Candle burning tips + tricks from the experts 🌸

Soy wax candles need a little extra care compared to the big-box store ones you have stashed in a drawer somewhere, but they’re absolutely worth the extra minute of maintenance. With a bit of care and attention to your burning candle, you’ll extend the life of your candle by hours, have a nice slow and even burn, and never be disappointed with your candles again.

Each of our candles is hand-poured in small batches, so there may be variations between candles and between different fragrances. We do our best to minimize the differences, but sometimes it’s out of our control!

The first burn of your soy wax candle is REALLY important - make sure you allow the wax to melt all the way to the edges. Soy wax candles have a memory, so if you don’t allow the wax to melt all the way to the edge of the vessel, it will tunnel on future burns. For our 12oz candles, this is approximately 3-4 hours on the first burn. It’s a good practice to allow the candle to melt to the edges on every burn, but especially important on the first burn.

If you have tunnelling - where there is wax on the edge of your jar that isn't burning - you can try to carefully scrape it off with a knife and relight your candle. Pay attention to the flame when you do this to make sure that your candle continues to burn properly - extinguish it and remove any excess wax if something looks wrong. Trust your first instinct when assessing the situation!

Here are a few other good tips to keep in mind when burning your candle:

— Keep the wick trimmed to 1/4” before lighting your candle (yes, every time). Remove the top black bit of wick with a wick trimmer (or your fingers if you like getting your hands dirty) before every burn. Keeping the wick short gives a slower, even burn.

— Don’t toss the wick trimming or the used matches in the wax. It’s a serious fire hazard.

— Allow the wax to melt to the edges on the first burn. Allowing it to burn to the edges every time is a good practice.

— Don’t burn your candle for more than 4 hours at a time, and allow the wax and vessel to cool completely before relighting your candle.

— Discontinue use when 1/2” of wax remains at the bottom of the jar (it's a fire hazard as the glass bottom can get too hot)

Always follow the burning safety instructions included on the bottom of your candle and on the side of your packaging. Avoid drafty areas near windows or hallways, and burn your candle in a well-ventilated area.

Happy candle burning!

With love,

Julianna

Have questions or trouble with a candle? Email us at hello@juliannacandle.com and we'll do our best to help out!