Scented Candles
Did you know that candles have been in existence for over 5,000 years? The use of candles from their very early beginnings were for practical purposes. They provided light in dark times. The early Romans are credited with having made the first candles that are much like the rolled beeswax, wicked candles. However, evidence has been uncovered that points to even earlier use of wicked candles made of insects and waxes from available plants of earlier times. Still evidence points to the Ancient Egyptians, who used melted animal fats and the core of reeds to make torches.The torches are not technically a candle, but their existence surely lent itself to the making of candles.
The history of scented candles can be dated to France, 1643. Masion de Cire Trudon, which is the world's oldest maker of wax goods, created a scented candle that smelled of burnt bread. These scented candles of Trudon are known to have lit the hallways of the Versaillles, as well as the jail cell of Louis XVI. In 1830, during the reign of King William IV, his Queen would often turn to the scented candles made of sandalwood, flowers, coconut, vanilla, forest fruits and citronella. These delicate candles were made by a company called Price's Patent Candle Company, Ltd. These early scented candles were often available to those of society and their use were more for status recognition. Today, scented candles are readily available to consumers by a multitude of candle companies.
Though making scented candles is not as difficult a process as one might think, first time candle makers might benefit from a starter kit that is available on the market. Whether the candles are made en-mass, or in single, by-hand batches, the basic ingredients are the same. Candles are made of soy or paraffin wax, and they are simply made by melting the wax. If a coloration is to be added, the maker will add either liquid or powered color. Finally, scents are added. The scents can be mixed, and are available in either a liquid or solid forms. Once melted, colored, and scented, hand-dipping or pouring the mixture into a form can occur. It is a process that can take about an hour for someone who does not have experience making candles, to a matter of minutes for those candles which are mass produced. It is said that liquid scent is more aromatic, and so it is preferred over the solid variety.