How long a jar of cinnamon bark candle lasts depends on a few very small habits in the first fifteen minutes. We usually tell customers about those habits right as we wrap the parcel, because they are simple and they really work.
The short version is this: the first time you light it, let the candle burn until the wax melts evenly right out to the wall of the cup, usually about an hour. After that, trim the wick to about five millimetres before each lighting. Once the candle has cooled completely, put the lid back on. Those three things keep the wax surface level, the flame neat and the scent spreading evenly to the bottom of the jar.
The first lighting decides a great deal
Wax has a memory in its own particular way. If you put it out early the first time, the wax near the wall that has not had time to melt will hold its old ring, and on later lightings the flame keeps following that same ring, forming a small well in the middle. To avoid that, leave the candle be the first time, do something else, and come back when the wax surface is one colour from centre to edge.
With the cinnamon bark cup there is a further reward. The wall of the cup warms at the same time as the wax, so the cinnamon from the bark itself also opens up in that same stretch of time. This is when the room is at its fullest.
A short wick for a neat flame
Our wick is cotton, with no metal core, so it is soft and leans easily when long. A long wick makes a tall flame, gives off smoke and pulls the wax to burn lopsided. Before each lighting, use small scissors to trim the wick to about five millimetres, then lift the charred bits off the wax surface. This takes about ten seconds and keeps the wax clean for the whole life of the jar.
Put the lid on once the candle has cooled
The cinnamon bark range comes with a lid, and that lid does two things. It keeps dust off the wax surface, and it keeps the remaining scent inside the cup for next time. Wait until the wax has set completely before closing it, because heat trapped in a sealed cup can ripple the wax surface.
Soy wax gives a naturally ivory wax surface, sometimes speckled with small holes after a few lightings. This is normal for this kind of wax, and it does not affect how the candle burns or how the scent spreads.
A few questions you often send us
How long should each burn be
About two to three hours is a comfortable stretch. Any longer and the wall of the cup grows warmer and the flame grows too, so we usually stop there and light it again another evening.
Is it a problem if the cinnamon bark cup gets hot
The wall of the cup warming up is natural, as with every kind of candle cup. Put the jar on a heat-resistant surface, away from draughts and well clear of curtains, papers or anything that catches fire easily, and burn it within sight; then there is nothing to worry about.
What do I do with the cup once the wax is gone
Let the last of the wax cool completely, lift it out, wash the cup with warm water and let it dry. After that the cup can hold pens, hold paper clips, or simply stand on a shelf as a small fragrant object.
Read more about cinnamon bark candles, about the cotton wick, and look at the VO QUE LAM candle if you are choosing your first one.