FAQ About Gel Candles

Are Gel Candles Safe?
This is the most frequently asked question about Gel Candles and the answer is ABSOLUTELY! As long as the candlemaker uses high quality, nonflammable ingredients and the consumer uses common sense when burning the candle, gel candles are just as safe as any other candle.

Most gel candlemakers take pride in their work and only use the best quality ingredients out there. Most of us have several hundred hours of research and testing under our belt. Contrary to what you may have heard, you CANNOT put anything you wish into a gel candle. If you can take a match to it and it catches on fire, chances are when you light the wick with those same objects in a candle, it will catch fire too!

You as the consumer must set guidelines when purchasing candles. Use common sense and don't always listen to the sales hype! I'm sure you wouldn't purchase an appliance with exposed wires just because the seller told you it was safe. Use that same judgement when purchasing candles.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before purchasing a gel candle.

Does your candle contain any flammable objects? If it does, is it double glassed? Double glassed means a candle that has a smaller glass inside it that contains the wick. Double glassing is the only SAFE way to embed flammable objects in a gel candle as it keeps the flame away from the flammable objects. Flammable embeds may include plastics, wood, potpourri, dried fruit or veggies, candy, paper, coffee beans, fabric, photos and silk or real plants and flowers.

Is the candle crystal clear? Look at the clarity of the candle. Even colored, the gel should be totally see thru and not cloudy or foggy, unless the candle mimics a food or drink item such as milk or many tropical drinks. Before you decide the candle is cloudy, make sure you aren't looking at lots and lots of tiny bubbles as this may take on the appearance of cloudiness, too.

Is there excess oil on top of the candle? Does it feel greasy or oily? Gently touch the top of the candle, but no poking please! If it leaves oil on your fingers, it could mean that the gel used in this particular candle was very low grade or improper fragrance oil was used.

Is the glassware ultra thin? Is it really narrow, less than 2 inches in diameter? Is there any chips, cracks or imperfections in the glass? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you might want to pass on this candle. Really thin or narrow glassware, such as the narrow champagne flutes can stress when the candle is lit, causing the glass to break.

Is the wick off center or touching the glass? If the wick is too close or touching the glass, this will cause the glass to overheat in that area, possible causing it to crack or break.

If you can answer no to all these questions about your candle, then purchase it! When properly made and responsibly cared for, a gel candle can be a delightful addition to your decor. Be sure to follow this link to learn how to properly care for your gel candles. How To Properly Care For Your Candles

	I noticed a wire in my wick. Is it lead?
	The U.S. outlawed lead wicks many years ago when it was discovered that they could be harmful to your health. No lead wicks are manufactured in the US and all my ingredients are bought solely from US suppliers.

Your candles seem to be higher priced than the ones I usually buy at the store. How come?

There are several reasons why my candles are sometimes priced higher than what you may buy at a discount store. Most store bought candles are massed produced. Each of my candles start with a creative idea. Then, each on is given that extra special touch that you will only find with small businesses. When you purchase one of my candles, you are receiving a high quality, hand poured candle that you are unlikely to get anywhere else. I pour each candle when it is ordered. Store bought candles have been sitting on shelves for months or perhaps years depending on how often the store rotates their stock. There are several factors when determining the price of my candles. Many of my gel candles contain unique glass embeds that range from $1 each to $5 each. I only use the highest grade waxes and gels. Many larger companies use low grade waxes bought in bulk to cut costs. I also only use the highest quality, undiluted fragrance oils I can find. I then scent each candle at the highest ratio allowed without compromising safety. Some companies that mass produce their candles scent only the top or outer portion of their candles. My candles are completely scented to insure a good scent throw from the first burn to the last. Many of my natural wax candles and especially gel candles burn at a much slower rate than traditional wax candles. A small 10 oz gel candle will burn as much as 100 hrs or longer making them much more cost efficient than traditional wax candles. So you are actually getting much more for your money.

Other than being able to put stuff in them, what makes gel candles so special?

As stated above, when properly maintained, gel burns 2-3 times longer than most traditional paraffin candles. That's roughly 10 hrs per ounce of gel! This makes gel more economical than paraffin candles. Gel also puts off 40% more light than wax candles. Because of the transparency of gel, it illuminates the ENTIRE candle when lit, not just the top. This also makes them an excellent candle to have around in case of emergencies.

	I've heard that gel builds up a gas when burning. Is this true?
	Not a word! Gel is made of 95% food grade mineral oil and 5% thermoplastic resin. When mixed together, it produces a non-toxic gel. If gel did indeed produce a gas when burning, there would be a lot less candlemakers out there because of the high temperatures used to MAKE the candle!

What is the difference between a Natural Wax candle and a traditional paraffin wax candle?

There are many benefits to using natural wax candles. The traditional paraffin wax candles are petroleum based. The natural waxes that I and many other chandlers use are made from tropical plants that are easily reproduced, vegatables, botantical oils or soybeans. Most natural wax candles have a slower burn rate and burn without much of the soot and smoke that you can sometimes get from paraffin wax candles. Of course the main reason I chose to use natural wax is because it's not only more enviromentially friendly, but supports our agriculture!