Candles are soothing and bring a relaxed vibe to any space. In addition to the calmness of a gently dancing flame, the smell of fragrance wafting through a room is divine. 

As much as we love candles, we may not realize there are important ways to care for candles to ensure their safety. First, is wick trimming. The general candle recommendations is to trim wicks to approximately 1/4 of an inch prior to every burn. In our lab testing, our all natural soy wax does best with a wick at 1/2".  You can use a simple pair of scissors or a pair of wick trimmers to snip the wick prior to lighting. Both cotton and wooden wicks should be trimmed before each use.

Second, for safety, candles should no longer be used when the wax reaches 1/2" remaining. Our candles are made with soft soy wax which can be warmed and popped out of the jar. Once you've washed the vessel it can be repurposed in the home.

Third, candles should never be burned longer than four hours. Prolonged burn times can cause carbon to build up on the wick and result in a large flame and possible smoking of the wick. Soot can develop in the candle or in the air and this should absolutely be avoided.

Lastly, the first burn is the most important! candles should be allowed to burn long enough for melted wax to accumulate across the entire candle surface when in a container. This is called the melt pool. Candles will burn better with each subsequent burn following a thorough first burn.

Remember, candles should always be in sight when burning and they should be kept away from drafts, flammable objects, pets, and children.

We hope you enjoy your candles as much as we enjoy making them for you!

Laura at Piper & Harlow Collections