When people go out to buy candle waxes, they are inundated with a wide variety to choose from. There is beeswax, soy wax, and paraffin wax, just to name a few. But there is one type of wax that has creative advantages over others when it comes to making your own candles. It’s called gel wax and in this article we’ll go over the basics of making gel candles.
People love making gel candles because they are translucent, which means you can see through them. Also, if you buy a higher density wax for making gel candles, you can suspend decorations in the wax. Add that to the ability to add color and fragrance and you can really make a wonderfully creative candle.
Gel candle wax is a bit different from paraffin wax in the nature of its composition. Most waxes are oil-based, but gel waxes have a small amount of polymer resin in their composition. Originally the resin is in powder form, but when mixed with the base oil it solidifies.
When buying gel wax to make gel candles you have 3 densities to choose from, each of which has its pros and cons. Low-density gel wax has a lower melting point and pours more easily, but it can’t hold decorations or fragrances well. High density, on the other hand, has a much higher melting point and can be very difficult to pour, but can retain quite a bit of odor and suspend decorations very well. Of course, medium density has a moderate melting point and pours decently, can hold an average amount of fragrance, and can suspend decorations well, if not as well as high density.
After choosing which wax you think would work well for the project, you need to melt it down. If you try to melt gel max in a double boiler like you would other candle waxes, you’ll have a pot full of frustration by the time you’re done. It can take forever to melt gel wax in a double boiler, which is why most people who make gel candles today use what’s called a multi-cooker.
A multi-cooker has its own temperature control dial, but it’s still recommended that you keep your own thermometer and chemical fire extinguisher nearby. The thermometer to manually check the temperature of the wax and the fire extinguisher just in case, because the gel wax is flammable. Also, don’t use a wooden spoon to stir the gel wax as it melts, as this can leave bubbles in the wax. Instead, use a metal or hard plastic spoon.
After you melt the wax, that’s when you add your scents, colors, and decorations. Using liquid dyes when making gel candles is recommended because it maintains the translucency of the wax. Using crayons or dyes that are not made specifically for candle making is a big no, because they can cause the candle to not burn properly due to incompatibilities. When adding scents, be sure to measure them exactly, as adding too much can also ruin your candle. Finally, you have to be careful when adding your decorations to the candle, as the wax will still be very hot.
The amount of customization you can put into making your own gel candles is truly endless. You could take 100 gel candles each made by a different person and compare them and the only major similarities would be that they are all made from gel wax. So if you’re looking to make gifts for your family, I’d definitely recommend making gel candles, as they’re not only fun to make and easy to personalize, but they also last longer than regular candles, meaning your recipients will have more time to appreciate. the beautiful candle you made just for them.