Welcome to the Wonderful World of Candle Making.
There are mass produced candles and jewelry sold in the retail market and famous maker stores online, but have you ever wondered where these items are made, who makes them, or what goes into the process of making them?
Me too.
Candle Research and Practice
After getting migraines and headaches when I bought mass produced candles from big box and mass retailers, I decided that I would start looking into the way they make their products. Needless to say, I didn't like what I saw. Paraffin Wax. This is wax made from petroleum and is not a healthy byproduct to breathe, yet it is used in mass produced candles from famous retailers like Bath and Body Works and Yankee Candle because it's cheap and holds fragrance well. I produces toxic fumes and this is what was causing me to become sick.
Don't believe me? Just check the label.
Choosing Your Product and Formula
At this point I decided I was going to look into making my own candles back in 2018. I practiced and recorded with various heating / pouring temperatures and wax types / manufacturers to hold the fragrance effectively while using natural waxes.
While making candles, it is best to keep in mind of recommendations from manufacturers, government guidelines for aromatherapy manufactured products, and steer clear of YouTube 'how to' videos when making candles. If you decide to use information from YouTube as a guide, please take what you feel you need and leave the rest.
The outcome was an in-house blend of natrual soy and coconut waxes. Sure, it costs more to produce this type of premium product, and takes time to perfect your formula, but in the end I have a product that I can be proud of and feel confident in selling to others.
Selling Your Product
In the end, your product is a representation of you. It depends on how well you develop your product, how you will attract customers to try and pay for your product, and competitive pricing to compete in an already saturated market for candles.
One of the best practices to sell your product is to create a website and register your business so people can see you are a legit small business online.
Second, plan to attend vendor events in your area. Face to face sales show new and current customers that there is a real person behind the brand name.
Third, plan to sell your product in person at a slightly lower price than you do online. Lets face it, you're saving on shipping costs when selling in person, and why not pass those savings onto the customer? It doesn't eaffectyour bottom line.
Lastly, stay away from Etsy, Amazon, and eBay. Why? They can make up to 18% of each product you sell, which means you have to charge more for your product - trust me on this. I learned the hard way.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me!
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