Can You Use Liquid Food Coloring In Candles?

Candles have long been popular household items, prized for their soft lighting and pleasant fragrance. Research shows that consumers love candles for their ability to set a mood and make a space feel cozy. While plain white candles have their appeal, many people enjoy decorating with colored candles to add visual interest and coordinate with their home’s aesthetic.

Adding color to candles can transform them into decorative pieces that complement room colors and themes. The versatility of colored candles makes them attractive options for gift-giving as well. With the wide selection of colored candles available today, there are endless possibilities to make personalized candles that align with recipients’ tastes.

This article explores techniques for adding color to candles using liquid food coloring. Proper techniques allow crafters to safely and effectively produce their own colorful, customized candle creations.

Food Coloring Overview

There are several types of food coloring that are commonly used including liquid, gel, paste, and powder varieties. Liquid food coloring is the most readily available and comes in small bottles. It provides vibrant color but can stain and run when exposed to moisture. Gel food coloring is thicker than liquid and helps prevent running but requires mixing to fully incorporate the color. Paste food coloring is highly concentrated and provides very intense colors. It may need to be thinned before use. Powdered food colorings need to be dissolved in liquid before use. They come in both artificial and natural varieties.

According to Taste of Home, common types of food coloring include traditional dye, liquid gel dye, gel paste dye, and natural food colorings. Traditional dyes are inexpensive but tend to bleed. Gel dyes are thicker and won’t spread. Paste dyes are highly concentrated for very vibrant colors. Natural food colorings come from vegetable and fruit sources.

Using Food Coloring in Candles

Using liquid food coloring to dye candles is possible but has some drawbacks. According to https://helloglow.co/how-to-color-candles/, food coloring is water-based and does not mix well with candle waxes. The introduction of water into wax can cause issues with proper setup and burning.

Some pros of using food coloring are that it is inexpensive and readily available. However, as pointed out on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/candlemaking/comments/wxs0nb/im_new_to_candle_making_has_anyone_used_food/), food coloring tends to bleed or fade when burned and does not produce as vibrant or stable coloring as professional candle dyes. The water content also makes it harder to achieve an even color distribution.

Overall, food coloring can work but tends to provide lower quality, less stable results compared to specialized candle dyes. It’s recommended to use professional dyes for more predictable, vivid candle coloring.

Recommended Techniques

When using liquid food coloring to dye candles, it’s important to follow some best practices for getting the best results. Here are some recommended techniques:

Mix the food coloring into melted wax before pouring candles. Stir thoroughly to distribute the color evenly. According to experts at eHow, adding the food coloring directly to the wax ensures it will bind properly with the wax and produce an even color.

Use oil-based gel food coloring instead of water-based liquid food coloring. Gel food coloring is thicker so it mixes better into the wax. As WikiHow explains, liquid food coloring is water-based so it doesn’t bond as well with wax.

Start with just a couple drops of food coloring and add more as needed. It’s best to gradually build up the color intensity. Test on a small sample of wax first before adding to your whole candle batch.

Avoid adding food coloring to an already poured candle, as it likely won’t diffuse evenly through the set wax. Always mix into melted wax before pouring the candle.

Stir well for at least 2-3 minutes after adding food coloring to fully incorporate the color. Continue stirring occasionally as the wax cools.

Recommended Food Colorings

When using food coloring to dye candles, oil-based liquid food colorings tend to work best. Oil-based liquid food colors are formulated specifically for candy making and decorating. The oil allows the pigments to blend with wax more easily than water-based food colors.

Some examples of oil-based liquid food colors that work well for candle making include:

• Wilton Icing Colors
• Chefmaster Liqua-Gel Food Colors
• AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Colors

Water-based liquid food colors, like those made by McCormick, are not recommended. The water base does not mix properly with wax. Gel food colors may also work, but liquid oil-based colors tend to yield the best results.

When using any food coloring, it’s important to choose darker, more vibrant shades. Pale food colors usually do not create enough tint.

Overall, oil-based liquid food colors designed for candy making are the best option for coloring candle wax. They mix smoothly into melted wax and produce bold, saturated hues.

Amount to Use

When using liquid food coloring to dye candles, it’s important to use the right amount for the candle size you are making. Using too much or too little coloring can negatively affect how the candle turns out.

For votive or tea light candles, experts recommend using 1/8 teaspoon of liquid food coloring per pound of wax. For standard containers like jelly jars or mason jars, use 1/4 teaspoon of coloring per pound of wax. For larger pillars or container candles, use 1/2 teaspoon of liquid food coloring per pound of wax.

These recommended amounts will produce a nice vivid color without compromising the quality or burn properties of the candle. Always do a small test batch first to ensure you achieve the desired color saturation before making large batches.

Effect on Candle Quality

Using food coloring in candles can affect the quality and performance in several ways:

Burn Time – Adding food coloring will not significantly impact the burn time or longevity of a candle. As long as the proper wax to fragrance oil ratio is maintained, food coloring will not alter the chemical structure of the wax in a way that diminishes burn time.

Scent Throw – Food coloring has very little effect on scent throw. The strength of a candle’s scent depends on the fragrance oil quality and ratio used. Food coloring does not bind with or dilute fragrance oils in a noticeable way.

Wax Pooling – Food coloring will not interfere with your candle’s ability to pool out properly. Proper wax pooling depends on wick size, wax type, room temperature, etc. The small amount of food coloring needed per candle does not impact wax pooling.

Smoke – Adding food coloring will not make your candle smoke more. Proper wick size for the wax type is the key factor in limiting candle smoke. As long as food coloring is mixed in properly, it does not increase smoke production.

Soot – Food coloring does not cause candles to produce more soot. Sooting issues are related to the wick being too large for the wax type. Food coloring does not impact this mechanism.

In summary, using the recommended small amounts of food coloring should not have any detrimental effects on your finished candle’s quality, performance, or aesthetics.

Safety Considerations

While using liquid food coloring to dye candles may seem harmless, there are some safety concerns to keep in mind. Food coloring is not formulated for high heat applications like candle making. As the candle burns, chemicals from the food dye can be released into the air. Studies have found that burning candles with chemical dyes can produce harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene and toluene [1].

These VOCs can cause symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and irritation when inhaled [2]. Food coloring also tends to clog wicks as the candle burns, which affects performance. For these reasons, it’s recommended to avoid using liquid food coloring in candles. Opt for safer options like candle dye blocks or liquid candle dye instead.

Example Recipes

Food coloring can be easily incorporated into candle making recipes to create brightly colored and vibrant candles. Here are some example recipes for colored candles using food coloring:

For a red candle, add 4-5 drops of red gel food coloring per pound of wax. Stir thoroughly as the wax melts to ensure even color distribution (source).

For a blue candle, use 3-4 drops of blue liquid food coloring per pound of wax. Mix well and test the color before pouring into the candle jar (source).

To make a yellow candle, combine 8 drops yellow food coloring with 1 pound of melted wax. For a deeper yellow, gradually add more coloring one drop at a time (source).

For a green candle, mix 3 drops green food coloring with 2 drops yellow coloring per pound of wax. Increase color amounts for a deeper green hue (source).

Test colors on a white surface before pouring to ensure the desired vivid candle color.

Summary

In summary, food coloring can definitely be used in candles to create fun, customized colors and designs. The key is to use concentrated gel or liquid food coloring, as opposed to powdered or paste forms. Start with just a few drops per pound of wax and increase as needed for brighter colors. Oil-based dyes tend to hold up better than water-based options when subjected to heat. Bright colors like blues, reds, and purples show up best. Mix colors thoroughly and test burn first. While food coloring is non-toxic, some dyed candles may smoke more than uncolored versions. With the right techniques, you can safely add pops of color to candles using standard liquid food coloring.