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Starting a Business? Brush Up on Industry Terms

If starting out a business, you will be faced with some new terms you will have to get up to speed on quickly. Some of the most common are:

BLENDED WAX
Blended wax is a wax that has all of the needed additives identified for a specific application. (In most cases with the exception of UV’s).

MELT POINT
This is the temperature at which the wax will become fully liquid. There is an important distinction between melt point and pouring temperature. Be sure to check the product data sheet to determine which one is applicable to you.

BACK FILL/TOPPING OFF
With the exception of those blended waxes that have been designed as one-pour, all waxes have some level of shrinkage. As the candle sets up it will shrink around the middle of the candle requiring additional wax to be added. The back fill/top off will be necessary to create a smooth top in containers or in the case of pillars a fairly uniform bottom to the candle.

FULLY REFINED WAX
This is a wax that has been through the maximum refined process. A fully refined wax generally has a melt point of 125 degrees F or better and has a lower oil content. The exact oil content will vary depending on the melt point of the wax. Fully refined waxes are generally used to make pillars, votives and most candles other than container candles.

STRAIGHT WAX
Straight wax is a wax that can be used for general candle making but would require the use of additives to improve the performance of the candle.

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