Ah, a question asked by so many people on Google..what makes a good scented candle?
You'd think the answer would be 'It has to smell good' - well, there's a little more to it than that!
On your journey to become a candle connoisseur, it's important to understand a few key things about scented candles and how they're made.
1. Not all candles are equal.
When your searching through Google, Amazon or eBay you'll probably notice that candle prices vary greatly. There's own brand, £3 scented candles, then there's the £60 luxury candles by huge brands like Diptyque! What's the difference? They're all about the same size, so?
Generally, own brand, cheaper candles are made in large factories. Sometimes overseas, although that's starting to change and more products are now being mass produced in the UK. However, the biggest brands have the smallest margins, generally less packaging, no personalisation options and they're designed to be sold on a shelf, in a supermarket. They smell OK, they're not expected to be perfect, they're great little gifts to treat yourself but maybe not something to gift to a distant relative who you haven't seen for ages - they can buy one themselves, in their own supermarket, right?
That's where hand-poured, luxury candles come in. A truly hand-poured scented candle takes longer to produce, usually includes more packaging and information and sometimes offers personalisation for gifting season. Not only that, the definition of hand-poured means a candle maker blending, stirring and pouring each candle individually using a pouring jug. It takes time, it's a craft, there are so many variables at play - that's why they cost so much more, because of the time and care taken to make each item.
2. The truth is in the wax...
Good candle makers understand that there's not just one wax. It used to be the case that paraffin wax candles where all you could purchase, over the last 10 years or so, this has gradually changed toward more sustainable options, such as soy wax.
At Country & Cove, we only use responsibly sourced soy wax, purchased from a UK based supplier with Vegan Approved markings.
You will also be able to find other waxes in use, such as Bees Wax Candles - these are incredibly natural, usually sourced from the candle makers own bees and they're perhaps the most sustainable and clean burning candles on the market!
We use soy wax for our candles, because it blends well with our chosen fragrance oils and has a long shelf life. In production testing, we've found soy wax to give good scent throw, either cold or hot and less likelihood of shrinkage (wax pulling away from the glass edge) and cracking (when the wax cools too quickly and cracks across the top...like an egg!)
Do you know the difference? Let us explain!
Cold throw, is the scent you smell when you walk in to your favourite candle shop. It stimulates your olfactory senses straight off the bat.
Hot throw, is the scent you smell as your candle burns. It will probably be different, as the ingredients in the fragrance oil begin to burn off at different temperatures. For example, some fragrance oils start burning at around 80 degrees, so when your candle reaches that temperature, you'll start to smell the maximum fragrance release.
Having a candle with good cold throw is not always the definition of a good candle. We've experienced this ourselves. We've made several of batches of candles over the years that, when burned, just don't release as much fragrance as we thought they would. After rigorous testing and honing our skills, we've found the perfect balance in our candle making process, ensuring both cold and hot throw is achieved with amazing results.
4. Expensive Candles are Best?
Nope. You can purchase any candle, from any maker, and they all may perform differently. Even candles between batches can be different. You could buy a Secret Garden Scented Candle from us and one from a 100 year old candle shop, they may perform differently, they may use a different percentage of fragrance oil, they may even use a different type of wax. Basing your decision on price alone is no guarantee of achieving candle perfection!
5. The nose knows?
Every person on the planet has olfactory nerves, stimulated by different smells, in different locations at different times. How our bodies react to these stimulants is unique between each human. Some people can smell different scents more vividly than others, some people prefer a musk or sandalwood base, others prefer florals and lighter fragrances. Some people like a candle that's strong - others like a candle that's light weight and not over powering. Some people prefer candles that have no scent at all - for those people, try our Unscented Candle range!
So, there you have it. Who knew picking your favourite candle would be so difficult..perhaps it's not..perhaps you should just pick a candle based on that first sniff in the shop? It's all down to personal preference and the olfactory senses you were born with...
