Candle care guide: expert tips for longer-lasting candles

I vividly remember when I first started spending money on luxury candles. After saving up for months, my first candle felt too precious to burn, so I had it on my mantle for almost a year. It was beautiful, but a year in direct sunlight didn't do the candle any good. It lost its fragrance and the wax turned sticky.

Although candles are simple, most people make mistakes like this which prevent them from enjoying each scent to its maximum capacity. Once you've invested - and the best candles are no small investment - you might find that your candle produces black smoke, tunnels, or just stops smelling strongly. The most likely cause of the problem is a simple misstep, and those habits are easy to fix. 

It all starts with quality. A high price doesn't guarantee high quality. There are specific waxes and wicks that you need to know that can stop all these problems before they start.

I know all of this first-hand. Before I started in consumer journalism, I qualified as a master perfumer, so I have lots of expertise on the best way to care for candles. I also spoke with candle makers and fellow master perfumers to find out the best way to keep your candle in top condition. 

Wax Tips

The wax in your candle seems basic, but it's a foundational part of any good candle. The wax is infused with essential oils, so that when it melts, your candle's aromas evaporate into the air. But that means it's important to check the composition before you buy a candle, because this is where most people make their first mistake. 

Quality is paramount. A cheap wax like paraffin won't have a clean burn and is likely to leave soot marks on the glass of the candle, or worse, on your walls. If the type of wax isn't listed in the store, run your finger over the solid wax. If it has an oily film, it's probably paraffin, so you may want to opt for something else.

Instead, try soy wax, vegetable wax, or coconut wax. These premium waxes take longer to burn and have a cleaner flame. They also tend to be better for any sensitivities. They make a more potent fragrance, and the scent throw (how far the scent reaches into a room) is better, too.

The best material is the oldest wax of all: beeswax. It burns slowly and holds a lot of fragrance. However, if you're buying for a vegetarian or vegan, bear in mind that they may not appreciate any animal products. 

I spoke to Ruth Mastenbroek, an award-winning master perfumer, who told me that 'the biggest mistake I see people making is not burning the candle for long enough - especially on the first burn. Make sure it’s lit for long enough to create a pool of molten wax to the edge of the vessel, otherwise you will get a tunnelling effect'. 

Tunnelling, as the word suggests, is when your wick burns deep inside the candle, leaving hard wax to build up at the edges. The wick will become harder and messier to light, and you'll waste a lot of wax that won't ever burn.

Master Perfumer

Master Perfumer

Ruth Mastenbroek

Ruth is an incredible perfumer. She's created fragrances for world-renowned brands like Jo Malone and is one of the only independent female perfumers in the world. After studying Chemistry at Oxford University, she took undertook classical perfume training in Grasse. 

Ruth's son, Nic Mastenbroek, is also a perfumer. He suggests that people make sure that they have finished burning an entire candle before they put a new one out. He says 'I feel guilty about the idea of wasting any of the fragrance and candle'. If you always use all the wax, the vessel will be easier to clean and re-purpose too, so there's no reason to cut a candle's life short.

Perfumer

Perfumer

Nic Mastenbroek

Nic is part of the Mastenbroek dynasty and has been making candles for five years. He often looks at perfume and candles from a slightly different perspective to Ruth, so they make an excellent and well-informed team.

Unfortunately, lots of leading brands still use paraffin or paraffin blends. It's always worth finding candles that don't use these waxes.

Wick Tips

The wick is equally as important as the wax. Where budget allows, it should always be cotton. A pure cotton wick will have a really clean burn, so shouldn't leave soot on your walls or around the candle vessel. Occasionally, really cheap wicks will contain lead. This is an absolute no-go. You do not want this. Never burn a candle with a lead wick.

If you've bought a cotton wick candle there ways that you can keep it burning well. Viviana Hurtado, founder of her eponymous luxury candle brand, says 'if you only do one thing with your candles, trim the wick to about a quarter inch before every burn. It will extend the life of your candle by up to 25%'. She recommends investing in her company's stylish wick trimmer - you can also grab cheaper but less high-quality wick trimmers at Amazon. 

Candle expert

Candle expert

Viviana Hurtado

Viviana is the founder of Viviana Luxury, a spa-inspired home fragrance and candle brand. She's involved in the whole process of candle creation, so she knows the features that you prioritize.

Some candles will have wicks made from other materials. WoodWick, as the name suggests, uses wooden wicks. These are as safe as cotton wicks to burn and have a slight crackling sound when they burn. If you have a candle like this, Jennifer Genson, R&D Director of Fragrance & Sensory Science at Newell Brands, recommends 'using tissue paper to break off the burned wood. There is a natural breaking point that leaves enough exposed wood wick to relight'. I would recommend doing this with cotton wicks, but it's an easy option if you have a wooden wick. 

Director of Fragrance & Sensory Science

Director of Fragrance & Sensory Science

Jennifer Genson

Jennifer works for Newell Brands as the R&D Director of Fragrance and Sensory Science. She's been there for seven years, overseeing products and scents, so has seen a range of candle fomulations.

Viviana also says that it's important to think about safety. She says to look out for mushrooming, which is when a wick isn't trimmed and bunches up on itself, drooping in a mushroom shape.  'The mushrooming on the top of a burned wick is carbonization, which can cause soot and a dancing flame. Dancing is great, but it belongs on the dancefloor and not your candle'. Without trimming, it can become a fire risk, but if you trim your candle wick, you'll be fine. After plenty of testing, it was easy to find candles with high-quality wicks.

Vessel Tips

Your vessel won't need much upkeep, especially if you are burning your candle properly. However, candles often sit inside clear glass vessels, where the wax can end up leaving the sides looking oily, black, and grubby. When your candle is out and beginning to cool, take a dry microfiber cloth like this one from Walmart and wipe the edges. A cloth should be enough, but in the case of really stubborn stains, wait for the wax to set and use a cleaning spray. Soak a microfiber cloth with this solution and wipe the edges of your candle vessel. This should be enough to stop your vessel from looking dirty and polluting the candle wax.

Extra Insight

Jennifer Genson recommends keeping your candles safely on a stable, heat resistance surface for three to four hours at a time. Depending on your candle, you can burn it for different lengths of time. Once the top layer of your wax is melted, you won't get any more scent out of your candle, so it's only wasteful to continue burning. 

I would recommend keeping your candle away from drafts too. You do not need, or want, a candle in the wind. This is a safety hazard and will affect the burn. It's best practice to store your candles in a cool, dry space, out of sunlight.

I always use a candle warmer like this one from QVC if my candles look like they need more attention. It's a really useful device that will help to diffuse the scent of your candle around the room without requiring an open flame. If you end up with pieces of wax from your near-empty candle, you can place them in the bowl and use up every last drop. You can also use the warmer to redistribute the wax if your candle is tunnelling. Make sure that you keep your candle level though, as warmers often have bowls which are hard to balance your candle in.

FAQs

Final thoughts

Candles aren't complex. If you maintain the wick and wax, you shouldn't have any problems. A well looked after candle will perfectly scent your room, whilst adding ambience too. You can use reed diffusers to achieve similar results, but there's nothing quite like a cozy room with flickering candles in.