While discussing candle dyes, various options exist, including off-label choices like micas, oxides/pigments, crayons, and food colouring. However, not all colorants perform equally in candle making, particularly vegetable wax candles such as soy and coconut.
Extensive testing reveals that the choice of colorant can significantly impact your candles’ final quality and appearance, so it is essential to select the right one for your specific needs.
Candles Fantasy uses Bekro dye in their coloured candles, which uses 100% natural wax. You can get candles of all sizes at a reasonable price. Let us discuss how you can choose the best candle dye.
- Dye Chips
Dye chips offer a broad spectrum of colours, each chip suitable for colouring approximately one pound of wax to a medium shade. Their ease of use is a significant advantage – just add them when starting the candle-making process. Mixing them allows for a range of colour possibilities. However, a downside is their relatively lower colour fastness, requiring a larger quantity for achieving intense colours.
- Dye Blocks
Dye blocks, akin to dye chips, are highly concentrated and capable of colouring approximately 20 pounds of wax to a medium shade per block. They share the advantage of ease of use by simply adding them to the wax.
However, maintaining consistent colour intensity can be challenging for small batches due to the difficulty of shaving precise amounts.
- Liquid Candle Dye
Liquid candle dyes offer high concentration, requiring only a few drops for vibrant colours, enabling precise and consistent results when the quantity of drops is carefully monitored. They allow easy blending and can be added at the start or end of the wax-making process.
However, they emit a strong, unpleasant odour, although this does not affect the candle’s fragrance. Liquid dyes may accelerate wax cooling and, if overused, can lead to texturing problems. They are also known for being messy, and spills can be challenging to clean, making them less suitable for candle-making with children due to the risk of accidents.
- Bekro Granular Dyes
Bekro Granular Dyes, available in grains, offer the advantages of swift dispersion, uninterrupted burning, and convenient storage for future candle-making endeavours. These grains, resembling chips or powder, possess a generous size that facilitates easy integration into candle wax.
They stand as a versatile choice suitable for all wax types. However, in vegetable wax creations, the resulting colour intensity may be somewhat diminished compared to paraffin-based candles.
A small quantity of approximately 3g of dye is typically adequate for every 1kg of wax, making them a practical and efficient choice for colour customization in candle crafting.
Summary
Candle dyes come in various forms, including dye chips, dye blocks, liquid dyes, and Bekro Granular Dyes. Each has its pros and cons in terms of ease of use, concentration, consistency, and fragrance.
Bekro Granular Dyes are convenient for various wax types, but the colour may be less intense in vegetable wax creations compared to paraffin. Only around 3g of Bekro dye is typically needed for 1kg of wax.
