More people are taking an interest in candle and soap making than ever before. You can have a lot of fun making candle and soap but of course you need to know how to do it. Getting started in candle making will probably be your best bet as it is the most straightforward. It is up to you which types of candles you want to make or offer to your customers if you plan to open a business, but do keep in mind that the gel candles are the newest version and most popular because they burn longer and cleaner than others.
You will need the same ingredients you would for any other type of candle including a wick, container, fragrance if you would like it to be scented and instead of wax you use gel. The ingredients will vary depending on what specific recipe you are following but get started by placing a wick into a container and gluing it in then cut up your gel into small pieces and heat in a pot. Always keep the temperature on medium and never higher to avoid burning the gel as it heats. Now you can add in your fragrance and you can decide strategically on this for instance lemon is refreshing while lavender promotes relaxation and relieves stress.
If you practice and produce quality gel candles, or business is sure to be very successful. If you want to learn how to make soap as well this process is also very easy. Start by getting your ingredients and for the basic soap recipe that would include some palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, water, lye and some fragrance oil or essential oil of your choice. The ingredients used in soaps these days tend to be much more luxurious and lubricating than they used to be.
People do not want to have to deal with dry, irritating soaps any longer. The lye solution must be mixed together first and then you work on melting all the solid oils. Melting slowly is always a key factor when you are making something like soap because it is better to have patience and do it right than rush through it and wreck a whole batch of soap. These two mixtures must then be combined together and using a stick blender is your best option for stirring this thick gooey substance.
You can tell whether you need to add more fragrance by the smell, just be careful not to make the soap too potent or people are not going to want to wash with it. Each person is different but most are able to use their nose to tell when it is potent enough. After this you pour into your chosen soap molds and allow to cool. It is a lot of fun making candles and soap and you can start up a quite successful business doing it professionally.