| What are wax additives? Wax additives are different | | | | (melts at 160 degrees Fahrenheit) or Vybar 260 (130 |
| ingredients that you can add to your candle waxes in | | | | degrees Fahrenheit) - as it is low enough to melt in |
| order to create a cosmetic effect or to change the | | | | the same pot as your candle wax. Other benefits |
| properties of the wax itself. Using additives can be | | | | attributed to vybar include the ability to add additional |
| helpful in that they can solve a variety of different | | | | fragrance and increased wax opacity. |
| problems that you can run into when making candles. | | | | Polymers |
| If a particular kind of candle is just not working out, | | | | Unlike vybar, polymers have a high melting point |
| try an additive. The main issue to keep in mind is that | | | | (above 200 degrees Fahrenheit) and thus must be |
| additives can introduce new problems into the candle | | | | melted separately. The main advantage of using |
| making equation and as such it is recommended to | | | | polymers is that the addition allows one to make |
| start off adding as little as possible. | | | | brightly colored candles by increasing the opacity of |
| The second problematic element of using wax | | | | the wax. As there are a variety of polymers on the |
| additives is that many have higher melting points than | | | | market it is best to read the package to decide |
| wax making it necessary to melt them separately. | | | | which one you want to use for your project. Each |
| Sometimes beginning candle makers have trouble | | | | one will have different benefits and melting points. |
| mixing these separate ingredients together as they | | | | White Petroleum |
| don't know a key secret - try adding a little bit of | | | | White petroleum is known for increasing the softness |
| wax into your additive before you start melting. | | | | of wax and for increasing retention of fragrance oil. |
| Later, when the two products are combined you will | | | | This can be an advantage when making container |
| see much less separation. | | | | candles as it reduces how much the wax shrinks |
| Here is a list of common wax additives as their uses: | | | | after cooling. White petroleum is also a common |
| Stearic acid | | | | additive when making carved candles for this same |
| Stearic acid is actually a refined animal fat. While not | | | | reason. |
| an acid in the traditional sense, it will degrade rubber | | | | Microcrystallines |
| molds and oxidize copper pots. | | | | Microcrystallines are essentially what is leftover when |
| Vybar | | | | oil is removed from petroleum. There are a variety |
| Vybar increases candle hardness without also making | | | | of different blends one can buy but the types break |
| them brittle. For this reason vybar is commonly used | | | | down into two categories - those that increase the |
| in making taper candles. The other main benefit to | | | | elasticity of the wax and those that make wax |
| vybar is its melting point - sold as either Vybar 103 | | | | harder. |