Glossary

Candle Making Glossary

Every term people search for in candle making is given a short definition here and linked to a Rufus guide. Temperatures and oil saturation follow the Soya Wax 50 notes (melting ~51–55°C, oil saturation ~8%).

Candle Making All Guides

Soy Wax: A vegetable candle base made from soybean oil. Rufus Soya Wax 50 is flakes for containers, melting at ~51–55°C.
Paraffin: A petroleum-derived, firm candle base; often chosen for molds and pillars.
Palm Wax: A hard vegetable base made from palm oil; its mold release differs from soy.
Beeswax: Wax from the honeycomb; it has its own aroma and density, and the wick is tested separately.
Candle Fragrance Oil: Oil-based fragrance oil. 6–10% in Soya Wax 50, with an average ceiling of 8%.
Wick Size: Thread thickness by container inner diameter. Look at diameter, not weight; a burn test settles it.
Wooden Wick: A wooden-strip wick; it needs soaking, centering and the right mm size.
Stearic Acid: An additive that firms up paraffin; it is not added blindly to every soy wax.
Tunneling: The center burns down while the edge is left. A thin wick or a short first burn.
Soot: Black smoke. A long wick, a thick wick size, a draft or too much fragrance.
Mushrooming: A carbon lump on the wick tip. Check the trim and the wick size.
Wet Spots: Shiny patches where the wax pulls away from the glass; it is not a leak.
Frosting: Matte white crystals on the soy surface. Cosmetic, not a faulty wax.
Sinkhole: A dip in the center. Fast cooling; a second pour fills it.
Sweating: Oil on the surface. Exceeding oil saturation or a warm storage area.
Container Candle: A candle poured into glass and not unmolded. Soya Wax 50 is made for this.
Pillar Candle: A free-standing candle released from a mold. Paraffin holds firm.
Tealight: A small container candle with a thin wick. Dozens can come from 1 kg.
Aroma Tablet: A wickless wax melt; it melts in a warmer and is not burned.
Silicone Mold: A flexible mold; peeled off once cooled. Paraffin for detail.
Candle Making Kit: A starter box that brings wax, wick, fragrance and container or mold together.
Gel Candle: A clear mineral gel base; its working temperature is higher than soy or paraffin.
Candle Wick: The thread or wood that draws up the wax. Size follows diameter; trim ~5 mm.
Candle Dye: Oil-soluble granule pigment. ~1%; food coloring is not used.
Double Boiler: Indirect heat from a water bath. Soya Wax 50 ~51–55°C; no direct flame.
Weak Scent: Faint scent: too little fragrance, a short cure or a thin wick. Soya Wax 50 6–10%, 48 hours to 1 week.
Wick Holder: A holder that centers the wick during the pour. A shifted wick causes tunneling.
Double Wick: Two wicks in a wide container; a shared melt pool instead of a single thick thread.
Self-Extinguishing: The flame going out. A thin or wet wick, tunneling or a draft. Trim ~5 mm.
Using Soy Wax: Soya Wax 50: double boiler 51–55°C, fragrance 6–10%, poured into containers.
Paraffin Candle: A firm base for molds and pillars. Detail in silicone molds; SKU-specific temperature.
First Burn: Burning until the pool reaches the edge on the first flame. A short burn leaves tunneling; wick ~5 mm.
Attaching the Wick: Glue to the base, center with a holder, trim ~5 mm after the pour.
Using Fragrance Oil: Weigh in grams, add after removing from heat. Soya Wax 50 6–10%, ceiling ~8%.
1 kg of Paraffin: By volume, roughly 4–6 candles at 200 ml. Use a scale; do not copy the soy formula.
Wood vs Cotton Wick: Cotton is quiet and sized by number; wood gives a wide flame and crackle and needs soaking.
Weak Flame: A short or thin wick, too much dye or exceeding oil saturation. Trim ~5 mm.
Vegan Candle: No paraffin or beeswax. Soya Wax 50 in a container, ~51–55°C.
Using Palm Wax: A firm vegetable base. SKU-specific temperature; do not copy soy 51–55°C.
Wooden Wick Crackle: The crackle of a wooden wick. Soaking, a dry tip of ~5 mm, the right mm.
Stearic Acid Ratio: A paraffin additive. Percentage by SKU and testing; not blindly in soy.
Using Beeswax: Beeswax: SKU-specific temperature, a firm wick. Do not copy soy 51–55°C.
Glass Container: Heat-resistant glass; wick by inner diameter. Soya Wax 50 for containers.
Extinguishing: Snuffer or lid instead of blowing. Wick ~5 mm dry tip.
Smoking: Visible smoke. A long wick, a draft, blowing out. Soot is a separate issue.
Dripping: Pillar drips. A soft base or a draft. Paraffin + stearic.
1 kg of Tealights: Dozens by container grams. Use a scale; no 200 ml soy formula.
Using a Wick Holder: Center the wick with the holder, pour, trim ~5 mm.
Tealight Wick: Thin thread for a narrow container. A firm wick smokes. Tip ~5 mm.
Candle Matches: Long-stick lighters. The first burn is a separate protocol.
Pillar Leaning: The body shifting. Unmolding early or soft soy. Dripping is drops.
Patterned Wick: Colored thread. Size follows diameter; the pattern adds no firmness.
Wooden Wick mm: Wooden wick in millimeters. Do not copy a thread size; go by diameter.
Wick Length: Container depth + allowance. ~5 mm is the burn tip, not the whole length.
Candle Thermometer: Soya Wax 50 ~51–55°C. Guessing breaks the oil saturation.
Double Wick Spacing: Two threads equal to the edge and to each other. The pour recipe is separate.
Storing Soy Wax: A cool closed store. Use at 51–55°C is separate.
Glass Heating Up: A firm or shifted wick. Soot is smoke, separate.
Second Pour: Fill the dip with the same wax. The cause of the sinkhole is separate.
Bubbles: Air inside the wax. A wet spot is a glass patch.
Soy Wax Price: By SKU and quantity. No memorized TL price; see the catalog.

FAQs

Where should I read about candle terms?

This glossary gives short definitions. Deeper explanations are on each term’s guide page; Soya Wax 50 notes (51–55°C, oil saturation ~8%) apply there.

Are soy wax and paraffin the same?

No. Soy is a plant-based container base; paraffin is a firm base for molds and pillars. The comparison is in the guide.