To help you get the most out of every purchase (or even help you make the best choice), here's some notes & data. Still have questions? Send me a note via the contact page. Thanks.
Soap:
Soap is a fairly simple product, at least the 'how to use'. But what you may not know is that aging soap (curing it) is essential for the longest use possible. All soap sold is able to be used immediately upon receipt. But to get even more out of your purchase, may I suggest that you let it sit a few months? The longer the soap cures, the more water evaporates and that creates a harder bar. A hard bar still produces oodles of amazing lather, but doesn't dissolve as fast. While older soap may lose some of the 'sniff' aroma, I've always thought that the extra use more than made up for it. Some of my customers have told me that they tuck their new soaps into their lingerie or sock drawers and enjoy them as a sachet until their time in the tub or shower.
No soap listed at this time? It isn't always in stock. Soap is made in batches and I cure it before putting it out for sale. I make batches 2-3 times per year and they do sell out fast. When it is in stock, the category will reappear and every bar will have a quantity available listed. When they are gone...they are gone until the next batch is ready to ship.
Candles: Jar or Tinned
Anything that burns needs your constant attention. Fireplaces. Barbecues. And definitely candles, whether jar or tinned. Candles are great for scenting your world and freshening up spaces, but please always burn on a heat tolerant surface and away from flammable items such as drapes/curtains, holiday decorations etc. Little folks (and furry ones) should also be watched. Hot wax is...hot and may cause burns. Of course, fire is fire. Jar candles are glass, and of course, glass breaks if dropped, so I've never recommended jar candles either in bathrooms or poolside where broken glass may not be immediately visible.
If you drop a candle, even if it doesn't look broken or cracked, please throw it away. You may not see the hairline fractures in the glass but heating the glass may cause the candle to break. As previously mentioned, broken glass not a good thing.
Always trim the wick to 1/2" before a burn. And, to avoid tunnelling, please allow the melted wax to touch the sides of the container before extinguishing the flame. For most candles that is 1 hour per inch of width so for my tinned candles, that is about 2.5 hours max. And for my jar candles, it would be 3 hours. Burning for a shorter period of time may not melt the wax on the sides, and you'll reach the bottom of the jar with wax left. Not ideal.
Candle warmers. Recently, a lot of people have told me that they don't burn candles any more but place them on a candle warmer, instead. Bad idea. The why is simple. Wax is just a fragrance holding material. Melting an entire jar means that all of the scent is released quickly. After a few melts you'll find that you have a jar still mostly full of wax but the scent is gone. When a candle burns, only a bit of the wax is melted at a time so only that amount of scent is released. As you continue to enjoy the candle, the scent remains.
So, I'm not a fan of candle melters for a fresh jar, but when you get to the bottom of the candle (say 1" left) that's a perfect time to use them. When only a small amount of wax is left, burning is no longer recommended to avoid overheating the glass. But there's still fragrant wax left! So peel off the bottom label and NOW use the warmer to get every last bit of fragrance out of your purchase!
Sachets:
Sachets are great. And likely you've already got a few spots in the house or car that would be even nicer with some fresh scent. But I'd like to suggest a few other spots that you could consider.
- Luggage: I've had a single Lemongrass sachet in my main luggage for over 10 years now. And my luggage always smells fresh (not stale).
- Boots: whether you wear them a lot or not so much, putting a sachet inside means for a fresher experience. (Obviously, remove before wearing!)
- Sneakers: ditto.
- Gym Bags/Swim bags: sure helps keep the funkier aromas from harshing your mellow.
- Top desk drawer. Now, this may seem a bit interesting, but many offices won't allow you to burn a candle or melt wax. So having a sachet in a top drawer means you can just open it, and enjoy some aroma when you need a little pick me up.
These sachets are soaked in fragrances and most of them are also colored. Since the oil can seep out (especially in hot conditions like a car in the summer...) I recommend that you always ensure that the sachet is placed in a small dish or a stain resistant location.
These can be refreshed over and over again...see the 'how to' notes in my Refresher oil section below.
Sachets last longest in closed environments (such as my luggage). They fade fastest in warm open areas (like your car). But again, you can refresh the beads over and over with Refresher Oil.
Refresher Oils:
How to use:
In an oil burner: Fill your burner vessel (tealight variety or plug in) with water. Add a few drops of my refresher oil. Now oil & water don't mix...so the oil will rest gently on the top of the water. As the water warms, evaporating into the air, some fragrance will also evaporate! The oil won't get hot enough to smoke (which not only causes some scents to morph into 'not quite so nice' but also smoking oils are the stage before flash fire...and you don't want that!) NEVER 'burn' oil without water! As the scent evaporates, you can add a bit more.
To refresh wax melts: as wax melts turn liquid, the fragrance oil trapped inside the wax evaporates into the air. Wax melts can only hold 'so much' scent or the plastic container can be compromised...so when the scent is too soft, likely there is still a nice bit of wax left in your melter. What to do? Well, melt this wax again, and add a few drops of my refresher oil! You can keep doing this until the wax is gone. Then, pop in another melt, and repeat the process!
To refresh aroma bead sachets. You'll need a clean small glass jar (I like a nice jam jar) with a good lid. Untie the organza bag and pour the aroma beads into the jar. Add a few drops of the refresher oil, shake, and wait. Check back in a couple of days. If the beads look dry, you can add in a bit more oil. Repeat this a few times. If your beads turn oily, you've added too much oil. No worries, but do take care where you put the sachets until the oil dissipates.
More: Put a few drops on a ceramic light bulb ring (or diffuser stone) for use in the car or home.
You can mix oils to create special fragrances, too! Some of my scents are not going to be offered already blended, so you may need to purchase 2 different fragrances to create your favorite scents.