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How to Create Your First Candle Product Line

All good businesses are built on the back of good products. When thinking about starting your very first product line can seem a little daunting. There is so much to think about but don’t get too stressed as this is a well trodden path. Remember that lots of people have successfully started up their own candle making business and they all had to develop their own first product line. The two most important thing to consider are:

  1. Understand your target market – Before you buy any products (wax, fragrance, packaging etc) you must know what market you are catering for. So you are working out what sort of candles your future customers will want to buy.
  2. Differentiate your candle product line – You need to develop a candle product line that your customers will remember you for. There is no point creating candles identical to what they are already buying. By differentiating (offering something better and different) you are offering your customers something that will make them switch to you.

Starting to Create Your Candle Product Line

When you start to make your candle product line it will be determined on what sort of materials that you use to make the candles. 

Selecting Your Candle Wax

Candle wax selection is very important and so it is critical that you choose the correct type of wax to use. Remember to use the type of wax that your target audience is demanding. The three most popular candle wax types are:

  • Soy Candle Wax – This is 100% natural and more and more people are switching to it making it the quickest growing sector of the candle industry. A major plus point is that it is so easy to use for new candlemakers. It also provides a great selling point because you can tell customers that it is eco-friendly and a completely natural product. Your marketing message can be that your candles are made from sustainable and renewable materials. 
  • Paraffin Candle Wax – Some candle buyers prefer to use paraffin based candle waxes as they have a better scent throw than soy candles. They also take their dye better and do not have as many visible imperfections as soy candles. It is also easy to work with and is cheaper than soy wax. 
  • Paraffin-Soy Candle Wax Blend – Many people like a paraffin-soy wax blend as it has the advantage of looking like a soy candle and has the excellent scent throw of a paraffin candle. It also does not have the surface imperfections associated with a say wax. You can market it as a candle that contains natural soy wax that has an excellent scent throw.

 

Do not be tempted to use beeswax while you are fairly new to candle making as it can be difficult to work with. This is because it varies in consistency due to the variation in nectar and pollen levels from season to season. More experienced candle makers tend to blend beeswax with other waxes.

Selecting Your Candle Fragrance Oil

The biggest selling point of a candle is its scent. Get the right scent and you will sell a lot of candles. Scents can bring back favorite memories and emotions and there are also now duplicate scents of people’s favorite aftershave and perfumes. Customers want candles that have good scents and by giving them that will help to create a lasting connection with your candles. Our Scented Living range of candle fragrances will help you provide your customers with what they want. 

What to look for when selecting candle fragrance oil:

Make sure that you use fragrances that your target market wants. If you are making candles for the mass market make sure that you use more traditional scents like pine, strawberry and black cherry. You should also try scents that smell like familiar products – Fresh cotton, badby oil and bubble gum fragrances all sell very well.

For mid-market candle scents try and be a bit more creative and offer scents that are a little bit different from the norm like Black Pomegranate and Lemongrass and Ginger. For high-end markets, you can sell luxurious perfume and aftershave duplicate scents that are similar to the latest best selling ones. 

Use Good Descriptions

Your candles will sell better if you use creative descriptions. This applies to selling them at bricks and mortar stores as well as online. Keep your descriptions short and snappy. Paint a picture in their mind of what your candle will smell like when it has been lit.  

Selecting Candle Containers

Choosing the right candle container is also very important as this is what will showcase your candle and make it stand out. Again think about matching up your candle containers to the segment of the market that you are targeting. Also try and work out how your candle containers can help you stand out from your competition and consider which containers best fit your market. 

Important things to consider when choosing candle containers are what can make your candles more original. Look at various styles of container work best for each sector. Generally jelly jars are mass market where as a more traditional glass tumbler is better suited for a middle of the market customer. You can now get coloured glass containers which can command a premium as they create a more modern, luxurious feel ideal for a high-end market. Consider offering lids for your candles as well – this is a very quick fix to help set your product line apart from competitors. 

Take time to select your labelling and packaging

Packaging and Labelling of Candles

The final point to consider when working on your candle product line is that of selecting the correct labelling and packaging. This is a simple way to help differentiate your candles from your competition. 

The first thing with your labelling is to get all of your legal requirements correct. Make sure that you include your business name and address, and the correct warning and usage labels. It is important to design a label that is visually appealing and matches your branding.

Getting your packaging right is critical as this is the first thing that a customer will see when they see your product.