A lot of ingredients go into the process of candle-making. There can be instances where you need to add stearic acid to make your candle sturdy. The main question is, when do you add stearic acid while making candles? Let’s get to know more about how and when to use stearic acid.
Using stearic acid while making candles will help the candles from slumping. The ratio of wax and stearic acid should be around 10%. Maintaining the ratio ensures the longevity of the candle itself.
We will be discussing some of the commonly asked questions regarding the usage of stearic acid. Witness the distinction stearic acid plays as you blend it with your wax blend. You will be stunned!
What Is Stearic Acid?
Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid that is found in both animals and vegetables. Beef, mutton, and butter contain stearic acid, and from animal oil, around 30% of it can be extracted. From vegetables, approximately 5% of the acid can be extracted.
You must be wondering what they look and smell like. Stearic acid comes in both flaky and powdered states. However, the flaky consistency is the best for candle-making. It is white most of the time. It has a pungent smell, but do not worry about it. As you blend it with the wax, the odor disappears.
Why Is It Important To Add Stearic Acid On Candles?
When you see stearic acid for the first time, you will notice how it looks much like wax. Candle-makers add stearic acid to the wax blend to thicken it. Why do you think it needs to be sturdy? So that it lasts longer than most candles out there.
Maintains The Shape Of The Candle
Stearic acid also makes it easier for you to pull it out of a mold-holder. It can be hard to make a perfect shape for the candle, even when you’re making it in your place. DIY-ers tend to experiment with a variety of different shapes, so once the candle is sturdy enough, it is easier to pull it out of the mold in good shape.
Maintains Opacity Of The Candle
Opacity is one of the most important characteristics of a candle. This is mainly because people like using colors on candles. The opacity of the candle helps the dye look more vibrant. If you can make your candles look colorful, it will instantly make you and your customers happy.
Without the stearic acid, you will not have the opacity required for a candle. The candle’s translucence helps a lot when it comes to a candle looking like its original color or any color that you plan on adding to it as decorative.
This also helps your candles avoid the formation of patches. If you are using paraffin as your wax, there is a chance you will notice some bubbles or patches forming if you don’t add stearic acid. The wax becomes translucent after adding the stearic acid. This is why you don’t come across any patches on the candle.
Boosts The Fragrance
As mentioned earlier, stearic acid is made of fatty acids, so these saturated particles help in the attachment of the fragrance. It keeps everything in place like an adhesive. When you light a candle, the aroma won’t get used all at once. It also helps with a long-lasting smell.
After a long tiring day, you will love lighting a scented candle in your room. It works as aromatherapy. Who wouldn’t like to have a peaceful time in their rooms, filled with the beautiful fragrance of a good candle?
If your candle goes out in the middle of your bath, you’re not going to enjoy it. So, if you want your candle’s aroma to stay longer, apply stearic acid and see the difference for yourself.
Keeps The Color In Place
If you aren’t planning to use stearic acid on your candles, it can get quite messy as soon as you add colors to them. Stearic acid helps to keep the dye in place and ensures the pigment doesn’t spread.
How To Use Stearic Acid While Making Candles?
The steps to making the perfect and durable candles with the help of stearic acid are quite simple. To begin with, you need to select your preferred kind of wax, and then you have to melt the flaky stearic acid and mix it with the wax.
Make sure you add 4-6 teaspoons of stearic acid with each pound of wax. Heat it to its melting point which is 70 degrees centigrade, and stir well in the meantime. Once it’s fully melted, it is ready to be mixed with your wax.
While you are at it, keep in mind the type of mold you are going to pour the molten candle solution into. Try to avoid using rubber material, as there are chances it will melt. You will definitely like to shape your durable candle in a sturdy mold.
Can you Make Candles Without Stearic Acid?
Manufacturers make candles without adding stearic acid. Stearic acid mainly works as a hardening agent when making candles. So, if someone plans on skipping it, they can, but it will most definitely not sit right and slump.
For example, when you are working with beeswax, you won’t be required to add stearic acid to your wax. Experts avoid using both paraffin and stearic acid on beeswax to avoid any type of uncalled risk.
To begin with, beeswax has a high melting point, which means it is quite strong and durable on its own. It doesn’t require a hardening agent for itself. You can use stearic acid as an additive with every other kind of wax.
You can also produce scented candles without using stearic acid as an additive. The purpose of the stearic acid mainly focuses on sturdiness, the opacity of the candles, and the long-lasting smell. If you feel like you want to avoid using stearic acid for your personal preference, you can.
The longevity of fragrance is cut short if you don’t add stearic acid, so make sure you keep that in mind during the candle-making process.
There might be issues, such as you might only get to enjoy the fragrance for a short period of time because the smell would run out easily, as there won’t be any adhesive agent to hold the smell together.
Where Can You Buy Stearic Acid To Make Candles?
You can buy stearic acid from pharmacies and stores that sell chemicals, especially in their raw forms. You can also directly get them from factories that manufacture them. As stearic acid is used almost daily by a vast crowd of people, it is available to purchasers.
To get the perfect stearic acid with the best flaky texture, you have to go through several trial and error sessions. After that, you will end up with suitable stearic acid for your candle-making.
Conclusion
Candle-making is a fun experience, whether you are making them for yourself or selling them for a living. To make a good candle, it’s important to get the best ingredients and additives. Now that you know when you have to add stearic acid to your candles, the process will get easier and better.
Stearic acid is an excellent addition to have onboard for creating candles, so buy in bulk and give this a try. You’ll get firmer, more durable candles, with longer burn times.
As well as better aroma retention. You can use waxes like paraffin and soy, but you’ll need to skip it with beeswax candles because it won’t make much difference.
