There are such a great variety of candles available to the consumer today. Over 80% of the candles purchased in the US over the past twelve years have been of the scented variety, and this gives rise to the ever growing number of fragrances and styles that we have to choose from, over 2,000 and counting to be exact. The differences between scented and unscented candles that are housed in tins and those that are not are many, but here are just a few of them for you to consider.
Candle tins are disposable or not, it is completely up to you to choose. They can be used once the candle has been burned away for change jars, button cups, or really anything that you need to keep in one place. They are also recyclable, even if through the local junk yard. What’s most convenient is that they come in their own special container, ready to burn without costing extra money for burn plates, sconces, hurricanes, or holders. You just open them up, trim them down, let them, and enjoy.
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Yes. During the Middle Ages, the candle was developed at its rudimentary form for the simple task of lighting common tasks and homes. It is thought, and partially documented, that these early chandlers would dissolve the fat of the whales head for the sticky wax coating of flammable wooden or flax sticks. This practice remained commonplace throughout the next three to four centuries, when a few new developments negated the use of whale fat for the making of candles.
Because whale beaching didn’t happen nearly enough for the candle to become a practical utensil in every home that needed light, animal tallow and fatty parts begun to find their way to the chandlers work space, and the wooden stick eventually gave way to the cotton wick. First this wick was solid and barely practical, but the weaved, long-burning wick revolutionized the candle shortly thereafter.
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This, as with all things candle, is strictly a matter of timing and preference. As quality scented candles can be rather pricey, and rightfully so, the size of the candles that you burn will have much more to do with the amount of time that you have to enjoy the flicker, as well as the financial aspects of choosing your favorite scents. Tea lights are an amazingly cost effective way to add ambiance, mood, scent, and warmth to your spaces without breaking the budget. In this way, a greater variety of scents is available. This is great for the indecisive and indiscriminate crowd, or those of you who are like me.
Tea lights, by design, are generally considered as a one-time-use candle. Granted, this one use can last up 9 hours depending on the quality of your candle, but most find that they are the perfect size for a get together, party, peaceful reading session, or long soak in the bathtub. What’s great about them is that they can simply be tossed and replaced with little to no mess or hassle. New scent, new color, new mood. Simple as that.
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Thinking about the areas that you wish to scent with candles, there are a few guidelines that you can use to determine how much scent is too much. The candles sold at CandleStyle are always rated on scent strength and burning capacity, so you might be able to gauge just how much aroma you keep going in the tiny half bath as opposed to the amount of scent you need for the front room and foyer.
Taking lavender as an example, this popular scent is said to sooth and calm, but it can also be extremely potent and has the tendency to clash heavily with certain flower and spice scents. For example, having vanilla in the dining room and lavender in the sitting area should produce a seamless and intoxicating aroma. Burning cinnamon apple in the kitchen and lavender in the adjoining dining room, however, could cause headaches and a bit of a stomach-turning effect.
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When crafting candles, the artist is called upon to use scents, colors, and a lack of both in order to cover all bases where public consumption is concerned. Many people love the feel and ambiance of lit candles, but find that scented candles are overwhelming. It is extremely important to choose the scent that works best for the mood that you are trying to create for your surroundings. If scent is not needed for the mood of the room, candles tend to cost less.
Scents are infused in one of two ways. First, there are liquid scents that can be tailored by the candle maker in order to create stronger or weaker end results. These tend to offer a longer lasting aroma, and quite a more convincing one as well. By convincing, I mean that these liquids can be formulated and mixed and measured so that the most natural and truthful scent is created during the burn.
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A candle is a relatively simple thing, wouldn’t you agree? It begun as a way for humans to control and direct the strength and light of fire, and as such has been one of the most important mainstays in human culture since the Stone Age. What is it, though, aside from the romantic, elegant, and dramatic shadows that it throws, that makes this modern, technologically advanced, electronically inclined world embrace the simple candle even now, when it is not a necessity at all?
It can warm a small space, if given the time, but we don’t think about that so much. The rise in scented candle popularity has begun to take on many shapes and forms, becoming a marketing monster all on its own, but are we really just buying scented candles to mask unpleasant odors and cover up the stench of neglected areas? Are we falling for the “ancient Zen tradition” that they’re selling at the posh spas across the globe? Or is there something much deeper, more reflective of the human spirit, that keeps us from putting out that small flame for good?
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Aromachology is a relatively new term, and pertains to the scent effects that burning candles have on the human psyche. Experts in the fields of both psychology and aromatherapy will agree that true aromatherapy cannot be accomplished through candles, even when natural oils are used to infuse the wax. There is simply not enough direct contact with the elements to the skin and nasal passages to gain the complete benefits of aromatherapy through candles.
Aromachology, however, can be arguably as powerful and relaxing, though medicinal benefits have not been tested regarding the use of scented candles for meditation, bathing, and relaxation methods. The act of finding the scents that most move you toward the mood or state of mind that you wish to be in, coupled with the overwhelming calm and magical wavering of a flame, makes for an extremely soothing and reflective atmosphere from which to rejuvenate and collect.
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For those who are riding the shirt tails of soy through the organic revolution, the answer to that question will be, most assuredly, a resounding “No”! But for those of us who live in the real world, where pigs don’t fly and black beans are way tastier (and prettier in a salsa) than soy beans, the answer to that question will always be a very strong “Yes”! Soy beans are really good for your heart. They are easy to grow and have many uses in the culinary and health care worlds, but they lack the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and they do not burn crystal clean. They are, after all, merely beans.
My point is this: you cannot squeeze a soy bean and drink soy milk. You cannot mash a soy bean and render soy wax for candles. It is not possible to squish a few soy beans together to make tofu. All of these soy products are made possible through the use of chemicals, specialized methods of preparation, and the rendering and rearranging of the natural materials found in the soy plant, not to mention the addition of many elements which are in no way natural. This means that the entire claim that soy has to being an “all natural, organic, miracle product” is rather bogus.
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It isn’t exactly science, but there are actual medicinal qualities that the lighting of a candle offers to the stressed and disrupted body or mind. The use of candles in spas and health massage parlors is rapidly increasing in popularity, so much so that those who cannot afford a weekly trip to the spa will do all possible in their own bathtub and sleeping quarters to replicate that Zen, peaceful feeling conducive to healing, rejuvenation, and mental cleansing. And this Always includes candles. Why is that?
Could it be that as humans, with all of our stress and pain, worry and hectic running, emotional turmoil and fatigue, we just are not capable of clearing our minds of all things when we are supposed to be relaxing? Even during the most amazing massage or skin treatment, the mind is often twirling with feelings of guilt, pressure, lack of time, and work days gone awry. We never seem to master the full effects of complete freedom… until we gaze at the swaying, methodically wild, completely understated flame of a burning candle.
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Most of the candles manufactured today are done so using colorant formulas that evoke a certain feeling, usually relating to the scent of the candle in question. There are as many color options for candles as there are for cars or crayons, or in other words, an infinite amount. The two ways that color can be added to a candle include dyes and pigments. As most synthetic and natural waxes are translucent to white in their virgin state, color is one of the easiest elements to infuse.
Dyes are used to gain color throughout the entire candle, whereas pigments are usually applied to the outer edge of a finished candle. The latter may be used as an artistic take on the chandler process, but is more often used by low budget companies in an attempt to save time and money. Depending on the amount of dye that a wax needs to absorb for optimum color, the wick and fragrance used will vary. Most dyes, however, have been formulated to have very little effect on the cleanliness or burn of the candle.
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