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Unique Personalized Baby Shower Favors, Christening Favors and Baptism Favors. Also offering Birth Announcements and Wedding Favors. Make your event extra special with Favors from Stork Candles!

Baby Shower Favors ~ Bath and Body ~ Candles ~ Christening Baptism Favors ~ Miscellaneous ~ Wedding Favors ~ Why Soy Candles? ~ Candle Safety, Care & Tips ~ FAQ ~ Ordering & Shipping Policy ~ Jar Exchange ~ Printable Order Form

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you make candles?
2. How long do your candles burn?
3. What if I don't see my favorite scent?
4. How often do you add new fragrances?
5. Are your candles fresh?
6. Do you use lead wicks?
7. Are your candles 100% natural?
8. Can I provide you with my own containers?
9. On personalized event favors can I make special requests?
10. Do you send samples?
11. Why are some fragrances stronger than others?
12. There are some white marks on my candle, what is this?
13. Why are some soaps much darker than others?
14. I have a candle that I want a matching lotion in, but I can't find it listed as available. Why is that?
15. Do you use dyes in your bath & body products?
16. Does your soap contain sodium hydroxide AKA lye?
17. Are your soaps 100% natural?
18. Do your soaps contain animal products?
19. Why does my soap get mushy?

How do you make candles?

This seems to be one of the most frequently asked questions of me. While the process of making candles is no great secret, there are hundreds of resources available on the web, there is a considerable amount of investment, time and testing involved in making a superior candle. I spent the better part of a year testing and retesting what seems to be hundreds of wax, wick and container combinations prior to offering my candles for sale. I am confident that I have found the best possible combinations of components required in making my candles burn heads over many of the candle manufacturers today.

How long do your candles burn?

Each size listed in my catalog is followed by an approximate burn time, however this can greatly be altered if proper burning procedures are not followed. Please keep your wicks trimmed and allow ample time for a full melt pool in your candle so you may enjoy every possible minute.

What if I don't see my favorite scent?

We are in a constant state of testing and it may very well be that one of your favorites is in testing right now. Simply contact us and let us know what you are looking for. If we aren't planning in releasing that scent we can do our best to fit it in for you.

How often do you add new fragrances?

Even though it seems like daily to us we add approximately 1-3 fragrances a month. While some scents in particular seasonal scents may be deleted from the available lists, you are always welcome to inquire if you would like something special.

Are your candles fresh?

Stork Candles & Suds does not currently stock may candles, perhaps 2 or three of the top 10 selling scents in a few different sizes. At most candles may sit a few weeks prior to being sold. 90% of all orders are poured when the order is received ensuring the freshest candle right to your door.

Do you use lead wicks?

No, we either use zinc or cotton cored wicks. Zinc wicks have a thin filament of zinc surrounded by a cotton outer braid. The zinc core helps the wick remain centered and upright during use to ensure clean and proper burning. Testing has proven that zinc wicks are safely below EPA guidelines and proposed ASTM standards for trace elements of lead. Zinc core burns the coolest and is the most commonly used wick type for container candles since the use of lead core wicks was discontinued years ago.

Are your candles 100% natural?

Many candle makers boast 100% natural candles. Many times this is a false statement. While we do use a natural soy bean wax blend most of our fragrances and dyes are synthetic. There are a limited amount of natural essential fragrance oils available to us for candle making and there are literally thousands of fragrances that simply cannot be found in a natural form such as Banana Nut Bread or Candy Corn. I have yet to find a customer that would turn their noses when I am honest about my candles and not claiming that 100% natural simply because I do use a natural wax.

Can I provide my own containers?

Certainly! I do offer to refill containers for .65/ounce given the container is clean and ready to use. If I am required to clean the container there will be a $2.00 charge to do so. However, I will not refill damaged containers or containers I feel unsafe for candle use. Because of testing if you should have an off size candle or glass container, please understand I must first test wick/fragrance combinations to ensure your refill passes my quality standards, so this may take a few weeks to complete for you. Feel free to contact me for further information.

On personalized event favors can I make special requests?

While I cannot guarantee your request can be arranged, please do not hesitate to contact me so we can discuss your requests. I've always gone above and beyond to accommodate customers in making their events extra special.

Do you send samples?

I do not provide free samples, the web is a breeding ground for people just looking for free samples. If you have a specific question about a product, please contact me so we can discuss it. If it's a fragrance sampling you are interested in, I suggest ordering our smaller candles such as the ½ Pint Canning Jars or Flower Pot Votives so there is minimal costs involved.

Why are some fragrances stronger than others?

There are many variations in strengths of fragrances. Just as this occurs in nature there are some scents that simply are not as strong as others. We do scent our products as strongly as possible without influencing the integrity and safety of the candle.

There are some white marks on my candle, what is this?

Soy wax sometimes has a natural characteristic to have white marks known as frosting, this is perfectly normal and does not affect the candle in any way besides appearance. I have been successful in finding the best blending process to greatly reduce the occurrences of frosting in my soy candles, but on occasions it is difficult to be 100% frosted free.

Why are some soaps much darker than others?

While we do not use any dyes in our soaps, each fragrance and oil combination results in a different shade of soap. Many vanilla-based soap fragrances will result in a very dark bar of soap. While the visual aesthetics may not be right on the money, I can assure you the scents are superb.

I have a candle that I want a matching lotion in, but I can't find it listed as available. Why is that?

I do try and keep all of my scents available in both candles and bath & body products, but some scents simply are not safe for use on the skin. If you have a particular fragrance you are interested in, please contact me and I'll do my best to find something comparable to your request.

Do you use dyes in your bath & body products?

No, currently we do not use any dyes in any of our bath & body products. We are currently testing natural pigments for our soaps and have hopes to release those in the near future, but for now everything is 100% dye free.

Does your soap contain sodium hydroxide AKA lye?

Yes, all soaps are a mixture of an alkali and oil. Lye is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and water. For anything to have cleaning and lathering qualities it has to have some sort of alkali. When an alkali is added to oils saponification occurs and produces soap. Saponification means: a chemical reaction in which an oil is heated with an alkali such as sodium or potassium hydroxide to make soap. In other words, oil is combined with lye and they undergo a chemical reaction that converts the two into a new form that is soap. This reaction is irreversible, meaning the soap cannot be made to return back to the oils and lye. If correct measurements are used, every bit of the oils and the lye react and there is no oil or lye left in the final soap. However many of my recipes add extra oil so that the final result is a superfatted soap, which ensures that all of the lye is completely converted and that excess fat is left for skin conditioning benefits. This is one instance where extra fat is good! So, in final while yes lye is used to make handmade soap after the saponification process there is no lye left in the final product.

Are your soaps 100% natural?

Yes, I use only natural oils and fats such as Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil and Sunflower oil in all of my handmade soaps.

Do your soaps contain animal products?

I have two base recipes that I use for handmade soap. From these two base recipes I add extra oils and such to create a unique bar. One of my recipes does contain tallow, which is a fat product of beef. My other recipe is an all vegetable recipe. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Why does my soap get mushy?

Handmade soap retains a very high amount of natural glycerin. Glycerin attracts water and soaps that are allowed to sit in water will soak up that water. Take precautions to ensure your handmade soap is able to dry completely between uses. I suggest either a wire type or wooden type soap dish so that air can circulate around the soap aiding in drying. Please browse our catalog offerings below. Credit card orders are handled by a secure payment processor. You may also call in orders or print and mail your order form and check.

Baby Shower Favors ~ Bath and Body ~ Candles ~ Christening Baptism Favors ~ Miscellaneous ~ Wedding Favors ~

Why Soy Candles? ~ Candle Safety, Care & Tips ~ FAQ ~ Ordering & Shipping Policy ~ Jar Exchange ~ Printable Order Form ~Wholesale Info ~ Candle Parties! ~ Fundraiser Info ~