Learn How To Burn Your Beeswax Candles | Beeswax Co. (2024)

FAQs

Learn How To Burn Your Beeswax Candles | Beeswax Co.? ›

Your candle should burn evenly across the top. Burn it one hour for each inch of diameter or until the wax pool extends from edge to edge. For example: a 2 inch candle should burn for 2 hours and a 3 inch candle should burn for at least 3 hours.

Your candle should burn evenly across the top. Burn it one hour for each inch of diameter or until the wax pool extends from edge to edge. For example: a 2 inch candle should burn for 2 hours and a 3 inch candle should burn for at least 3 hours.

Because the wick for a beeswax candle is thicker than most other candles a large flame is needed to melt the wax in and directly around the base of the wick in order to get the wax flow started. The other possible problem could be that the wick has gotten too short.

Adding some coconut oil to your beeswax helps the candle burn more consistently, and avoid tunneling. But, you can also make a 100% beeswax candle by omitting it. Pour the wax and coconut oil into your candle containers and let them set for 1-2 days before using.

You can burn beeswax in an unventilated room without fear of pollution. In fact, many people report that burning a candle in the bedroom for 30 minutes or so before falling asleep produces a more restful sleep. Beeswax is hypo-allergenic, benefits those with environmental allergies, sensitivities, and even asthma.

You don't want to start your candle that was needing to burn for 3+ hours and only have it lit for a half hour. That will create tunneling. You want to burn your candle close to the edges before extinguishing it. Or at least close enough where you will be able to hug the wax in later.

Beeswax is Long Burning

Beeswax candles naturally burn significantly longer than paraffin candles. Paraffin candles burn quickly, even with the addition of chemicals. Manufacturers add stearic acid ⁴ to increase burn time, but it's still not as efficient as beeswax.

Before lighting your beeswax candle, trim the wick with to ¼" (6 mm) in order to ensure optimal burning. Once your beeswax pillar is lit, it is important to maintain a ¼" wick length so that the flame doesn't spike and add soot to the room or begin to tunnel.

Even if you're not familiar with the term "candle tunneling," you've likely encountered this issue before. Candle tunneling is a common but preventable problem that occurs when a candle isn't burned carefully. It's when a hole forms down the center, leaving unused wax at the edges.

While you can make beeswax with candles with just beeswax, I recommend adding coconut oil as well. The beeswax-to-coconut oil ratio for these candles helps the candle burn more consistently and slowly and prevents tunneling.

How can you tell if a candle is 100% beeswax? ›

Only 100% pure beeswax candles will bloom. If you've purchased a beeswax candle and it's never bloomed after several weeks, months, or even years, then you can assume it's not 100% beeswax. Pure beeswax will bloom in a very short amount of time at normal room temperature.

You'll Need

Once the beeswax is completely melted, add the coconut oil and your favorite essential oil blend. For this candle, I used 30 drops of jasmine, 15 drops cedarwood, and 10 drops ylang-ylang.

But what makes it truly unique, is that beeswax can also help to purify the air in your home. This incredibly versatile, natural resource releases negative ions into the air that binds to positively charged airborne particles such as dust and pollen, helping to neutralize pollutants and create a cleaner environment.

For example, beeswax candles and soy candles are safer, greener options. With very little effort, you can fill your home with soothing scents without filling it with toxic gases.

Beeswax releases negative ions, which attach positive ions (the ions found in most pollutants) in the air, neutralizing them and cleaning up the air you breathe. While some soy candles contain scents that may trigger allergies or headaches, beeswax candles might help purify the air to prevent such things.

Incorrect wick size: A very common cause of tunnelling is the usage of a wick too small for the volume of wax or the width of your vessel. A wick which is too small may, despite its best efforts, not have enough power to burn the wax from edge to edge.

Wax is made of hydrogen and carbon. When a candle burns, the hydrogen and carbon from the wax combine with the oxygen in the air to become carbon dioxide and water vapor. Most of the matter in the candle ends up as these two gases.