Soy Wax Additives and Wax Dye
Soy wax is a very versatile type of candle wax. You can add different additives and dyes to suit your particular
liking. This is however not advisable for the novice, but as you get more expert in you candle making exploits,
then this section is aimed at you.
Due to the versatile nature of soy candle wax I decided to add some Vybar, usually used with paraffin wax,
in the soy wax. I could then make soy pillar candles out of
container soy wax. Vybar addition results in the melting point being raised and thus making the soy candle wax
harder than it would normally be. (Please note that it will not be advisable to use a microwave to melt the soy
candle wax when Vybar has been added.) This was great since I could then make a pillar candle which obviously
has to have a higher melting point than a container candle's wax.
More information on candle additives can be
found here.
Types of Dye
Dyes are available in a few different forms: chunks, chips and liquid.
Chunks:
I have seen dye blocks which are chunks of highly colored candle wax. To color your candle wax, you basically
break off some of the colored wax and add it to your melted candle wax. One major problem I see with this type
of dye is its inaccuracy.
Chips:
Another form of dye available is dye chips. These are little pieces of dye which are about the size of a large
pill. They can be added or dissolved into your melted candle wax. These chips are quite a bit more accurate;
however I don't think they are cost effective.
Liquid:
The last form of dye that I will discuss here is that in liquid form. These are highly concentrated liquid dyes.
These are so concentrated that 4 to 5 drops will color a pound of melted wax. With a 4 ounce bottle, you can't
go wrong since 1 ounce equals about 960 drops. That is a LOT of colored candle wax and makes economic
sense.