Beeswax Candle top tips from Beeswax Alchemy

Beeswax candle making has been a massive learning curve – learning the crafts of chandlery is no mean feat, but a craft that is so worthwhile, bringing the purest beeswax to life in a hand poured or traditionally hand dipped candle is as satisfying as it gets.

My beeswax candles are all individually made, and as such each batch is tested – tested against the wick performance and the beeswax batch used. 

All pure beeswax candles can perform differently. Although I can produce the same beeswax candle over and over again, a candle such as a 8” beeswax taper, because the nature of having a very human element (that’s me – Beeswax Alchemy!) there will always be an element of difference between batches. Alongside the fact that every batch of beeswax can perform differently due to the pollen density in the wax. 

 So, it all comes down to trialling and testing. With the traditionally hand dipped beeswax candles and the beeswax pillar candles I aim for an economical drip free burn. 

With a shaped candle, it is impossible for the candle to burn evenly and to use the all the wax as it’s energy source. It is just the way of it, that it is impossible for the flame to burn the wax in an even fashion if the shape in uneven.

So having invested in your beeswax candle these are my tips for you - at Beeswax Alchemy we want to make sure that you get the perfect and safest burn out of of your beeswax candle. 

Melt Pools

A melt pool is the molten beeswax that the candle flame sits in. Believe it or not, candles have a memory, and it is important, especially with the larger pillar beeswax candles, your first and subsequent burns are for long enough for the melt pool to reach the edge of your beeswax candle. If don’t burn your candle so the molten pool of wax reaches out to the edge, your candle will only ever reach the point of the wall of wax left after that burn. This reduces the efficiency of you candle. When you first begin to burn you candle it is imperative that you make sure you create a large melt pool, often meaning that you may have to burn your candle for up to four hours on its first burn.

Wick Trimming

All of our wicks are made from a cotton square braid wick. This ensures that beeswax is drawn through the core and ignites the flame. Keeping the wick trimmed to a sensible length means that you will have a perfect candle flame. This may sound unusual to some, but a trimmed wick is a non-smoking wick. Your wick should be always less than 1cm or 10mm. This will keep your flame to the perfect height and ensure no soot is released into the air. The wick if left, will naturally curl to one side, and this will need to be kept in check, too much wick on one side of the beeswax candle will create an uneven side wall. A long un trimmed wick can also lead to a ‘mushroom’ effect on the wick. By not trimming a wick, will not prevent your beeswax candle from burning, you will just not get the optimum burn time or beeswax candle experience available.

Hurricane Lamps and Lanterns 

A big question!  I get asked on a regular basis - Can you burn a beeswax candle in a hurricane lantern or lamp? 

 My response is ‘No’ , Beeswax candles burn hotter than most other waxes on the market. If you look at the warnings on most candles, the warning states they should not be burnt in lamps and lanterns. We of course do see candles being used in lamps and lanterns and should you wish to use a beeswax candle in your hurricane lamp or lantern we would ask that you check that it is of a suitable quality for the heat given from a beeswax candle, and that there is sufficient room around the candle to prevent the candle and the lamp from overheating. If the rules of ‘never leave a burning candle unattended’ are followed you can make your decision as to whether the beeswax candle is suitable for use in your lamp.

Candle Hugging

Candle hugging is a thing! It may seem strange, but it is a perfectly good and easy way of making sure your candles burn to the best of their abilities. 

If you have a pillar candle, the outer walls are designed to keep the molten wax inside as the candle burns. This means as you burn your candle, sometimes the walls become very high as the wax depletes. In a perfect world, the walls will reduce with the molten wax, but here at Beeswax Alchemy, we accept nature and all the perfect imperfections that come with a handmade product. So this said, when you have finished burning your candle for the day, once the beeswax candle has cooled and no longer molten, but still warm, you can ‘hug’ the walls, by gently turning or rolling them down, effectively making a slightly thicker wall, but still importantly keeping the centre open for the next lighting of the candle.

Candle hugging cannot be done with all candles, for example you cannot “hug” an unusual shaped candle. 

Hugging your candle means that most if not all of your beeswax will be efficiently burnt, giving you the best value and longest burn possible from your beeswax candle.

And finally – please follow the beeswax candle safety advice, it’s on the  beeswax candle safety tag or  box label on all beeswax candles made here at Beeswax Alchemy.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries or questions - Buzz me