Candles, soap and cosmetics: kitchen chemistry

Candles: paraffin vs soy/stearin wax — soy burns cleaner and longer. Wick by diameter: thin wick in a wide candle = "tunnel", thick in a narrow one = soot. Soap: cold melt-and-pour base (safe start) vs hot process with NaOH (lye — goggles and gloves mandatory!). Selling cosmetics in the EU is regulated: the Cosmetics Regulation requires a PIF dossier and a responsible person — fine for a hobby, needs work for Etsy. Candles are simpler: safety norms plus labelling.

• ●Melt-and-pour base: melts like chocolate, colour+scent, done
• ●Never water into NaOH! Always: lye → into water, never reversed
• ●Selling cosmetics = PIF plus a responsible person, else a warning letter