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Candle care guide
Most candles die of preventable causes. Five minutes of reading here gets you the full 45–50 hours out of every jar.
Trim to 1/4 inch
Before every single burn, without exception. A long wick is behind most soot and most uneven flames.
Every burnFirst burn: 3 hours
Long enough for the melted wax to reach the edge of the glass. This one burn sets the pattern for the jar's whole life.
Once, at the startStop at 4 hours
Past that the glass overheats, the wick drowns, and the scent starts to flatten out.
Maximum sessionEvery burn, in order
Four steps, about a minute
Order matters — trimming after lighting drops carbon into the wax.
Trim the wick
To 1/4 inch, with a trimmer or nail scissors. Lift out any trimmings so they don't burn in the pool.
Set it down properly
Level, heat-resistant surface. Clear of curtains, paper, and bedding. Out of drafts and away from vents.
Light and leave it be
Let the pool reach the glass edge before you judge the scent. Keep it in sight the whole time it's lit.
Snuff, don't blow
A snuffer or the lid stops the smoke and keeps hot wax from spattering. Let it set before moving it.
When something's off
Six problems and what causes them
Nearly all of these are recoverable. If a fix here doesn't work, it's a defect — write to us and we'll replace the candle.
The wax tunnels down the middle
Why: The first burn was cut short, so the wax “remembers” a narrow melt pool and repeats it.
Fix: Burn it 3–4 hours straight next time. If it won't recover, wrap foil around the rim leaving the top open and burn 2 hours — the trapped heat levels the surface.
Black smoke and soot on the glass
Why: The wick is too long, or the candle is sitting in a draft that makes the flame dance.
Fix: Blow it out, let it cool, trim the wick to 1/4 inch, and move it away from vents, fans, and open windows. Wipe the soot off with a dry paper towel before relighting.
I can barely smell it
Why: Usually the room is too large for an 8 oz jar, or the candle hasn't reached a full melt pool yet.
Fix: Give it a full hour before judging, and close the door. For rooms over about 400 sq ft, use the 10 oz double wick or run two jars.
The flame keeps drowning
Why: Too much melted wax around a short wick — common if the last burn ran past 4 hours.
Fix: Extinguish, pour off a little of the liquid wax into foil (not the sink), let it set, then expose about 1/4 inch of wick and relight.
A mushroom of carbon on the wick tip
Why: Normal carbon buildup, worse in scent-heavy blends. Harmless until it gets large.
Fix: Trim it off with the wick before every burn. If it keeps returning fast, shorten burn sessions to 2–3 hours.
The jar has gone cloudy or bumpy
Why: Wet spots — the wax pulled away from the glass as it cooled or warmed. Cosmetic only.
Fix: Nothing to fix. It doesn't affect scent, burn time, or safety, and it often disappears after the next burn.
Rules that aren't negotiable
Never leave a burning candle unattended, and never leave one within reach of children or pets. A tail or a sleeve passing over an open flame is how most candle fires start.
Stop burning when about 1/2 inch of wax remains. Below that the flame sits too close to the base and the glass can crack. Keep the candle clear of anything that catches, never move it while it's lit or while the wax is liquid, and don't burn more than one wick's worth in a small enclosed space without ventilation.
If the jar chips or cracks, or the flame is unusually tall, doubled, or flickering hard with no draft, put it out and stop using it. Contact us and we'll replace it.
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Quick reference
- Wick length
- 1/4 inch before every burn
- First burn
- 3 hours, or until the pool reaches the glass
- Maximum session
- 4 hours
- Stop burning at
- 1/2 inch of wax remaining
- Storage
- Cool and dark, lid on, 60–80°F
- Best within
- 12–18 months of purchase
Store candles out of direct sunlight — UV fades the wax and degrades the fragrance oils faster than anything else on this list.
with love
ingredients
everyday
for any occasion
Small-batch coconut wax candles, poured by hand and cured slowly so the scent carries all the way to the last hour.
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