Hey there, makers! In today’s blog, we’re diving into an exciting candle-making experiment where I test out the makesy® Virgin Coconut Soy™Wax. I’ve heard incredible things about this wax, so I couldn’t wait to give it a go! I made four test candles, experimenting with two wood wicks and two cotton wicks, and I’m eager to share the results with you. So grab all your stuff & let’s get crafty!
What You’ll Need
Let’s start with what you need for this candle-making adventure! If you are picking up some of your materials from Village Craft & Candle, don’t forget to use code IHC5 at checkout so you can get 5% off your entire order.
Materials:
- makesy® Virgin Coconut Soy™Wax
- Smoke Terra Glass Jars (they’re stunning!)
- Stabilo 20 Cotton Wicks
- Crackling Booster Large Wood Wicks
- Wick Stickums
- 125ml Grapefruit Fragrance Oil
Tools:
- Parchment paper
- Paper towels
- Pot holder
- Kitchen scale
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Small saucepan (for a double boiler)
- Rubber gloves
- Temperature gun
- Wood stir stick
- Wick trimmers
- Marker
- Scissors
- Small pour pot
- Glass measuring cup (5 oz)
- Wick-centering tools
IHC Candle Maker Math
Let’s break down the math before we dive in. I’m aiming for an 8 oz wax fill per candle, with a fragrance load of 10%. That means I need 227g of wax per candle. Since my small pour pot can’t handle that much wax at once, I’ll split it into two batches, melting 408g of wax per batch and mixing in 46ml of fragrance oil for each
Measure and Melt
After measuring out the wax, I was impressed with how easy it was to cut. makesy® Virgin Coconut Soy™Wax is a super soft wax, making it very easy to handle. I measured out 408g of wax and popped it into my double boiler.
Once the wax melted, I added my fresh, vibrant grapefruit fragrance oil. Heads up—this scent is no joke! It has a powerful cold throw that will knock your socks off. But that’s what we want in a good candle, right? PRO TIP: Use parchment paper and paper towels to protect your scale from spills. This saves you from having a grapefruit-scented kitchen for weeks!
Setting the Wicks!
Cotton Wicks First
For round one, I went with Stabilo 20 cotton wicks. I marked the center of each jar, wiped the wick bases clean to ensure a good stick, and used Wick Stickums to secure them in place. A wood stir stick helped me press the wicks down firmly to the vessel & make extra sure we don’t end up with floating wicks.
Wood Wicks
For round two, I used large crackling wood wicks which are also known as Crackling Booster .04-.625 Wood Wicks. I trimmed them to the right height before securing them with Wick Stickums to the base of my vessels.
Time to Pour!
The wax for the cotton wicks came off the heat at 192°F, which was slightly higher than the recommended 180–190°F range. Adding the fragrance oil dropped the temperature to 172°F, but I decided to go ahead and pour it immediately.
For the wood wicks, the wax hit 187°F when melted, and after adding the oil, it settled around 171°F. The truth is I could have gently & slowly warmed my wax & fragrance mixture up but I didn’t feel like the temperature had dropped significantly enough to warrant doing that. I feel like both of these were successful pours. Watch how I carefully pour each one in the video below, and don’t forget to subscribe for more hands-on tutorials and candle-making tips!
Curing & First Impressions
After letting the candles cure overnight, I was thrilled with the results. The tops were super smooth, buttery, and no wet spots formed on the Smoke TERRA jars. The wax adhered beautifully to the vessel walls—no cracks, bubbles, or imperfections. Wow! I am very impressed.
Burn Test: The Real Challenge
At the 25-minute mark, all four wicks were burning brightly, but I noticed the wood wicks might have been too aggressive. They were burning hotter than expected, and I saw some black soot at the flame tops.
After 90 minutes, the wood wicks had already reached a full melt pool, while the cotton wicks were still struggling to reach the vessel walls.
After 3 hours, it was clear: the wood wicks were too strong, and the cotton wicks were too weak for this recipe. Both types of wicks caused tunneling, but the wood wicks burned way too fast for this wax.
So, Is makesy® Virgin Coconut Soy™Wax Worth It?
Overall, I really enjoyed working with the makesy® Virgin Coconut Soy™Wax. It was easy to handle, melted smoothly, and adhered well to the jars. However, both the cotton and wood wicks need adjustments. Next time, I’ll use a smaller wood wick and tweak the fragrance oil load for a slower, more even burn.
Are you ready to give this wax a try? You can get 5% off at Village Craft & Candle using the code IHC5 at checkout.
If you’re not quite ready to dive into candle-making just yet, don’t worry! Check out my YouTube channel where I share more tips and tricks for beginner candle makers. Don’t forget to subscribe, so that we can continue to get crafty together! Toodleloo!
