The one that matters most

Your first burn sets the rest of its life

Soy wax has a memory. The first time you light a candle, it melts outward to a certain point and remembers that edge — every burn after will stop in roughly the same place.

So the first time, give it two to three hours, until the melted wax reaches the edge of the glass all the way around. That full pool is what stops your candle tunnelling down the middle and leaving a ring of wax you paid for but never get to burn.

Don't have three hours? Wait. It's better to light it tomorrow evening than to blow it out after 40 minutes and lock in a narrow pool for good.

A 12oz jar can take closer to three hours on its first burn; a 6oz will usually get there in two.

Every burn after that

Six steps, in this order

It takes about ten seconds of prep. Do it every time and the candle stays clean, even and bright to the last hour.

Step 01

Trim to ¼ inch

Snip the wick before you light it, every time. A long wick is the single cause of a big flickering flame, black smoke and soot on the glass.

Step 02

Light it somewhere sensible

Level, heat-resistant surface, away from drafts, vents and open windows. Moving air pushes the flame sideways and makes the burn uneven.

Step 03

Burn 2 to 4 hours

Long enough for a full melt pool, short enough that the jar doesn't overheat. Past four hours the wick starts to mushroom and the glass gets too hot.

Step 04

Snuff, don't blow

A snuffer or the lid puts the flame out without spattering hot wax or sending a plume of smoke through the room.

Step 05

Let it cool, then lid it

Wait until the wax is solid before putting the lid back on. Lidding it hot traps condensation. Lidding it cool keeps dust and scent-fade out.

Step 06

Retire it at ½ inch

When about half an inch of wax remains, stop burning. Below that the glass can overheat and the base can crack. Time to reuse the jar.

Something's off

Fixing the six common problems

Nearly all of these come back to wick length or burn time — and nearly all of them are fixable.

It's tunnelling — burning down the middle

Cause: An early burn was cut short before the melt pool reached the glass, and the wax remembered that narrow edge.
Fix: Wrap foil loosely around the top of the jar, leaving a hole above the flame, and burn for two hours. The trapped heat melts the outer ring back level. Repeat once more if it needs it.
Prevent: Always burn long enough for a full pool, especially the first time.

Black smoke and soot on the glass

Cause: The wick is too long, or the candle is in a draft. Both make the flame pull more fuel than it can burn cleanly.
Fix: Snuff it out, let it cool, trim the wick back to ¼ inch, and wipe the inside of the glass with a dry paper towel before relighting.
Prevent: Trim before every burn and move the candle away from vents, fans and open windows.

A mushroom of carbon on the wick tip

Cause: Normal carbon build-up, usually from burning longer than four hours at a stretch.
Fix: Let the candle cool completely, then pinch or trim the mushroom off and discard it — don't let it drop into the wax.
Prevent: Keep burns to four hours or less and trim each time.

The flame is huge, or it keeps drowning

Cause: A too-long wick gives a tall flame. A wick trimmed too short, or one that's drifted off-centre into the pool, starves and drowns.
Fix: For a drowned wick, snuff it, pour off a little melted wax into a lined bin, then straighten and re-centre the wick as the wax sets.
Prevent: Trim to ¼ inch — not shorter — and nudge the wick upright while the wax is still soft.

I can barely smell it

Cause: Usually the melt pool is too small, the room is large or drafty, or your nose has simply adjusted — scent blindness is real and happens to everyone.
Fix: Give it a full two hours to build a complete pool, close the door, and leave the room for a few minutes before judging it.
Prevent: Match jar size to room size — a 6oz suits a bathroom or bedside, a 12oz suits a living room.

The glass got hot, or the base cracked

Cause: Burning past four hours, or burning down past the last half inch of wax with the flame close to the base.
Fix: Stop using that jar. Don't try to relight it or melt out the last of the wax over a flame.
Prevent: Retire the candle at ½ inch and keep burns under four hours.

The rest of the range

Melts, diffusers and sprays

No flame involved, but each has its own habits worth knowing.

Wax melts

Start with one or two cubes — add more only if the room is large.
Use an electric warmer or a tealight warmer with the dish set well above the flame.
Never add water to the dish, and never leave a warmer running unattended.
Scent fades before the wax does. When the throw goes, swap the cubes, don't wait for them to shrink.
To change scents, let the wax harden fully, then pop it out in one piece — a few seconds of warming loosens the edges.
Store the clamshell closed, somewhere cool and out of sunlight.

Reed diffusers

Put the reeds in dry, wait an hour, then flip them once to start the wick going.
Flip the reeds every week or so — that's what refreshes the scent, not adding more oil.
Use fewer reeds in a small room, more in a large one.
Keep the bottle off wood, painted and polished surfaces — set it on a coaster or tray.
Away from direct sun and heat, or the oil evaporates far faster than it should.
Replace the reeds when they look saturated and dull, usually around the two-month mark.

Room & body sprays

Shake well before each use — the fragrance settles between sprays.
Spray upward into the air, not directly at furniture, screens or artwork.
Test linen and upholstery on a hidden patch first.
Never spray toward an open flame or a lit candle.
Keep away from eyes, and only use body spray on skin if the label says it's a body product.
Store upright, capped, out of sunlight.

Not a fault

Things that look wrong but aren't

Natural soy behaves differently from paraffin, and hand-poured means small variations from jar to jar. None of the following affect how a candle burns or smells.

If something looks different from what you see here, though, write to us — we'd rather look at a photo than have you wondering.

FrostingA dusty white crystal bloom on the surface or sides. It's soy re-crystallising, and it's a sign the wax is natural and undyed.
Wet spotsPatches where the wax has pulled away from the glass. It's the wax contracting as it cools, not a leak or a gap in the pour.
A rustic topSlight bumps or an uneven surface after a burn. Soy doesn't always re-set glass-smooth, and it makes no difference to the next burn.
Colour shiftCream and ivory tones vary a little between batches, because we don't add dye to force them to match.

When it's finished

Clean the jar out in four steps

The glass is meant to outlive the candle. Ten minutes and it's a brush pot, a plant cutting holder or a spot for hair pins.

01

Soften the wax

Fill the jar with hot tap water and leave it 20 minutes. The leftover wax loosens and floats to the top.

02

Lift it out

Once the disc of wax has set on top, lift it out and bin it. Don't pour wax down the sink — it sets in the pipes.

03

Remove the wick tab

The metal tab at the bottom peels off with a butter knife. Wipe out what's left with a paper towel.

04

Wash and label

Warm soapy water, then peel the label off under hot water. Dishwasher-safe once it's empty and clean.

Non-negotiable

Candle safety

A candle is an open flame. Everything above is about getting the best burn — this part is about keeping everyone safe.

Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Keep away from children and pets at all times.
Burn on a level, heat-resistant surface.
Keep clear of curtains, paper, bedding and anything else that can catch.
Keep out of drafts, vents and doorways.
Never burn for more than four hours at a time.
Stop burning when ½ inch of wax remains.
Never move a candle while it's lit or the wax is molten.
Never use water to put out a candle.
Keep the melt pool free of wick trimmings, matches and debris.
Don't burn a cracked or chipped jar.
Extinguish every candle before you leave the room or go to sleep.

Get every hour out of your candle

Trim the wick

First burn

Maximum burn

Stop here