Tips for Getting Optimal Performance from Soy Candles

ט״ז באלול תשע"א
Belz 18

General tips for improving the burn life and burning performance of soy candles:

Trim the wick to **1/8 inch each time before burning** to prevent smoking and carbon mushrooming.

Keep burning soy candles away from drafts and vents. Drafts and/or extreme temperature changes can cause your candle to burn uneven and the fragrance will disperse leaving a poor aroma. Please try moving your soy candle to a draft-free location if you experience uneven burning.

If smoking occurs, check for drafts or high traffic areas, which may cause flame to flicker and smoke. Also, be sure that the wick is no longer than 1/8". If it is, extinguish, trim to 1/8", and relight.

Always burn soy candles in a well-ventilated room. You will want to make certain there is enough air circulation around your soy candle (do not burn candles in a tight area such as on a bookshelf as there will not be enough air circulation, causing a lack of oxygen needed for the candle to burn appropriately). You will not get a good aroma.

Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.

Burn your soy candle until it is melted completely across the top. This will help prevent your soy candle from tunneling (burning down in the center) and improve scent throw. It does not affect the quality of the candle if some wax is left on the sides. The amount will vary per fragrance and burning conditions.

When you light your soy candle for the very first time, it is important to allow the candle to burn for 2-1/2 to 3 hours! Soy wax has a "memory" and helps to avoid the candle from "tunneling" down the center of the container. Tunneling is one of the main causes for a candle not creating much fragrance while burning! By allowing your soy candles to create the initial "memory burn", thus creating a full melt pool of wax, you are increasing the candles scent throw!

You should burn your soy candle for 1 hour for each inch of its diameter, until you receive a full melt pool (soy wax is melted across the entire top of soy candle). For example: a soy candle 3" in diameter should be burned for three hours to establish its memory. This allows your soy candle to get its full melt pool which will increase the scent throw of the soy candle. If a soy candle isn't given a proper memory burn, especially on the first burn, it will cause your soy candle to burn in a tunnel down the center and you will not get a good scent throw from the candle.

To fill a large 20' X 20' room, I recommend using a larger candle in order to achieve optimal scent distribution.