Wholesale Candle Supplies

The Types of Candle Dyes and How to Use Them

There is a common misconception that people new to candle making tend to have. That misconception is that candle dyes work by changing the color of the wax. Instead, dyes for candles work by becoming eveningly distributed inside of the candle before it cools and hardens. Coloring is a very complicated issue when it comes to candle making, and it’s not always as simple as throwing the dye into the melting pot with the wax. If you aren’t careful, then you will ruin the appearance of the candle and it might not even burn. Here we’re going to show you everything you need to know about colored dyes and how they work with candle making so that you lower your risk of these types of problems in your own candles.

Candle Dye Variations

Liquid dye is what most people think of when it comes to changing the color of candles. However, it’s also the type of candle dye that is the most likely to ruin your candle. The reason for this is that your candles can only hold so much of a liquid, and most people add way too much without even realizing it. Liquid candle dye is also more expensive than other forms that dye can come in, so it’s probably not the best choice for beginners.

Instead of using liquid dyes, the beginner will tend to have better initial results by using solid, premade discs. These discs of color are the easiest of all types of dye to use for candle making, and you use them by stirring them in as you melt the candle wax. The key thing to remember when you’re using discs is that you have to make sure they are fully melted in the wax and that the color gets evenly distributed throughout the batch. Otherwise, you will end up with candles that have a botched color job. One way to make the discs melt faster is to cut them up into smaller pieces with a knife.

Another solid form of dye that’s great for making candles comes in the form of a powder. Powder candle dyes are more messy than discs, but they work quite a bit better. It’s worth mentioning that it’s easier to measure an exact amount of powdered dye than it is for liquid dyes, though powdered dyes are harder to store without spilling and causing a mess. Make sure to follow the directions that come with the powder so that you don’t accidentally put too much into a single batch of wax. Doing so can severely affect the appearance of your candles and how they burn. In some cases, it can even cause them to become brittle and fall apart easily.

Color Selection and Other Matters

Because there are a large number of different colors available for your candle dye, you might feel overwhelmed. When you’re first starting out, the best thing to do is to get a set of dyes for the primary colors and use those to create any color you would like to use. With a basic set of blue, red and yellow, you’ll be able to make some shades of all of the basic colors. While it can be difficult to get especially bright or especially dark colors with this setup, it will give you a large range of colors to work with.

If you add some black and white dyes to your collection, then you’ll have a lot more flexibility in terms of controlling the brightness of the colors you produce with your candles. A neat trick is to mix white with bright or neon colors to create pastel-like color variations. While you can brighten or darken most candle dyes to whatever you want, one thing that you’ll find is that it’s extremely difficult to get a pure white candle.

One problem with candle dyes is that a prolonged exposure to light can cause a candle’s color to fade. To help prevent this, you can add something called an ultraviolet inhibitor to the candle wax when you’re mixing it. While this prevents fading, it can also be used to help prevent discoloration in general for candles that are black or white and lack color to begin with.