Candle and soap making
Scented candles, decorative soaps and personalised gifts are easy to create at home, even without any experience. Candle and soap making needs only a few basic materials: wax and wicks, soap base, moulds, fragrance oils and dyes. They are joined by melting jugs, thermometers, wick holders and decorations such as dried flowers or cosmetic glitter. Complete kits with instructions make getting started simple, as they contain everything in one pack.
Candle and soap making
Making candles and soaps at home is a popular hobby that combines creativity with relaxation and results in original gifts. Candle and soap making is easier than it looks: most methods involve melting the base material, adding fragrance and colour, and pouring it into a mould. The result can easily be adapted in shape, colour and scent to suit the season or occasion.
Candles are most often made from soy wax, paraffin, beeswax or rapeseed wax. Soy and rapeseed wax have a lower melting point, burn more slowly and suit jars and tins in particular, paraffin holds its shape well and works for moulded candles, and beeswax has a natural honey scent. It is important to match the wick to the candle's diameter: a wick that is too thin burns a tunnel, while one that is too thick smokes. The wick is fixed in the container with a wick sticker and centred with a holder so it does not shift while the wax sets.
For soap, the easiest option for beginners is a melt-and-pour soap base, such as glycerine, goat's milk, shea butter or aloe vera. Simply melt it in a bain-marie or microwave, add fragrance, colour and dried herbs if you like, and pour it into the mould. Traditional cold process soap made with oils and lye allows more freedom with the recipe, but requires precise weighing, safety goggles, gloves and a longer curing time, so it is better suited to experienced makers.
Candles and soaps are scented with fragrance oils or essential oils at the dose recommended by the manufacturer, as too high a concentration can affect how a candle burns or irritate the skin. Dyes are made either for wax or for soap and are not interchangeable. Silicone moulds release easily and allow detailed shapes, while plastic and metal moulds are more rigid and suit simple blocks and pillars.
When working with hot wax, it is wise to check the temperature with a thermometer, never leave melted wax unattended and never heat it directly on the hob. For first attempts, candle and soap making kits are practical, as they include materials, moulds, scents and instructions. Children's kits usually use soap base or gel wax and simple moulds, but children still need adult supervision when working with the hot mixture.