The number one question I get from customers is "how long will this candle last?"
At a recent market I attended in Gothenburg, a woman asked me this question, to which her husband responded, "you know it's written on the label." She then said "yes I know, but I want to ask her and hear her tell me."
Of course! That's what in person markets are for. Getting to feel, smell, and hear about the luxurious product in your hands. And we want to know how long we will get to enjoy this scent we love and are spending money for. I totally get it!
I actually love this question because it gives me the chance to talk about candle care.
The amount of time your candle lasts and how beautifully it burns, is directly related to how we take care of our candles.
Yes, it's also connected to the ingredients and materials a candle maker chooses. But once the candle is made and then purchased, the rest is up to you.
Number one being, do you trim your wicks before every or almost every burn?
I recently did an Instagram post where I showed the difference between a candle burning with or without a trimmed wick. When a wick is left untrimmed it becomes longer and fuller. A longer, fuller wick is obviously going to produce more flame, which is going to melt your wax faster and in turn make your candle go faster.
It just makes sense. When you trim the wick, your candle flame will be smaller, less wild, and therefore will take longer to burn the wax. If you religiously trim your candle wick, you will likely have a candle that lasts longer than what the label states.
Number two. Do you light your candles way beyond the likely recommended 2-4 hours at a go?
When you leave a candle burning for an amount of time way longer than the recommended time, the wick gets longer, the flame bigger, the melt pool deeper, and the container your candle is in gets hotter (also less safe). Your candle has gone from nice flame with a normal melt pool to candle blaze... which in turn is going to make your candle go faster.
Do you see the connection between these two candle care tips? Your candle will last longer if your flame doesn't become too crazy making your candle too hot.
I love how one candle maker I listened to phrased this. She called it "power burning" the candle.
I think we all do it or have done it... dinner parties where the wine is flowing and conversation is growing. Nobody is thinking, “maybe we should blow out the candle.”
For this reason, I test my candles both by burning them the way they should be burned and with a few "power burns". I want to make sure the candle is safe even when we let them go on forever.
However, if you do this often, your candle won't last as long.
My labels state the minimum burn time I have found you can get out of Honeywood candles. However, this can be made either shorter or longer depending on how you care for your candle.
If you know you won't ever trim your wicks and that you consistently do "power burns" then you just have to accept that your candle will likely not last as long.
If you want your candles to last as long as possible, however, trim your wicks, and don't do continual "power burns".
Remember that the most important thing we can do is to actually light and enjoy our candles. Life is just too short not to.
Whether you've taken the time to get your candle lasting 50 hours or it only made it to 45, if you felt happier because the candle was there, then you're doing it right.
Love,
Amy