You are probably thinking that it really isn’t that hard to burn a candle, and it isn’t. However, if you want to extend the life and quality of your burn, I have a few pointers that can help you succeed:

The first burn is the deepest
Yes, that rhymes with a song, but it also rings true. We suggest to allow for an ample window of time for your first candle burn, and by ample window of time we mean about 2-3 hours.

The reason for this type of commitment is because you want to prevent your candle from ‘tunneling’, which happens when there is an uneven burn of your wax and then you have that annoying wax border that never really burns throughout the life of your candle. At times, that tunnel can become so deep that the wick is no longer able to breathe and the candle does not stay lit.

Trim. Your. Wicks.
Trim them before every light. We recommend doing so in order to avoid any kind of soot from happening as a result of burnt wooden wick edges. Soot dramatically changes not only the quality of your burn, but also the color of the wax, which is a very important aesthetic part of the candle if you ask us. Aim to have your wick trimmed at 6mm from the wax every time. 

Be still, my heart 
Once you light your candle and the wax begins to melt, leave it be. Give it space. Let her be her scentful being wherever it is that you lit it. When you move a burning candle, you mess with the wax, causing it to later dry along the vessel in areas in which it will be difficult to reach during another burn and hence creating that tunneling experience we talked about on the first point. 

Other things to remember:

• Try not to burn a candle for more than 4 hours at a time. This will reduce the life of the candle.

• Never leave a burning candle unattended. 

• Light a candle away from anything flammable.

• It’s time for a new candle when about ½” of the wax is remaining.

Still have questions? E-mail us at sayhello@livingconcalma.com or slide into our DMs @livingconcalma.