As you get started using candle dyes, note that the color of your melted wax will always appear darker than when it has cooled. For best results, begin with a small amount of dye and then drop some of the colored wax on a white paper towel so it can quickly dry. This makes it easy to see the color of the finished candles. From there, you can choose to stick with that shade or add more dye to achieve a darker color.
Keep in mind that dyes will appear differently in different waxes. Paraffin waxes are easier to get bold, vibrant colors with, whereas soy or soy wax blends may look lighter or more pastel.
- Liquid candle dyes are composed of synthetic colorants suspended in a liquid, vegan-friendly base.
- Start with 1-2 drops of dye.
- Add the dye at 185° F when you add any fragrance.
- If making non-fragranced candles or wax melts, add the dye when the wax gets up to your pouring temperature.
- Stir completely and then adjust the color as needed.
- Be sure not to overload the wax with liquid dye or it may alter the burn and/or smell of your finished candle.
- Dye blocks are made up of synthetic colorants suspended in a paraffin base.
- Start with ¼ - ½ a dye block per pound of wax being used.
- The dye blocks are scored in the middle to easily break
- If working with less wax or if you want a lighter shade, you can cut the dye block into smaller amounts.
- The dye block can be added to the wax at the beginning as you start melting your wax so that it has plenty of time to completely melt and no specks of dye are left in your finished candles or wax melts.
You can create your own custom colors by mixing different colors together so feel free to experiment with color blending to see what you come up with!
Pro Tip: Keep a record of how many drops of liquid dye or how many grams of dye blocks you use for your candle or wax melt recipe so that you can recreate the same shade for future batches. This is especially helpful if you are creating your own custom colors.
Please note: Candle dyes can only be used for candles or wax melts. They are not skin safe so do not use any candle dyes for bath and body products.