Brief History Candle Facts. Part 1.
The Scented Candle : natural, synthetic vegan, exhausted?
Well as this idea turned from cerebral cartwheels to a piece of writing, it started naively, progressed smartly. dismissed itself willingly, laughed out loud "rawly" and then came back full circle to fact and choice. FACT and CHOICE,
Nobody signed up for a novel this evening on wax #naturalproducts #syntheticbiology , but you might find it intriguing to be simplified truthfully and factually.
In the 1800's candle light was a necessity from village to "developing city". The over powering choice was oddly #spermacetiwax . Derived from #Sperm #whales and residing in cavities in their heads, once (sadly Captured) the liquid was drained, an average wale yielded a staggering 500 gallons. The caskets (while being transported on ships) would have two holes drilled through and the spermaceti wax would be labeled into the wholes. (hang on my little wicks, or big wicks #candlewicks if you're size focused - don't jump ships already) this is longest part. Gathering gusto, the wax was boiled leaving a viscous jelly like substance that could survive freezing winters. The finest of this "jelly" was separated and sold as Winter spermaceti oil (further used in ailments, rubs and hand prepared potions).
PHEW .... The remaining less desirable usually slightly brown or yellow brown in colour was left to turn that way in the summer and would become spermaceti wax. PS. surpsiginly #rapeseed oil was another alternative already.
In the 1900's things had developed slightly. #beeswax became increasing introduced, and for the masses, blended candles became the norm. #Tallow candles appeared using Spermaceti partially, mixed with dead animal fats and beeswax in lesser amounts. The cheaper candles were mostly loaded with these fats, which burned smokily, aggressively and frankly stank.
Spermaceti candles hardened with purified beeswax were for finer living as they gave less smell, lasted longer and didn't melt.
Enter the beginning of electricity and gas. Finer homes refused to give up the elegance of chandelier and taper, as well as real fires
We enter the period of agriculture which leads us to our main points. If the reader drop rate hasn't reached knew lows.
In 1950 and 1960, the chic and prosperous #apothecary stores reopened and their mistresses, putting together life after European wars, were alive again. The pastels crumbs that litter cafe floors in their wonderful scattered bead patterns of pastels, a rainbow wouldn't paint better. Britain and Germany, not having this trend in their modern city life (possibly being more humble and in slower recovery from war.
The increased use of #crudeoil and the motor car tearing about the #amalficoast as much as the cruise into Santa Barbara saw the distinction of previous wax methods, but in actuality #petroleumengineering wax had been making their appearance since the 1850's.
The simple Candle. Natural, Synthetic ? How do we know.
SO it has been fifteen years since I stepped into this field. I started with a pop up that made it to the Barney's stores for a season.
I think bullet point is best here, else I will ramble.
My first range was made in petroleum fifteen years ago with a blend of beeswax. Didn't know, had no clue and the candle teacher used it with blinkered impunity. Quickly within a year I realised and started to feel uneasy about the effects that petroleum had on me, health and business akin.
Switching to a soy and beeswax candle, we started to take a much deeper care in the ingredient composition. Researching further into the origins of 'natural versus Synthetic". Well interestingly in modern day candle making large companies have used the word #mineral wax as a way to comfort customers with questions about their #paraffinwax use in expensive brands. Petroleum was comes from the waste products of oil refinement, its the sludge that is left. There are many industrial factors that use this waste, not just candles.
Not bring a global brand (yet), my need for fiscal success was probably overseen (well always overseen by the artistry). The benefits for petroleum wax, are that it is (if purified corrected it can carry aroma very well through excellent #moleculardynamics, bonding as aromas are carried in the air. They can be sticky and adhere perfectly. If bleached correctly they give an appearance of purity, which is iconic (oh and ironic). They burn at a much higher temperature and if the wick #candlewick has been tested correctly for the aroma, you will experience a positive burn. However whether blended with a natural wax or not, if you see black gathering on and in the jar of any candle, it is either three factors. The Wax, the fragrance, the wick,
I often wonder if this is all too personal and I should play the game with the same dice and rules as everyone else. I can’t.
Petroleum wax.
Thin grade, lower grade natural waxes, that are mostly budget and not treated with care in fragrance testing stages. In this and the next point its a little like this. We have a best selling aroma at nearly £100 per KG. Behemoth stores across the UK and Ireland and Europe have tried to copy it fir £15 or similar per KG. IT is not possible even to achieve a vaguely similar aroma. It\s like purchasing #EgyptianCotton and expecting Nylon to give you the same comfort.
lower priced natural aromas that are 100% chemical based, and in basic #soybean waxes it may lead to disappoint. Thin, aromas that irritate and bother sometimes (allegedly).
The story of Soy wax. In a wax of increasing and necessary ecological awareness, consumers turned to soy wax products to replace petroleum. There are three major soy manufacturers in the world (one smaller on that considers himself important). The unawareness of blithely minded consumers who don't research the things they are most passionate about is not a criticism. For almost a decade (to my knowledge, the deforestation of the #southamericarainforests have destroyed countless species's homes, made #microorganisms and #rareinsects extinct. Caused fluctuations in the food chain that has disrupted mother's natures previously succinct plans.
The sad news. For ardent animal lovers in vegetarian and and vegan lifestyle pursuits, your behemoth purchasing power in this one little bean has caused such a faster destruction of yet another of our planet's lifesaving necessities. HOLD ON. No judgment, the information was scarce but was out there, just hushed. I #pitched this story for years to be rejected by the #glossymagazines whose corporate sponsors may had more than a disinclination to reestablish further advertising contracts,
Products need to have purpose now. Purposeful art statements, purposeful care, renewed purposeful consuming. Our motto has been #productswithpurpose .
4. SO, this is the dumbed down version. So come on big guys, send a donkey kong of spermicide barrels down the rollercoaster track I'm teetering. This could be a book so I guess somebody should write it. As I will be in a different kind of casket (never good at video games - ooh, apart from Lana's song, but that faded).
SO Jonathan Ward products are made in our own space, using an organic wax and no alcohol in the room diffusers. Italian glasses, British packaging, European oils. Perfumers alcohol at 7% in the air mists with iodised water t allow a mist rather than a liquid. I have just come back on social and old account hacked. SO here I am. Not fresh faced and not bursting with 35 year "ZIP". There's another story about Zip's .... maybe not. We were approached recently with the dream of creating a world brand. I'm just nibbling on rice and beans and pontificating how the luxury market has changed significantly. NO more sparkling shots of splendour made for 4-3 pounds that cost £55. Give the customer what they're paying for,
All LOVE
Jonathan Ward
