Hello! Hope your 2022 has started off well!
Today, we're going to bust some common myths that are out there about candles, some of which have been repeated so often that many people believe them to be true.
Myth #1: Putting your candle into the freezer will extend the burning time of the candle.
This one makes sense on the surface, but please don't! Putting any type of candle into the freezer can crack it, which is a huge problem with a votive or pillar candle since the cracks will cause the wax to leak out. It is also a problem in a container candle. The cold temperatures shrink the wax, pulling it away from the sides of the jar, creating cracks and air pockets. Both of these can negatively impact the burning of the candle. Another issue is that the fragrance can separate out and pool anywhere within the candle. This means that any wax that does not have fragrance oil in it will not smell like anything. Plus, fragrance oils themselves are flammable, and a pool of oil can explode if it comes in contact with the flame.
Pro Tip: There is one good reason for putting candle containers in the freezer though - to help clean them out once the candle is finished! The shrinking makes any leftover wax easier to remove.
Myth #2: Some companies in the United States use lead-cored wicks.
As we talked about in The World of Wicks - Part 1, the United States banned the manufacturing, importing, and selling of lead-wicked candles almost 20 years ago. We've been vendors at quite a few craft fairs where other candle vendors have used "lead-free wicks" as a top selling point for their candles! Don't fall for this as something special. None of us have lead in our wicks.
Myth #3: The jar or tin that my candle is in is heat-safe, so I don't need to worry about where I burn my candle.
This one is super dangerous! That flame can be over 1,000 degrees and the container can reach temperatures of several hundred degrees. This can damage surfaces that are not heat safe. Always use a high temperature rated flat surface to burn your candles on (a glass plate or a kitchen hot pad works great) and never, ever leave them unattended!
Are there any candle burning questions you have? Let us know in the comments!
Hi Tiffany, thank you for the question. You’ll want for the first burn of the candle to go all the way out to the edge of the candle before extinguishing it. This will help to ensure that the candle will burn all the way out to the edge after that. If you don’t burn it to the edge, you risk having the candle tunnel, which will reduce the life and the quality of the burn. We have tested our 16 oz candles at about 2 and a half hours to get all the way out to the edge of the jar, while our 1.8 oz candles will get there in less than an hour.
Do you really need to burn a candle for at least an hour?