Basically, the process is the same for infusing any herb or plant material into any oil - mix the two together, put them on a low heat, and let them stew for a while. The difference between the wax and the oil is that the oil is liquid at room temperature, where the wax is not. You need to keep it at 120 degrees or above to keep it liquid so that the color will infuse.
- I used a crock pot for these tests. You could do the same just putting the wax into the pot and setting it on low. Be sure to check the temperature so that it doesn't get too hot. You want it to steep at the lowest temperature you can keep the wax liquid. My crock pot stayed at about 130 degrees.
- If you can find/get a Presto Pot, those work the best for this kind of infusion. Presto Pots are great because you can accurately adjust the temperature and keep it steady over a long period of time.
- While possible, I would not recommend just using a regular melt pot on the stove. There's too much possibility of temperature irregularity.
- Put the herbs inside a coffee filter, some cheesecloth, or a small muslin bag. You want the color to infuse out, without too much of the plant material getting into the wax. With the really fine powders like alkanet and spirulina, it's not quite possible to prevent all of it...but do your best. You may need to let some sediment settle out of the wax or strain it before you make your candles.
- Let it stew. For these tests, I let it infuse for about 24 hours total, stirring every 4-6 hours. For deeper colors, another 24 hours would have helped. Past that, you're not going to get much additional color.
- That's it. Remember that your fragrance oils are going to add some color to the wax as well. Also be aware that natural colors are often more sensitive to fading than synthetic colors.
