Customers ask the most thought provoking questions…

Last week I was asked, in my opinion – “What is the most important reason they should choose to buy hand made?” I guess the most politically correct answer would be to support the work of handcrafting artisans, but that is not the most important reason that I buy hand made whenever possible.

Here are my thoughts;

Quality – In most cases the quality of raw ingredients and the manufacturing techniques used in creating by hand are superior to those available in the mass manufacturing market. This can be largely contributed to cost containment. Large manufacturers must invest millions into a product before the item is even tested. All entrepreneurs have the cost of doing business, but in the hand made, cottage industry those enormous costs of R&D, testing, marketing, manufacturing, packaging and distribution are extremely less – allowing for the use of finer ingredients and better quality production techniques.
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Recently when researching different types of fragrance oils and choosing which scents to keep and which to remove – I did so in a logical way. I choose some new fragrances, removed some old ones that did not sell and tightened up scents that I thought were somewhat duplicated in their category.

Then I stated looking at the fragrances we would be incorporating into our soap and new bath and body products. Most of these were new and since the selection of fragrances was smaller, the task was quickly over. I felt maybe I was missing something? So…I started researching other companies, other artisans I buy from, just to get a feel for what they offered in the way of scents for their body products and soap. I was really surprised by what I found.

What is with all the foodie smells in bath and body products? I personally have no desire to smell like a cupcake, but I guess there are a great number of ladies out there that are into smelling edible. Not too long ago I read an article that said the number one favorite aroma to a man was pumpkin pie…that I understood, but I never thought about actually wearing…on my body…a scent that reminded me…much less was, food like. But I am not here to judge so I started doing some research and found some interesting things.

It has long been held that memories are triggered more by the sense of smell than any of the other senses. Nothing invokes memories more than the smell of something, not even seeing, feeling, touching or hearing. It has to do with how our brains are wired and the limbic system – the emotional part of our brains. Interestingly enough the first sniff of a new odor and our brain attaches it to an associated person, feeling, moment and/or situation. It forges a link that is unconscious on our behalf for the most part automatic in recall. So the next time we get a sniff of that odor we are transported in our emotional minds back to that association. Since we are not born adults, many of these associates are made in our youth, as we grow up. There have been studies on babies that were exposed to odors while inside the womb. Even if offensive to others like onions or garlic, the born baby displays an attachment to the odor when born, finding it comforting and soothing. WOW

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Let’s talk common myths in candles. The most common I have heard are…

Triple scented candles… Most handmade candles are scented with the correct amount of fragrance oil as dictated by the Chandler’s testing. There is a recommended amount of fragrance oil that can be added to wax, but that varies by type of wax and one’s measure of ample scent.

Because scent is one of the most expensive components of a candle, mass manufacturers use cheap/inferior grade fragrance oils and keep their percentage of usage at a minimum. It became common practice in the early days of handmade candle mania for Chandlers to boast having “triple scented” candles. This was based on the industry average (large candle manufacturers) level of usage. So in their defense… most Chandlers did/do use more than their large company counterparts.

Unfortunately, what the industy average was/is and thus the amount they are tripling – is never revealed and I doubt they know for sure. Think of it this way, three times a penny is only 3 cents! It’s simply marketing hype. Wax is like a sponge and will only hold so much fragrance oil, any more than it will hold and it will leak, or seep out becoming unsightly and NOT burnable.

Paraffn Candles can Cause Cancer… This is based on some random studies that were concluded WITHOUT any supporting evidence or research that paraffin wax emits toxic or carcinoginic fumes while burning. Their studies also suggest that the burning of paraffin wax is an allergen, which also had not been proven although the fragrance oils used in most candles can be. I make candles of soy because it’s the wax I prefer to use,  not because there is any “wrong” with paraffin waxes.

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