Candle Care

The first burn is the one that matters

Soy has a memory. The first time you light a candle, let it burn until the melted wax reaches the edge of the jar all the way around — usually two to three hours. If you put it out before then, the candle will keep burning down the middle for the rest of its life and leave a ring of unused wax around the sides.

It is the single thing that most affects how much of the candle you actually get to use.

Trim the wick before every burn

Trim to about a quarter of an inch. A long wick makes a tall, flickering flame that smokes, leaves soot on the jar, and burns through the candle faster than it should. A trimmed wick burns quietly with a small steady flame.

Nail scissors are fine. Let the candle cool first, and lift out any trimmed pieces rather than leaving them in the wax.

Burn in sessions, not all day

Three to four hours at a time is plenty. Past that the jar gets hot, the wax can overheat, and the scent actually becomes harder to notice rather than stronger. Let it cool completely before relighting.

Stop at half an inch

When about half an inch of wax is left, the candle is finished. Burning past that point puts the flame close enough to the base to stress the glass, and there is little scent left in it by then anyway.

How long they last

Approximate, and it depends on how you burn them — the habits above make a real difference to these numbers.

Wax melts

No wick and no flame — a melt goes in the dish of a warmer and needs nothing else. One cube is usually enough for a room. When the scent fades, let the wax harden and pop the whole piece out; it lifts cleanly once cool.