Many people don’t realise that there are certain ‘candle commandments’ that should be followed to ensure your new candles live their best life and provide you with maximum burn time, scent throw and enjoyment, so we’ve put together the following guide to caring for them. Trust us, these small things quickly become second nature but they make a huge difference to your experience with our candles!

the first burn

The first burn of a new candle is absolutely vital and will affect your experience with your candle going forward, so here’s how to do it right.

When lighting your candle for the first time, it's very important to allow it to burn until the entire surface is liquid with wax (usually around 1–2 hours). This will help to avoid the dreaded tunnelling, which is when your candle never reaches the edge on subsequent burns and leaves a ring of wax that won’t melt, wasting precious burn time and restricting scent throw.

It’s best practice to ensure your candle reaches a full melt pool with every single burn, not just the first one.

burn time

The recommended time for burning your candle is 2 hours.

Never leave your candle burning for more than 4 hours at a time – the wick may become too long and cause a build-up of char and carbon. This can create an overly large flame that will cause your candle to smoke, release soot into the air and make the inside of your candle jar dirty, or it may not stay lit at all. It can also cause the container to become very hot.

When your candle is at the end of its life, stop using it when there is about 8mm of wax remaining at the bottom to avoid overheating and possibly cracking the glass. Wooden wicks will often self-extinguish at this point as the flame reaches the top of the wick clip, but don’t rely on this alone. Never burn your candle dry!

always trim your wick

Many people don’t realise the importance of keeping your wick trimmed but this is a vital part of your candle’s maintenance, whether it has cotton or wooden wick. Burning an untrimmed wick will cause excess flame and smoke, as well as a charred or sooty smell (and we’re sure that’s not what you’re after).

Keep the wick trimmed to 5mm between every burn to ensure a nice, clean burn and to make your candle last as long as possible. Simply break off the charred bits with a wick trimmer, a tissue or some nail clippers when your candle has cooled and toss them out. Make sure you remove all the debris to ensure it doesn’t contaminate your melt pool the next time you light the candle!

appearance

Because our candles don’t contain any artificial additives, they can often set with bumps or imperfections on the surface. Natural soy candles may also sweat, melt, discolour or fade when they are exposed to intense light, heat or humidity for extended periods of time. These are just features of natural soy wax and are considered perfectly normal so don’t worry, there is nothing wrong with your candle – it will still burn perfectly!

storage

When your candle is not in use, keep the lid on at all times to preserve the scent and protect it from dust.

We use a natural soy wax that can begin to melt if the ambient temperature is too high, so remember to store your candle in a cool, dry place and never leave it exposed to direct sunlight.

candle safety

Always burn your candle in a room free of drafts and away from flammable materials, and ensure it’s supervised the entire time that it’s lit. It should always be out of reach of children and pets too – don’t play with fire!

Make sure you place your candle on a heat-proof surface when lit (such as a solid coaster or on the candle lid itself) to make sure it doesn’t damage your furniture. Avoid touching or moving the candle when lit as the container may become quite hot.

Refer to the bottom of your candle for more safety information.

Most importantly, please enjoy!