IGI 6006 Container Candle

Recently I polled people on their favorite container wax on our message board. The two that come out on top are the Ez Soy and the IGI 6006. I use both waxes and honestly love them both! I recently did a blog using our Ez Soy so decided that with the holiday season fast approaching a blog on a basic container candle using the IGI 6006 was a great idea. Many of our customers are not actually candlemakers at all and hopefully this will entice them into giving candle making a try!




To get started you will need the following:
12 oz Apothecary Jars and the lid of your choice (The jars and lids are sold separately)
Wick Stickum
CD 10 wicks (For most scents. It is up to you to test to determine actual size)
Warning Labels
Candle Dye (all of the candle dyes we sell except pigments are compatible with this wax)
IGI 6006 Wax

Begin by melting your wax to 180-195*. While your wax is melting heat your jars in the oven. Heat for 20 minutes on the lowest oven setting in a pre-heated oven.

Wick your heated jars. Take the Wick Stickums and attach them to the wicks and insert them in the jars. (be careful the jars are HOT!) The wicks should be placed so they are in the center of the container with the wicks nearly touching. In the end the wicks should be about an inch apart in the center of the jar. Our Ez Wick Setter Multi will make this MUCH easier!

For three candles you will need 32 weight ounces of IGI 6006. Once the wax is to temp, weigh out 2 ounces of fragrance and add your desired dye type, color and amount to the wax and stir well to incorporate. Once the dye is blended properly, add your fragrance and again, stir well.

Bring your wax temp down to about 165-170 and pour into the heated jars. This will help minimize shrinking and prevent skip lines and wet spots in the finished candle. Cool the candles as slow as possible taking care to be sure the wicks stay centered in the candle as it cools.

Your finished candles should look like this. Sometimes this wax will require a "second pour" or "top off", to do this re-heat the wax you had left from your first pour. Heat it to 10* hotter than you did the first pour and pour over the candles to the original pour line.

At this time trim your wicks to 1/4" maximum and adhere your warning label to the bottom of the jar and attach any other labels you would like such as your company logo etc. and place the jars lid on top.





Container candles should be burned for about four hours at a time. Doing so ensures that the candles will burn properly from beginning to end. These are great Christmas gifts for your family, friends and teachers! Be creative! Different adornments on the jars such as homespun ties, raffia, candle charms etc all give a different look unique to you!

To see a list of some of our most popular Christmas Scent ideas click Here:

Dead Sea Salts!

This month the Bitter Creek South Newsletter has an awesome sale on bath salts! With the cooler fall and winter weather just around the corner, many people take advantage and soak in a hot bathtub more often.

Taking a hot bath can be quite therapeutic in itself but did you know there are many more reasons for a bath than just the long soak? Using Dead Sea Salts in your bath (which are LOADED with minerals that are actually beneficial to your health) turn a good bath into an amazing experience that is good for the Body, Mind and Soul! Do you have Psoriasis? Eczema? Acne? How about Arthritis, Sports Injuries or plain sore tired muscles? If you answered yes to any of these, Dead Sea Salts may be your answer!

Situated between Israel and Jordan is the Dead Sea, a wonder that has healed, cured, and inspired people for thousands of years. The climate in this area is warm, sunny and dry year-round. The air is clean, pure, and free of the pollution that is found elsewhere in the world. The water is filled with minerals that are known to soothe tired muscles, decrease inflammation and promote healing. The Dead Sea acts as a cure for many common health ailments. The problem? It's not convenient for most people to pack their bags and take a dip in the soothing waters of the Dead Sea. The solution? Bringing the Dead Sea home to you!

Dead Sea salts have been reported to have the following benefits:
Rheumatologic Conditions – Dead Sea salts can be effective in balneotherapy (from Latin: balneum, "bath" is the treatment of disease by bathing, usually practiced at spas. While it is considered distinct from hydrotherapy, there are some overlaps in practice and in underlying principles. Balneotherapy may involve hot or cold water, massage through moving water, relaxation or stimulation. Many mineral waters at spas are rich in particular minerals (silica, sulfur, selenium, radium) which can be absorbed through the skin. Medicinal clays are also widely used, which practice is known as 'fangotherapy'.) of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Osteoarthritis. The minerals are absorbed while soaking, stimulating blood circulation.
Common Skin Ailments – Research has demonstrated that skin disorders such as acne and psoriasis are relieved by regular soaking in water with added Dead Sea salt. The National Psoriasis Foundation recommends Dead Sea and Dead Sea salts as effective treatments for psoriasis. One study concluded that the high concentration of magnesium in Dead Sea salt was instrumental in improving skin hydration and reducing inflammation.
Allergies - The high concentration of bromide and magnesium in the Dead Sea salt can relieve allergic reactions by cleansing and detoxifying.
Skin Aging – Further research into Dead Sea salt benefits has shown a 40% reduction in the depth of wrinkling.

Making Bath Salts is a simple process. You will need the following for this project:
1 lb Dead Sea Salts
Blue FD&C Liquid Dye
Green FD&C Liquid Dye
Gulf Tides Fragrance Oil
Mason Jar and Lid

First, weigh out three containers of Dead Sea Salts each holding an equal amount from the 16 oz. These weigh 5.3 oz each.

Secondly pour one of the containers into a sandwich size Zip-Loc Baggie and add 4 drops of the Green FD&C Liquid Dye and 1/4 tsp Gulf Tides Fragrance Oil.

^{Knead the salts in the baggie until they are fully blended and look like this.}

^{Now pour another one of the containers into a sandwich size Zip-Loc Baggie and add 2 drops of the Blue FD&C Liquid Dye and 1/4 tsp Gulf Tides Fragrance Oil.}










Knead the salts in the baggie until they are fully blended and look like this.

Finally, pour the last of the containers into a sandwich size Zip-Loc Baggie and add 1/4 tsp Gulf Tides Fragrance Oil and knead to incorporate.

Last, pour each of the three baggies into a Pint Size Mason Jar alternating colors until you have the look you want to achieve. This is a simple project that has complex benefits for your health! 

To use Dead Sea Salts in your bath, add 1/4-1/2 Cup into hot running water depending on the size of your tub. Enjoy!

A is for Apple.

A is For AppleThere are so many awesome things on sale this month at Bitter Creek I had a hard time choosing what to write about! Since the wax, aluminum molds and Wick Your Wax fo's and Apple Scents are all on sale in September I started thinking a warm smelling fall candle was in order (besides my house needs fall decorating too!). I decided to in the end make a 3" x 4" Drizzled Candle using the Wick Your Wax Mulled Cider. I can't wait to burn it! 





For this candle you will need the following:

• 1 pound of paraffin pillar wax. (I made mine from IGI 1343 with 3 tbsp of wax Steric Acid) 
• 1/2 weight oz of Wick Your Wax Mulled Cider
• 2/0 Square Braid Cotton Wick
• Burgandy Shades Liquid Candle Dye
• Brown Shades Liquid Candle Dye
• 3" x 4.5" Seamless Aluminum Mold
• Pillar Wick Pin
• Mold Sealer Putty

Pour your base candle following these instructions:

Place the Wick Pin inside your Pillar Mold and seal the bottom using a piece of mold sealer putty so the wax cannot leak out.


 

Heat wax and Steric Acid to 180*. Once wax reaches desired temp, add your dye, blend well then add fragrance and again blend well. Allow wax to cool to 160-165 and pour into a room temp or chilled mold. The colder the mold or wax the more rustic the finished candle will be. 

Poke relief holes around the wick of the candle once the wax has become solid but is still pliable. 

After the first pour has cooled some, reheat your reserved wax from your first pour and refill the void (sink hole) in the candle until you reach the level of the first pour. You will want your second pour to be 10* hotter than your first pour to minimize lines from the second pour. Repeat the re-pour process as necessary. To make a rustic finished candle, do not heat the molds and pour the wax at 165*.

 

 To make a mottled/rustic candle, simply use the wax and no additives or add MottleMax™ per product instructions. To make a smooth opaque creamy looking candle add Vybar 103 at the rate of 1/2 tsp per lb of wax. Both can be used to make a rustic cold pour candle. A candle with Vybar 103 or Mottle Max will hold more fragrance oil than one with none.








Finishing Touches!

Although a rustic candle always makes a great centerpiece, I thought it seemed a bit plain for my fall/harvest table. To finish this candle re-heat the left over wax and add some Coffee/Caramel Liquid Candle Dye to make it a dark brown. Allow to cool just until it will pour but stop quickly and pour down the sides of the candle to give it a "drizzled" look. I did add a touch of the IGI 6006 wax to soften the look a bit but that is not necessary.

Enjoy this simple but unique look this fall! For increased value and retail sales try placing them on a cute Tin Candle Plate. Some Rustic Potpourri looks great in the bottom of the bag around the candle and pan as well! Scent some to match the candle!