A candle that burns crooked on the tenth lighting usually began to go crooked on the first. Wax has a memory: it remembers how far the melt pool spread, and later burns follow the same path.
So the first burn should be long enough for the melt pool to spread across the whole surface, usually about two to three hours depending on the diameter. Before lighting, trim the wick to about five millimetres. And stand the vessel somewhere level, with no draught from a window or an air conditioner.
Do it in this order
- Trim the wick to about five millimetres. A long wick gives a large flame, more smoke, and easily blackens the side of the vessel.
- Stand the vessel on a flat heat-resistant surface, well away from curtains, paper and anything flammable.
- Burn continuously until the wax on the surface has melted evenly right out to the wall of the vessel.
- Do not burn for more than four hours at a time. If you want to use it again, put it out, let it cool, and light it again.
- Put it out with a lid or a snuffer rather than blowing, so the wick is not pushed off centre and there is less smoke.
What if the first burn does not reach the edge
With a wide vessel, or in a cold room, the melt pool sometimes does not spread all the way in one go. Do not try to keep burning far too long in the same session, because an overheated vessel is a separate thing to avoid. The way to handle it is to burn a little longer on the next few occasions and to place the vessel in a warmer spot in the room. In most cases it evens out by itself after two or three burns.
With ZUNGZA's cinnamon bark vessels, the wall is real bark, so it conducts heat differently from glass and the melt pool usually spreads more slowly on the first burn. This is an observation from our workshop, and it is also why we remind customers to allow extra time for the first burn.
What not to do
Do not burn it in a room with a strong draught, because a leaning flame puts the melt pool off centre from the start. Do not move the vessel while the wax is still liquid. Do not let a candle burn itself out once the layer of wax at the base is very thin. Do not add any material into the body of the candle.
A few questions you often send us
How long is long enough for one sitting
After the first burn, thirty minutes to an hour is enough for most small rooms. Burning longer does not make the room much more fragrant, because the scent level in the room reaches a steady point.
Does a mushroomed wick need trimming
You should trim off the burnt mushroom at the tip before each burn, once the candle has cooled. It is a small task but it solves most problems with smoke and blackened vessel walls.
What if the wax surface sinks or cracks
With plant wax, a surface that is not perfectly flat after cooling is normal. One sufficiently long burn usually levels it again. If it is still deeply hollowed around the wick, burn it longer next time.