Candle Care FAQs

We want to produce candles that are clean burning and that begins with finding a wax that is free of chemicals.  Soy wax is free of toluene and benzene which is found in paraffin wax.  Paraffin wax is a byproduct of gas and oil refineries and the chemicals found in paraffin wax have been known to cause health issues like nausea, headaches, cancer, and many other health problems.

Soy wax is a renewable product.  It's also water soluble and safe when it burns.  

Soy wax is clean burning and long lasting.  Our 8 oz candles will last about 50-60 hours with proper care.  

Tunneling happens when a candle is not cared for properly.  All of our candles have been safety and quality tested and burn well.  To prevent tunneling, ensure you trim your wick before lighting your candle to 1/4 of an inch.  When you light your candle for the first time, ensure you burn your candle long enough to allow the wax to melt all the way around to the edges of the container.  Soy wax has memory so if you extinguish your candle before it fully liquifies to the edges, it will only burn that far the next time and cause tunneling.  

Wood wicks are much different than the traditional cotton wicks used in most candles.  Wood wicks are literally made of wood.  They will often have a second layer to them to allow oxygen to pass through as it burns which will create a crackling sound.  They are completely safe and the type we use in our candles are non-toxic.  Wood wicks are wider and created a larger flame, so burn times will decrease a bit compared to a cotton wick.

Just like cotton wicks, your wood wick needs to be trimmed.  Think of a fireplace, you have your wood, and you light it up, after the wood burns, you cannot re-use it as it's burnt up, you need to start over with fresh wood.  You need to trim as much of the burnt wood as possible to light the fresh wood closest to the wax.  Your wick will self-extinguish if you fail to trim the wick properly.  We use a "high crackle wick" which is much thicker than most wooden wicks.  Because of this, your standard wick trimmers may not trim the wick before it's been burnt.  You will need a pair of scissors to cut the wick the first time.  After that, your standard trimmers will work just fine to trim the burnt part of the wick.

If you are not trimming the wick properly, the wick will self-extinguish.  You can use your fingers, a paper towel, or wick trimmers to trim the burnt part of the wick and light the fresh wood underneath.  This usually is the main issue with keeping the wick lit.  If you are lighting your wick for the first time and it keeps self-extinguishing, you probably need to trim the wick closer the wax.  The wick cannot stay lit if it is too tall.  The wick needs fuel to stay lit, which is the wax.  You wick will not be trimmed to the recommended 1/4 of an inch because sometimes wax can swell in heat and cover the wick making it impossible to light.  Because of this, your wick will stand much taller and need to be trimmed before its first use.  

Dough bowl candles are a gorgeous and decorative candle which come in a wooden bowl.  The bowls we use are what is called "candle ready," meaning they have been inspected to have no leaks so a candle can be poured into them.  Dough bowls are made out of natural wood, hand carved, and mostly come from Mexico.  Traditionally, dough bowls were used to rise dough and are shaped like loaves of bread.  These long oval shaped bowls make great centerpieces for your table and work well as a catch all bowl when the candle is done.  You can even put potpourri in the bowl too.  

Because these bowls are handmade, no two are alike.  Bowls that are painted or stained will have deliberate sanding marks to show the real wood underneath and many bowl will have knots, saw marks, and even sap coming from them.  These are all beautiful and unique attributes of a real wooden dough bowl.  

Dough bowls that are "candle ready" are not food safe.  Do not store or cook food in these bowls.  They are not stove or microwave safe.  Do not submerge in water or wash in a sink or dishwasher.  

Like with all candles, your wicks will need to be trimmed to 1/4 of an inch before lighting them.  Your wicks were not pre-trimmed to 1/4 of an inch to ensure they are not covered if the wax swells around them due to heat exposure.  If your bowl is made with cotton or wood wicks, make sure to trim them before your first light and before every re-light.  

All of our wicks come with self-extinguishing tabs.  This is to ensure that the flame never touches the bottom of the wood bowl.  However, like all candles, it is recommended to extinguish the flame while there is at least 1/4 of an inch of wax left to avoid burn marks or a potential fire hazard.  

Wicks are deliberately placed away from the edges of the bowl for the same reason.  Prolonged exposure to an open flame can cause damage to the bowl or even start a fire.  You will find that the melt pool of the candle may not reach the edges of the bowl.  This is normal and deliberate.  You can use a spoon to scoop out any un-melted wax and place in a wax melt warmer to fully consume the wax.  

Your candle is finished, now what?  It's time to repurpose the bowl.

Use a spoon or something with a round edge that won't scrape the wood and gently scoop out any wax left over.  Re-use this wax in a wax melt warmer.  If you find you have too much residue from the wax, here is a DIY method you can use; use a hair dryer or heat  gun to gently melt the wax and wipe out with a paper towel.  When using a hair dryer or heat gun, do not use a high speed or heat.  You can damage the bowl with excess heat and wax can splash around with excess speed.  Use the lowest speed and a low to medium heat.  Do not keep the heat in one area or directly over the bowl.  Keep a few inches away and work in a circular motion until the wax has melted.  Wipe out as much of the wax as possible then use some isopropyl alcohol with a paper towel to remove any oil residue.  While using a heat gun or hair dryer, it is recommended to wear heat resistant gloves and keep away from your face.  Ensure hair is tied back and you are not wearing any loose clothing.  Once clean, your bowl is ready to be reused for decoration or storage.  

Botanical candles are candles that have been decorated with dried botanicals, pressed flowers, stones, or colored with mica powder.  

Dried botanicals are flower petals, leaves, and dried herbs that have been dried out and are free of plastics and chemicals so they are safe to use around a low heat flame.  Think of a sage bundle, they are safe to burn with constant supervision.  

Stones are typically small chip stones or crystals which are safe around a low heat flame.  

Pressed flowers are dried out flowers that have been pressed flat.

Mica powder is a non-toxic, glitter color alternative to add color to candles.  Mica can be added to melted wax to dye the entire candle or rubbed on top to just color the top.  Mica doesn't fully dissolve into the wax so very little is used to dye the wax to prevent "suffocating" the wick.  Soy wax will dry white, so any colors added to it will be lightened to a pastel version of the color.  

We make our botanical candles to be decorative.  That means, they are primarily for display and decoration only.  However, they are functional and can be burned if you choose to.  Here are some facts about how they are made:

1.  Wicks are deliberately placed away from the edges of the vessels to make room for the decorative toppings like stone, dried botanicals, and pressed flowers.  This means, when burning, the candle will not burn all the way to the edge most of the time, especially in a wood bowl.  

2.  The wicks will be free of the decorative additions to prevent direct contact with the flame.  All additions are what's called "for candle making" and are safe to burn like sage but placing them too close to the wick can cause the wick to burn low or even extinguish as it blocks the flame from receiving fresh oxygen.  If your botanicals migrate to the wick, extinguish the flame and use a toothpick to remove he dried herbs or flowers from the candle.  

3.  When adding mica powder to the wax to create a colored candle, we use as little as possible.  Mica powder will not burn so it can clog the wick and make the wick burn low.  Again, any additions are made specifically for decorative purposes.  

While burning your candle, keep an eye on it.  Follow all burning instructions, trim your wick and keep you it free from the decorative additions.  If a botanical piece does catch fire, extinguish the candle and allow it to burn, again like a sage bundle. If the flame is too high, extinguish and remove the botanical piece.  You are fully responsible for watching and caring for the candle if you choose to light it.  Keep the candle away from anything flammable as noted in the safety instructions.