The Making

Hi there, so you are interested in finding out how your amazing Ohra Creation candle was made, what makes it smell so wonderful and how the crystals are put together in such beautiful harmony?

You are at the right place, keep scrolling to discover all the steps it takes to design and craft your candle:

As you probably guessed, to make a candle you need 4 principal ingredients: The container, the wax, the wick, and the fragrance. I spent weeks researching and testing all the different options available until I found the perfect combination. Under each step, you will learn more about the different ingredients I use and why I think they are "la crème de la crème" aka the best.

Making a candle is an art and a science. My favorite steps are designing and making them. For the design part, I reverse engineer, meaning that I start with the end goal in mind. Ohra Creations are not just pretty candles with wonderful smells, each one was designed with a specific need in mind. I imagine the person who has anxiety, who needs inspiration, who needs a boost of confidence or needs to reconnect with their dreams, and I start listing the ingredients this particular person would appreciate or could benefit from. Every aspect of the candle was carefully thought through and researched, from the essential oils and fragrances to the organic dried flowers, to each crystal and colors, all these elements were selected for their signification and amazing properties.

Ok, this part might sound a little bit "woo woo", but that's just how I roll. The making part is almost like a ritual to me, and although I could make a lot of candles in advance, making a candle while having the person who will use it in mind, adds something very special. When I say that your candle will be made especially for you, I'm not joking. I select your crystals (If needed) by feeling their energy and keep you in mind through the process of making it. I visualize the wonderful feelings I want you to experience when using your candle and ask the universe to send you what you truly need with it.

Before we get to the making part, the very first thing to do is to determine the amount of wax and fragrance needed, the size of the wick, and the mixing and pouring temperatures. Once you know your numbers, the fun part begins:

 

Step 1. Preparing the containers and Ingredients (10min)

 

 

The key to making a good quality candle is preparation. I always have my candle recipe book by my side to ensure that I use the proper size wick, the right amount of wax and fragrance, and have a good idea of the pouring temperature.

The first thing I do is adding the wick to the container and preparing my work station with the different ingredients aligned.

 

Step 2. Weighing and melting the Wax (20min)

  

 

I weigh the wax to make sure that I am melting the exact right amount, that way the fragrance load won't be diluted and no leftovers. Once weighted, I use the traditional double boiler melting technique to melt the wax, it takes a little bit longer, but doesn't heat the wax directly for a better result.

I use a blend of Coconut and Soy wax in our Candles. There is a lot of other waxes out there, the 4 most popular wax types are Parrafin (Petroleum-based wax), Gel (same), Beeswax (expensive and not vegan obviously) and Soy wax.  

Soy wax is all-natural, renewable, and sustainable, and has a great scent throw. I spent countless hours researching and testing different soy waxes and couldn't get the smooth texture desired until the day I found my wax soulmate Coconut wax. On its own, coconut wax has a very low melting point, which is not ideal for shipping and outdoor purposes. However, this wax is the smoothest, has a great scent throw and burns slower.

So, I use the best of both worlds with a combination of Soy wax as a stabilizer, and Coconut wax for the best finish. The result: you get a wax that is super smooth and soft, offers a superior scent throw, burns slower and cleaner, is 100% plant-based, Sustainable and renewable, Free of pesticide and herbicide residue, Non-GMO, No animal testing, and no petroleum products.  

Step 3. Waiting and adding the Essential oils and/or fragrance (15min)

  

Once the wax completely melted, that's when I had the dried flowers if needed, they will start diffusing their natural scent in the wax. However, the temperature will be too high to add the Essential oils or fragrance right away. If I add the fragrance right after taking the wax off the boiler, the scent will simply evaporate and you won't get a candle with a good scent throw or worst, with no scent at all. That's why I need to wait about 15mins and monitor the wax temperature before adding the Essential oils and/or fragrance at just the right temperature.

For our Simplicity collection of Aromatherapy candles, I use high quality pure essential oils that are certified vegan, and cruelty-free.

Our Delicacy and Soul Luxury collections feature a blend of pure Essential oils and phthalate and paraben-free fine fragrances.

I almost became nose blind after testing a lot of different essential oils and fragrances, but it was all worth it. The ones that made the final cut, are original scents that you won't find everywhere, very sophisticated with different layers of top, middle and base notes, and they combine perfectly with the other elements and purpose of each candle. I am confident that you will enjoy these unique scents as much as I do.

Pssst. My personal favorites are Orchid and Vanilla, Sage and Lavender, and our Meditation blend.

Step 4. Waiting again and Pouring (15min) 

  

Yup, making candles requires ALOT of patience. Before pouring the wax into the candle containers, I need to wait for another 10mins or so and monitor the temperature until it's perfect.

This step is one of the trickiest. If I pour the wax when it's still too warm, the big contrast of temperature between the wax and the container will cause the wax to not adhere to the glass. If I pour the wax when it's too cool, it won't adhere correctly either and chances are when getting to the top of the candle, the wax in my pot won't be liquid anymore and I won't be able to fill the entire container. Trust me, I experienced both scenarios many times before getting the pouring temperature thing just right.

With experience, I now have a few tricks up my sleeve which allows me to get the perfect pouring temperature almost every time. Because yes, the pouring temperature will vary depending on the ambient temperature, the size of the container the amount of wax in your pot, etc. That's the science part ;) 

Step 5. Curing (2 days)

Before burning a candle, they need to cure for a minimum of 2 days. Curing is basically letting your candle rest without manipulating or burning them. The wax in the candle will appear solid after just a couple of hours. However, the cure time is extremely important. It allows the wax and the fragrance to blend together for an optimum scent throw. Think about a spaghetti sauce, if you taste it 5mins after you put all the ingredients together, will it taste as good as after it slow-cooked for 2 hours and rested for a while? Nope.

That's why I say that we'll ship your candle within 3 business days, this allows me the time to make your candle and to let it cure for 2 days before adding the crystals and finishes and shipping it to you. Adding the days it takes for your candle to get to you, the candle will have cured for about a week before you light it up which is good curing time.

 

Step 6. Adding the crystals and the finishing touches (up to 2 hours) 

This part is like making a painting, every single one of the crystals and flowers is placed one by one in perfect harmony with each other.

There are a few secrets I won't reveal on how I'm adding the crystals and the flowers on top of the candle while keeping a smooth finish. What I can tell you is that it requires a few different tools such as jewelry pliers of various sizes and lots of time and scrupulousness.

For the Relax, Love and Create candles from our Soul Luxury collection, it requires two pours on two different days to get the dual-color finish. These candles can take me up to 4 hours to complete due to all the different steps, and I'm not counting the two curing periods.

The final step of finishing the candle is to clip the wick at the right length. That way, when you get your candle you can light it up right away and you will have a visual reference of the correct length if you need to clip it again (see the security and maintenance instructions on the bottom of the candle's box).

 

Step 7. Packaging and Shipping (15-30mins)

With all the time you spent choosing the right candle and all the energy I spend making it, you can imagine that I don't want anything to happen to it during transport.

One of my values is to be as Eco-friendly as possible while offering you colorful products. That's why all of our packagings, except the labels and stickers, are plastic-free. Our boxes are made from recycled materials and are recyclable. All the inner packaging is also recyclable.

I encourage you to re-use the robust shipping boxes. I pay extra to get heavy-duty corrugated boxes to ensure that nothing can squish them in transport so that your candle will get to you intact. These are great boxes for moving as they can hold up to 65pouns and can resist under 275pounds of weight.

If you love the label designs or have any suggestions, please let me know. I designed those myself (except the one of our Positive vibes only candle which was done by one of my talented friends), and I am far from a graphic designer. I am just a determined girl on a low budget, so I would love to get your feedback on those.

Finally, you will probably get a little handwritten note from yours truly, as I want you to know how much it means to me to be able to make a special candle for the special person you are.

 

I hope you found this "The Making" page interesting and that you realize the difference between a candle made in a big factory and a candle handcrafted by a fellow human being especially for you.

Thank you for taking the time to jump into my world and my dream. I invite you to discover our full collections by clicking here: https://ohracreations.com/collections

If you have any feedback, special requests or ideas for me, please reach out by email at contact@ohracreations.com. I want to offer you unique products that YOU will love. So please let me know what's your favorite kind of scents and essential oils, your favorite number of wicks and candle sizes, what you use your candles for, what's your favorite home decor style, etc.