Thinking about your variables
When it comes to test burning your candles it’s best to think about what variable you are going to look at. Are you looking to monitor your wick, your candles colour or fragrance, hot throw? All areas are important but before you go ahead and start burning your candles or melts it’s best to know what areas you will be monitoring closely throughout the burning process.
Before getting started
Before you get ready to burn your product it’s important to make notes on your product itself so you can track what does and doesn’t work when it is burnt and what factors may have contributed to this. We recommend that you note down;
• Container used
• Wax used and weight
• Fragrance used and %
• Dye used and amount
• Wick used and which size
• What temperatures you melted your wax to, add fragrance at and poured at
• How long it has been cured for
You’ll also want to label your candle with an identifiable number that you can also pop onto your sheet for future reference. We also suggest noting down the date, the time you start your burn test at and the time you finish your burn test. It’s also good to jot down any noticeable features on your candle before burning such as;
• Frosting
• Wet spots
• Jump lines
• Sweating
• Rough surfaces
• Sinkholes
• Air bubbles
A keen eye
It may be stating the obvious, but you need to have the needed time on your hands to be able to burn your products for around 4 hours and you must have the availability to be able to revisit your burning product frequently to make notes. As always;
• Never leave a burning candle unattended
• Light candles away from draughts
• Keep candles out of reach from children and pets
• Remove any packaging from a candle before lighting
• Place candles on non-flammable, sturdy surfaces
• Do not try to move a burning candle
• Always trim your wick to 5mm before each burn
• Put your candle out carefully, we suggest using a snuffer
• Never place your candle closer than 60cm underneath an object
• Do not leave a candle burning when you go to bed or leave the house
• Leave at least a 6 inch gap between candles if you’re lighting more than one
• Wipe away any dust or debris from a candles surface before burning
• Try not to burn your candle for more than 4 hours
• Do not burn a candle if the container is chipped or cracked
• Never use liquids to extinguish a flame
• Do not extinguish a candle by placing the lid on the jar
• Never burn a candle right to the bottom
Burn time
To get the best results from your candle or melt, we suggest to burn it for around 4 hours or until you get a full melt pool. During this time, it is important to take observations and make notes on what you notice whilst burning. You may find that hourly intervals for your note taking will be best, but it’s’ down to personal preference and how closely you want to monitor your burn. Our top areas that we suggest you take notes on are following;
• Wick/flame size
• Burn pool
• Hot throw
Evaluating your product
Creating the perfect candle requires a successful burn test! Make sure after four hours you’ve achieved an even melt pool to all edges of your container, with a stable and sootless flame. If using fragrance oil, be sure it has produced a good hot throw too; this is key for long-lasting scents. And check that there are no cosmetic defects like frosting or poor glass adhesion in your starting product – if everything checks out then congratulationsyou’ve created success! Still having problems? Our guides below can help you achieve the optimal results each time just keep experimenting until you find what works best for yours products.