Did you know, there's more to a candle than just a flickering flame and a splash of fragrance oil?
It's something that's very often overlooked and little understood by those who are not candle obsessives. It's a thing called 'Wax Memory' and it can deeply impact the success and value of the candles you purchase.
What is Wax Memory?Have you ever seen candle instructions that say 'burn for 1 hour the first time' or something similar? This is called the 'First Burn' and it's essential that you get this right, otherwise you'll be wasting all of that fabulous (and sometimes expensive) candle wax, that sits around the edge of the glass.
Wax Memory refers to how the candle 'remembers' how far the melt pool has travelled, as the candle burns. Ideally, the first time you light your candle, you want to burn it all the way to edge. If you let the wax melt all the way to the edges of the container, the candle will remember, and each time you relight it, the wax will continue to melt evenly across the surface - thus maximising the amount of fragranced wax you can burn.
If you extinguish your candle too quickly, you're likely to end up with a 'tunnelling' effect. Where the candle only ever burns to the same breadth as the first burn. This can be really bad sometimes, to the point where you won't be able to light the wick at all, as the tunnel will be too narrow for a match or lighter to reach in. You'll be forced to chip away at some of the wax, which also risks drowning your wick! What a nightmare...
The Importance of the First Burn
When you light your Country & Cove candle for the first time, we always recommend allowing the wax to melt across the entire surface of the candle before extinguishing. Depending on the width of the candle container, this could take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, so make sure you're fully prepared and ready to commit to the 'First Burn'!
We suggest cancelling all your plans, your friends and family will understand....obviously!
How Does This Affect My Candles Performance?
A candle with a good wax memory will burn evenly, allowing you to enjoy its full fragrance and ensuring the candle lasts as long as possible. By establishing an even burn from the start, you’ll avoid tunnelling, which wastes wax and shortens the candle’s burn time.
You want and need your candle to last for as long as possible. By creating a 'wax memory' that reaches the very edge of the candle glass, you avoid tunnelling, reduce the amount of wax wasted and lengthen the burning hours of the candle. Imagine if your tunnelled candle only had a melt pool of 2 or 3 inches? You'd be wasting around 30% of all the fragranced wax in your candle glass....money up in flames!
How To Look After Your Country & Cove Candle
- Burn your candle for between 1 and 3 hours the first time, or until the candle’s surface is fully melted to the edges before you extinguish it.
- Some candles require you to 'Trim Your Wick' but ours are self trimming you'll be glad to know. Our wicks are made from cotton, with a paper filament. This filament has a small break every 5 mm, as the candle burns, the top 5mm of the wick falls off and burns up in the flame. This means your candle is pretty good at looking after itself. Long wicks can cause excess sooting and bouncing flames, which are best avoided, as they're unpredictable and we don't want that!
- Only light your candle if you're going to be in the room for a few hours. Probably best on an evening, while watching your favourite film. Avoiding short burns, where the melt pool is too small, improves the longevity of your new candle and maximises the burn time. Always plan to let your candle burn long enough to establish a full melt pool.
We hope we've helped you on your journey toward candle obsession! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us. Just email hello@countryandcove.co.uk for candle advice.
