Was it love at first light? Great! Now let's get to know each other a little better. Here is your ultimate guide to properly burning your candles. We will teach you all of the basics as well as things you didn't even think there was to know about candles. Need to troubleshoot? Have an issue burning your candle all the way through? Or finding ways to make your beauty burn longer? Get ready because we are going to break it all down with this guide and give you some bright ideas.
CANDLE 101: Guide to Burning Your Candle Properly
Dedicated flame lovers may already know this but to make sure your candle burns evenly, you want to follow these 3 basic candle principles: trim, center, and wait.
1. TRIMMING YOUR WICK
Do you like burning money? Didn't think so. Do yourself a favor and trim your wick 1/8" inch before each burn. You can use a wick trimmer or even a pair of scissors. This will ensure that your candle burns a little longer and safer. We hand cut each candle wick before delivery so your first burn should be ok but make sure to keep it cut after,if it gets too long. Optimal wick length should be under a centimeter. It is helpful to do this before you light your candle as you don't want the debris to fall into the wax when it is lit.
2. CENTERYOUR WICK
Making sure your wick is centered will allow for frictionless fragrance throw. You can do this quickly before each burn by gently guiding the wick back into place towards the center of the candle. Keeping your candle wick centered ensures that your candle will burn evenly throughout and not burn more on one side. This is important because if your wick gets too long or out of place, it could cause the glass to heat too quickly on one side and crack.
3. RELAX AND WAIT UNTIL YOUR CANDLE IS FULLY MELTED
🔥 ATTENTION BURN BABIES! 🔥 This is the MOST critical step. The first time you burn your candle make sure to wait at least 3-4 hours or until the wax poolliquefiesto the edge of your glass. Once the wax pool is completely melted on the top, then you can blow out your candle.
Why is this the most important step you ask? Becauseif you blow out a candle too quickly, the wax has "memory" and will stay in this position for the length of your burn. Freaky, right?
Once your candle has this memory ring, it will continue to tunnel downwards throughout the life of the candle. A good rule of thumb is to burn the candle one hour for every inch of diameterof the vessel.
FORSAFETY'S SAKE REMINDERS:
Get lit without getting burned. Here are a few helpful safety reminders to making the most of your burn
DON'T BURN NEXT TO KIDS, PETS, FLAMMABLES OR SOME HUSBANDS
If your partner is like mine, he will want to run experiments near the flame. That is why it is important to not leave an open flame near any children or pets who may be at risk of harming themselves or others. Burn your candles on a non-flammable surface where they are in sight. Never leave a burning candle unattended. It helps to keep it away from a draft so that the flame does not risk carrying and helps to burn more evenly.
STORING YOUR CANDLE
Because you purchased a beautiful clean candle made with all-natural waxes, free of dyes and additives, our candlescan be a little bit sensitive. Temperature and light can affect the appearance of candles due to the natural wax and fragrance oils. Be sure to store in a cool, dry place away from any direct sunlight. A cupboard is perfect or in a dark room or closet. It is always good to keep the candle in its original box and with the dust cover to protect it from discoloration, fading, and collecting dust.
KNOW WHEN TO SAY GOODBYE & STOP BEFORE YOU GET BURNED
We know our destination-inspired scents can transport you to a dreamy vacation, but after a few hours, you will need to come back to reality. We recommend to not burn your candle for more than 4-5 hours. You can extinguish your candle simply by blowing it out or using a bell snuffer (yes - if you didn't already know or have them, there are candle accessories out there!) If your candle comes with a lid or topper, you can also use this to extinguish your flame by preventing oxygen to fuel it.
Wait an additional 2 hours before you begin to burn again as this gives the wax time to cool and will prolong your burn time.
STOP BURNING WHEN THERE IS LESS THAN 1/4" OF WAX LEFT IN THE GLASS
When the majority of the wax has been consumed, the flame will heat the container making the bottom of the jar hot. To prevent possible heat damage to your container and surface, stop burning after only 1/4" of your candle is left. When you are finished with your candle, try our guide to repurposing your candle vessel. If you are having trouble getting out the remainder of your wax, you can also reference our instructions on ways to remove candle wax.
CANDLE TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS & FAQS
WHY DO MY CANDLES SWEAT?
Don't sweat it. If you find liquid on the top of your candle wax, this just means the fragrance is sweating. This is due to the generous amount of fragrance we load in each of our candles, giving you a little extra love.
CANDLE WAX DISCOLORATION
If your wax isn't white, no worries. Our naturally derived ingredients in our formula can cause the candle to change colors with exposure to light or temperature change.
AIR BUBBLES IN THE CANDLE
If you find air bubbles in your candle, this is simply caused by surrounding temperature changes and will not affect your candle's lifespan or diffusion.
Who knew these little guys were so fragile?
WHY CANDLES TUNNEL?
If your candle is tunneling, this is due to the "memory ring." Your candle will remember where it left off and if the candle did not liquefy to the edge from the first burn, it will stay that way. If only everyone listened to us as our candles do.
There is a light at the end ofthe tunneling! An easy way to fix this is to give it a longer burn time your next go-around. Try burning a little longer than usual or enough for the pool to reach the edge.
