DO COLORED CANDLES SELL BETTER?

Candles are one of the oldest inventions known to man. Not only that, but they are also one of the oldest sources of illuminations ever invented. The sheer ingenuity that went into the creation of the earliest forms of candles cannot be ignored, and one is often forced to wonder how ancient people learned to make them from boiling down fat (tallow) from cattle to form wax. Even now, that same ingenuity and resourcefulness has led to the creation of several kinds of candles, including colored ones. In light of this, many people often wonder if colored candles sell better.

WHAT ARE COLORED CANDLES?

Colored candles are candles that contain pigments which give them a desired hue. They ar

e usually formed by the addition of these pigments or dyes to melted candle wax during the candle-making process. The type of pigments or dyes used depend mainly on two factors; first, the kind of melted candle-wax in use during the candle-making process (this could be paraffin wax, soy wax, beeswax or other kinds of waxes, or even combinations of waxes. The kind of candle wax in use determines, to a large extent, the kind of candle waxes or dyes to be used as different dyes work well with different kinds of waxes), and secondly, the kind and shade of color required in the end product.

Dyes for making colored candles can occur in different forms including powders, pellets, crystals and liquid forms. And the type of dye used depends largely on the type of candle-wax in use and the type and intensity of the color required in the colored candle at the end of the candle-making process. However, many candle-makers – also known as chandlers – have expressed great preference for the liquid forms of dyes as they are supposedly much easier to weigh and mix into the liquid candle-wax, during the candle-making process.

Colored candles have a huge popularity in markets all around the globe because they are colorful and so, they serve as great aesthetical pieces along with white candles. Also, a lot of people who prefer colored candles to white candles make their choices based on personal preference for a certain color; and this is a kind of choice that they wouldn’t be able to make if the world was only filled with white candles. Additionally, colors in scented candles can be used to indicate the kind of scent or fragrance it contains.

PROPERTIES OF COLORED CANDLES

Colored candles are usually made of candle-wax, wicks and pigments of color. They occur in many different hues and shades, depending on the type of wax used, they type and color of the dye (or pigment used) and the quantity or amount of the dye added to the melted candle-wax during the candle-making process.

Colored candles are usually odorless, and they are not necessarily scented. As a matter of fact, if an unscented colored candle emits an odor or aroma when it is burned, there is probably a problem somewhere as this might be an indication of a defect of the dye, a mistake in the candle-making process, or mislabeling during packaging. However, a lot of colored candles are in fact made to give off scented by adding perfume or fragrance to the melted wax during the candle-making process. Colored scented candles do not always match their emitted fragrance, however, in many cases; the colors of the candles are made to match their emitted fragrance. For instance, citrus-scented candles may be dyed a citrus color or a shade of yellow; mint-scented candles may be dyed a shade of mint-green; lavender-scented candles may be dyed to become a lavender shade of purple; mango-scented candles may be dyed an orange or yellow color; pineapple-scented candles may be dyed a yellow color; peach-scented candles may be dyed a peach color and vanilla-scented candles may be left un-dyed or they may be bleached to become white.

Some white candles are formed by using paraffin wax to make their candle-wax, since paraffin wax is normally white in color. However, when it comes to candles made of naturally yellow or yellowish materials such as fat (tallow) or beeswax, these waxes need to be bleached in other to become white during the process of candle-making.

DO COLORED CANDLES SELL BETTER?

A lot of people prefer colored candles to white candles. This preference may be based on personal inclination for a certain color, the fact that a particular color matches the décor of a certain place or a certain room in a house, or the fragrance matched and associated with that color. However, a lot of people also like white candles and everything that they stand for; also due to personal preference or associations to scents (that is, in the case of scented candles, e.g. vanilla-scented candles which are usually assumed to be white in color).

Several chandlers (i.e. candle-makers) and sellers of candles have put forth different claims when it comes to determining whether colored candles sell better than white candles. Although, white candles are usually more common globally, there are some candle sellers who report that their stock of colored candles tends to sell out much faster than their stock of white candles. Others have reported details that are much different from this; they claim that their stock of white candles tend to sell much better than their stock of colored candles.

Ultimately, it all boils down to personal preference. The location or area of the candle store also appears to play a huge role in what type of colors get sold. Stores in upscale business areas of big and polished cities such as New York may record higher sales of white candles compared to stores in areas that are not as upscale or polished. However, reverse may also be the case, also depending on the personal preferences of those who purchase candles in such areas. Globally, white candles may sell a lot better than colored candles due to their sheer commonness, however, some owners of candle-stores will claim to differ, based on their own unique experiences.