Have you ever wondered why there is so much debate about essential oils and candle fragrances when Candle making Singapore, and if it really matters which one you use? This is a debate where people certainly have strong feelings. The crux of the matter seems to be if it is really important for you to use 100% natural products when making candles. For many of us, the daily application of skin care products that contain chemicals is nothing new. Check out our basic makeup items like makeup foundation, eyeliner and lipstick, no matter the moisturizers and, of course, sunscreen. The list of ingredients for these readings is like a university level chemistry text. However, there are also many people who firmly believe that the chemicals we apply to our skin provide a potential long-term risk to our health.
Before deciding on which side of the fence we sit, it is better to be informed.
What are fragrance oils?
A fragrance oil is a combination of chemicals and natural products designed to evoke an aroma. Often, this aroma reminds of:
– a natural aroma, p. coconut, pines, ginger
– a bakery scent, p. Cranberry muffins, 7 layer carrot cake,
– a concept p. mowed grass, sea spray, fallen leaves.
Visit any online candle supply store and the list of candle fragrances will overwhelm you. There is literally a fragrance for everything you can imagine. When making candles at home, you can choose fruit aromas, bakery aromas, floral aromas, spicy aromas and imitations of perfumes.
Some candle fragrances contain essential oils, while others are completely synthetic. Not all candle fragrances are the same. Candle fragrances are listed as lotion / body safe and soap safe. If a fragrance is safe for the body / lotion, then it is suitable for skin absorption, these fragrances could be used in massage candles. If a fragrance is only safe for soap, it will be necessary to wash the skin. If a fragrance does not have a safe indication for the body or for soap, it can be used when making candles at home, but should not be used on a massage candle. In addition to this, fragrances are classified according to a dilution percentage, e.g. One fragrance can be safe for 5% skin, while another can be safe for 20% skin. It is really important to know these classifications if you are using a fragrance on a massage candle, but if you simply make a fragrant candle, the dilution percentage is not as important.
The use of candle fragrances will provide you with a wide range of possible candle aromas that simply cannot be achieved with essential oils. You could spend hours trying to mix oils and never achieve the perfect bakery scent that is sold as a candle fragrance.
A quick look at the candle making forums and you will soon see that many people oppose the use of chemicals in their home and therefore prefer to use essential oils. These are 100% natural oils that are obtained from plants, they are the reason why plants smell and taste. When you eat an orange, it is the orange oil that you smell when you peel it, when you smell the relaxing aroma of lavender, it is lavender oil that is causing the aroma. Essential oils are extracted from plant leaves, stems, berries, barks, roots, seed cones, etc. The processes used to extract the oils include: distillation, cold pressing, expression and solvent extraction. For people looking for 100% natural processes, oils extracted by cold pressing and distillation are often preferred.
What are the differences related to candle making?
Cost: this is an important consideration when making candles at home. Essential oils are much more expensive than candle fragrances. The price difference can be more than $ 10 for equivalent amounts.
Safety: When making candles at home, it is important to consider the dangers of essential oils. There are some that are dangerous to use in candles. 100% natural does not necessarily mean 100% safe for candles. Essential oils are powerful organic oils. Some fragrances are known irritants, some should be avoided at all costs if they are pregnant and some even appear as known carcinogens.
Throw: When making candles at home, the “launch” of a scent is very important. There are some oils that have an excellent release, e.g. Eg lemon and orange grass; However, in general, candle fragrances have a better effect than essential oils.
