MoonBeam Landing - Tips on Burning Beeswax Candles

Tips on Burning Beeswax Candles?

Now that you have decided to try beeswax candles, let's cover some basic safety tips. Candles are a wonderful source of light and can create relaxing moods in almost any room of the house or outdoors. But it is always a good idea to practice safety when burning your beeswax candles. A little common sense can prevent an accident that can cause a great deal of damage. So let's review some safety tips.

When burning Beeswax Candles:

Burning candles should never be placed by a fan, heater or air-conditioner. They should also be kept away from an open window. Dripped wax, extra smoke and even cracked glass can occur from an air current moving your wick causing the flame to get too close to your holder.

When your candle will not light, hold it slightly at an angle to create a "melt pool" while lighting until the flame has established itself.

After you burn your candle, cut the excess wick off to remove any black buildup on the tip and remove the trimming from the candle. If you allow the wick to remain too long, it will tend to curl and melt the wax unevenly. Wicks should be between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch before you light each time. Shorter wicks create a smaller, controlled flame that will not emit as much smoke.

If you have any concerns about your candle's container, do not use it. A damaged container is unsafe to use for an open flame. Use appropriate containers to burn your candle or in other words, make sure the container you use fits the size candle you want to burn. Fancy holders are nice to look at, but may not always be the best choice for burning candles. Just use good judgment.

Over time, beeswax creates a dusty coating known as "bloom". The bloom may form on the candle as low melting point elements in the wax come to the surface. This can be removed with a soft cloth or for detailed candles, try using a hair dryer on the candle for about 1/4 of a minute.

ALWAYS......keep burning candles away from animals and kids and never leave your candles burning unattended.

To make sure that your 3 inch pillar candle burns evenly from the wick to the side of the candle, you should burn it the first time for 4-5 hours and every other time you burn the candle. This will help to avoid having your pillar burn down the middle.

And, anytime you see black smoke, blow out the flame and coat the wick with wax from the "melt pool" and center the wick. Figure out what is causing the smoke. Check and see if the wick is too long. If it is, let the candle cool before trimming the wick. Check for drafts and place the candle in a different area if necessary. Make sure there is no debris in the wax pool. This needs to be cleaned out before you re-light the candle. Once you can locate and correct the problem, then re-light your candle and enjoy!