Care of Soy Candles

 

You've been burning candles wrong your whole life... YUP I said it! Okay I'm being a tad over-dramatic, but burning a soy candle right will mean you won't miss out on the full scent potential of your candle.

Soy has memory. May sound crazy, but if your candle is extinguished prior to allowing a full melt pool, all future melt pools will not go past the first one. 

• Before the first light, and each time thereafter, make sure you have 3-4 hours available for the candle to burn while attended. Allow the wax to melt all the way out to the diameter of it’s container. I know it is exciting to want to light your candle right away, but this is the most important step! We suggest you choose a day that doesn’t require interruption or on a weekend while watching the game or reading a book. It is supposed to be a relaxing experience anyway!
• How long this takes really depends on the diameter of the candle – 3" = 3 hours 4" = 4 hours and so on. If you’ve only got an hour to enjoy your new soy candle pick one that isn’t too wide. Once the melted wax reaches the glass, allow it to melt until 1/4” deep. This is called a melt pool. This is also where all of that fragrant aroma is released. If you cannot smell the aroma, it means that the jar is too small for the area. Consider placing a couple candles in one room to increase it’s aromatic benefit.
• Keep your wick trimmed to 1/4”. Occasionally, mushrooming may occur. This is okay and simply means that there is a buildup of carbon from burning for a longer period or perhaps a draft. After the candle is extinguished, allow the wick to harden and carefully trim to 1/4”.

 

Tunneling can be a nuisance – not only does it look ugly, but it also means you miss out on the full burning and scent potential of your candle. I want you to get the best burn every time, so If your Candle has begun to tunnel, here's a handy guide to help you avoid or fix the problem.

As mentioned above, the first burn is the most important as it sets the candles “memory”. The memory ring of a candle is the indent made by the candle wax on it’s initial lighting, and generally marks the edge of where all future burns will reach. Back to diameter burn times. By not allowing the wax pool to reach the edge on its first burn, a smaller than ideal memory ring will be formed and your dreaded tunneling will begin. Caught early enough, you can reset the candle's memory allowing the wax to re-open to the full width of the candle. A very quick way of readjusting the memory ring is to blast the top of the candle with the high heat setting of a powerful hair dryer – just hold the airflow over the top of the candle until the top layer of wax has melted and smoothed.

If the tunneling has sunk lower than a few millimetres you will probably need to use the foil method. The aim of the foil method is to increase the heat trapped at the top of the candle, hopefully enabling the stubborn hard wax left up the sides to melt. It’s an easy method, but should be done with care – the foil can become hot so mind you don’t burn yourself. Also, be careful not to use this method for extended periods of time as the increased heat can put strain on the candle container, possibly leading it to shatter. First, safely light your candle. Then, being careful not to burn yourself, wrap a layer of aluminium foil around the top of the candle making a domed lid with a hole in the top. This allows the heat to stay in and melt the rim of hard wax on the sides. In an hour or so (depending on the size of the candle) you should have a good even wax pool and a re-set candle. Please be careful when removing the foil, it will be hot.

If your tunneling is really bad, here's a couple tips to save and use the wax without throwing your beautiful candle away.

1. Buy a candle warmer. What is a candle warmer? It’s your new best friend when it comes to enjoying scented candles that can no longer be lit. A candle warmer is an electric heater that melts candles and releases the scent without the need for a flame. Intended to be used with container candles, it gently heats the wax allowing the scent to escape into the room. 
2. Use a tealight wax melt burner. To use a tealight burner, just remove the scented wax from your unusable candle and place it on the top of the burner. Do not add water to the wax! Then, place a lit tealight into the burners base and allow the flame to heat and melt the wax above, distributing the scent.

 

Never leave a burning candle unattended or within reach of flammable objects, children or pets. Burn your candle on a flat, flame retardant surface. Keep the flame away from moving air. Keep your candle protected from extreme heat. Should your candle sweat or melt, allow to harden and then use as usual.  Store candles in a cool, dark and dry place with the lid on to keep them clean of dust and debris, and to help protect the wax and fragrance. Discard your candle once the remaining wax reaches 1/2” deep.

 

ENJOY!!

-M