This article tells you how to burn scented candles to make them beautiful and harmless.
People often wonder, “Why isn’t my candle creating a smooth and beautiful wax pool?” Well, there’s a science to burning aromatherapy candles that goes beyond aesthetics; proper burning techniques can also significantly extend their burn time.
Initial Burn is Crucial!
To achieve a beautiful burn on your aromatherapy candle, try to create an even, melted wax pool every time you light it, especially during the first burn. Each time you extinguish the candle, the wax around the wick becomes loose and less compact. If the wax has a high melting point, doesn’t match the wick well, or the environment is too cold, the more times you blow it out, the deeper the candle’s burn pit will become. The duration of the initial burn varies depending on the candle’s size but generally should not exceed 4 hours.
Trim the Wick
Depending on the type of wick and the quality of the candle, you may need to trim the wick. Except for wooden wicks, cotton wicks, and eco-friendly wicks are generally longer when they leave the factory. Before the first burn, trim the wick to leave about 3-5mm. After each burn, consider trimming it if it appears too long. A too-long wick can cause the candle to burn quickly, but trimming it can extend the candle’s lifespan. Moreover, if you don’t trim the wick, it’s prone to carbon buildup, resulting in black smoke and potentially staining the candle jar.
Use Professional Tools for Professional Results If you’re diving into the world of aromatherapy candles, you should equip yourself with at least three professional tools: a candle snuffer, a lighter, and wick trimmers.
Candle Snuffer: Common candle snuffers include candle caps and candle wick dippers. Candle wick dippers work by pressing the wick into the melted wax pool to extinguish it, which helps the wick’s tip not fall into the wax pool. In comparison, candle caps are a better choice.
Lighter: Aromatherapy candles typically use container wax. After some time, the wick can sink far below the candle’s opening, making it unreachable with a regular lighter. Thus, you’ll need a special aromatherapy candle lighter. These come in both refillable gas and rechargeable electric versions. Electric ones, using pulse ignition, are a better choice as they can be used even in windy conditions and are reusable.
Wick Trimmers: Wick trimmers are used for trimming the wick. As mentioned earlier, trimming is essential for maintaining the candle. Regular scissors won’t fit into most candle jars due to their narrow openings, so a wick trimmer with a curved angle is needed. The rounded head at the bottom of wick trimmers also catches the trimmed wick, preventing it from falling into the wax pool.
Straighten the Wick After Each Burn Most wicks are made of cotton, and one drawback of cotton wicks is that they tend to tilt during burning. For eco-friendly wicks, the addition of paper improves stability, but cotton wicks may still tilt. If you don’t straighten the wick after each burn, the candle flame can become uneven, leading to uneven melting on both sides of the candle and difficulty in creating a smooth wax pool.
Limit Each Burn to 4 Hours Try not to burn aromatherapy candles for more than 4 hours at a time. Burning for over 4 hours can easily lead to issues like mushrooming wicks, black smoke, and overheating of the container, especially with imported candles.
Cover the Candle When Not in Use When you’re not burning aromatherapy candles, it’s best to cover them. Leaving them exposed can lead to dust accumulation and, more importantly, the loss of fragrance. If you don’t want to invest in candle lids, you can keep the candle in its original packaging when not in use, storing it in a cool, dry place. Some candles come with built-in lids.
