How to Look After Your Candle

Did you know your candle needs a bit of tlc? We’ve put together this little guide on how to care for your candle so that you can get the most out of your fragrances, from the first burn to the last. Remember to never leave a burning candle unattended.

Placement

Candles should be:

Placed on a stable, level, heat resistant surface. Heat from a candle can leave marks on surfaces.
Away from things that can catch fire, such as curtains and paper.
In a draught free area.
Free from debris, including match sticks and burnt wick.
Out of reach from children and pets.
Kept out of direct sunlight. UV ray exposure can cause scent and colour loss.

The Wick

Before you light a candle each time, trim the wick to 5mm.

Trimming a wick to 5mm will help the candle burn steadily, to last longer and prevent the flame becoming too large.

Burn Time

You can burn your candle for up to 3 hours each time. Don’t burn it longer than this as the candle container may become too hot, particularly when the wax level gets lower

Stop burning your candle when 5mm of wax remains in the bottom of the container.

Candle Wax Memory

Yes your candle has a memory! The first burn of a candle sets its memory and determines how it will burn for each following burn.

When burning a candle you should allow a melt pool to form over the entire surface of the candle. This can take up to 3 hours depending on the size of your candle.

Tunnelling & How to Prevent it

When a candle is snuffed too soon, tunnelling might occur. Tunnelling is a term used when only the centre of the candle melts, leaving a ring of unmelted wax around the edge.

Tunnelling can also be a result of cutting the wick too short, which stops it having enough power to burn a melt pool. Candles should be kept at room temperature, as when the tin or glass jar is too cold the wax is harder to melt and can result in tunnelling.

Tunnelling can be corrected by removing the unmelted wax from the edges once the candle has cooled. After doing this make sure you allow the candle to burn a full melt pool before snuffing.

Left Over Wax

All tinned candles should be left with 5mm of wax in the bottom. This is to prevent the flame reaching the base and the tin becoming too hot.

Occasionally there can be more than 5mm of wax leftover. This is often caused by the candle being snuffed close to the end of its ‘burning life’. The wick then does not have enough power to melt the remaining wax.