PILLAR CANDLE SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Pillar candles are made from a special soy wax designed especially for pillars and melts. 

Burning according to the following instructions will ensure that you get the best from your soy wax pillar candles.

Step 1 Trim the wick

A short wick gives a cleaner, brighter flame and an even burn, while a long wick can cause smoking and can cause mushrooming of the wick, where a mushroom-like shape forms at the top of the wick which obscures and disturbs the flame.

Before lighting, trim the wick to between 5 – 7mm and remove any wick debris. Any debris left in the wax pool can disturb the burning of the candle.

A trimmed wick creates a calm, steady flame, which means the candle's burning process is in balance. The wick is efficiently pulling up the right amount of wax, and the flame creates complete combustion. A wick that is too long won't be able to draw wax all the way to the top, and the wick itself will start to burn, causing it to smoke. A wick that is too long can also cause a candle flame to grow too long and flare, again producing soot.

Step 2 Place pillar candle on a heat proof candle plate

Pillar candles must be burnt on a heat proof plate. Place candle away from drafts and always keep candle within sight.

Step 3 Memory burn

When burning the candle for the first time it must be blown out before it reaches the edge of the candle itself, leaving a 1cm rim. This sets the memory of the candle and is a very important step in ensuring the candle burns well and does not spill over the sides and leak.

Once the pillar has been burning for approximately three to four hours, or when the wax has melted leaving a 1cm rim, the candle should be blown out.

This first burn sets the memory of the candle so make sure you let your pillar candle burn to the edge, leaving a 1cm rim the first time you burn it. This is because the size of the wax pool during the first burn determines the life of the candle. Subsequent burns won't melt the wax beyond the initial wax pool, so if it didn't melt close enough to the edge of the candle, it could leave a thick, unused mantle ('tunneling').

 Step 4 Blowout pillar and allow to reset

It is important to blow out the candle when it reaches the edge, leaving a 1cm rim. Allow the candle to cool and reset. Once the wax solidifies you can you can relight it. Usually best to leave overnight.