstep. Am I asking too much??

Edit: @Mobjack Bay here you go. Not tomorrow, but Friday.

All you really need is a child or grandchild who learned to use one at school. The whole concept is so incredibly awesome to me. Makes me think of the Jetsons (a futuristic cartoon show - for those not familiar with the reference).