Beeswax Candle Facts
Safety
Candles can cause fires. Never leave the room with candles burning and make sure they are in a safe location, well away from curtains, wooden surfaces etc.
Young children should never be able to near a burning candle and don’t forget that pets can cause a candle to tip over.
Location
Any candle burns optimally in a location where there is minimal draft. Draft is easily observed when the flame is flickering. Also avoid having the candle close to another heat source like a wood-burner or heater.
During Burning
The optimal length of the wick at the start and during the burn is 10mm.
Always keep an eye on your candle when it is burning. The wick used for every candle is designed for the specific size and fuel type. However, a natural product, like beeswax, batch-variation may occur and can cause the wick to shorten slower than planned. You can observe a larger than normal flame starting to flicker and also the wick can start showing a mushroom type shape at its tip. The simple remedy is to carefully shorten the wick with a pair of scissors and trying to avoid the off-cut to fall in the pool of molten wax to keep it tidy.
Colour
When the bees produce the wax its colour is pure white. The wax is stained over time to become golden yellow from natural pollen and oils found in flowers. The bees carry these with them, when bringing home the honey.
Aging - White Bloom
Beeswax last forever but ages on its surface. Over time it will show a white “bloom”. This is not a mould but certain oils that are within the wax are coming to the surface. This is absolutely harmless and does not affect the performance of the candle or make them brittle. The simple remedy is by wiping/lightly rubbing the candle with a dry cloth. Your candle will come back nice and shiny, as new. In fact some people prefer the white bloom as it gives the candle a genuine character like look.
Extinguishing
Best practice to put out a burning candle is by drowning the wick in the pool of molten wax, with a match stick, to avoid the wick from keeping on smouldering causing smoke and smell for some time. Just make sure you raise the wick up straight again for the next session.
If your question isn't answered with our beeswax candle facts please contact us.
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