How to Properly Burn Candles

Do you love burning candles? Have you ever experienced candles burning too hot, tunneling down the center + leaving lots of wax all down the sides? Well, you are not alone! I absolutely love candles but for years struggled with all these things.  However, this frustration probably did not deter you nor me from burning candles.

Did you know there is a proper way to burn a candle? No, stay tuned help is on the way! When you learn how to properly burn a candle it is life changing. The steps are super simple + it makes the candle burning experience even better.

First, trim your wick to the correct burning height, 1/4" before lighting, but as it burns you will need to follow these guidelines to get way more out of your candle without waste of wax or the scent. 

• trim your wick EVERY TIME YOU LIGHT IT!

Seems silly, but this will greatly enhance your candle experience. Each time you want to burn your candle, start by trimming the wick to 1/4" long. You can use scissors, nail clippers, our very stylish wick trimmer (my personal favorite) or, at the very least, break off the charred part. I don't really care what you use, just always trim the wick, before each burn.

This way you will get a cleaner burn + a brighter glow. You will have a prettier flame + no unsightly black, smokey stains on your vessel. It also keeps the flame under control. 

If the flame is ever over 2” please blow it out, let it cool, trim wick a little more, relight and ENJOY!

• allow your candle to create a melt pool

A melt pool is when you allow the top layer of wax melt all the way across to the edge of the vessel. You will want to do this each time you burn your candle. This can take some time, anywhere from 2-4 hours. So, don't start burning a candle, at all, unless you've got the time to do so. We call this candle memory + it's especially important with your first burn. 

You don’t want to waste your money by losing time with your beautiful candle. When you fail to achieve a full melt pool, you're creating a process called "tunneling." YUCK! This leaves all this creamy, beautiful, fragranced wax is left on the sides of your candle. Plus, you lose hours of burn time.

It takes a little patience. However, if you allow it to melt the wax all the way across every time you burn, the surface of the candle will stay flat and the sides of the vessel will stay cleaner, all the way down until the candle is spent.

• burn away from dangers

Burn your candle in a safe place to avoid fires or harm. You want to be sure it's away from drafts like, open windows, a/c or heater vents, fans or even direct sunlight or hot spots. Hot spots can make your candle burn even hotter (weird but true). Moving air can disturb the flame, which can also shorten the life of your candle. Look for areas that are flame resistant, away from drafts or too much direct light. Also, keep out of the reach of children + pets and anything that’s flammable.

Now, go light a candle + let the day melt away! 

xoxo,

Victoria