You finally have your new candle home – YAY you!! It’s now out of the box and you can’t wait to light it! First, is it wintertime? Has it been out in the car all day before bringing it inside? Natural waxes are different then paraffin waxes – they are a harder wax, so take more time to reach room temperature – so if required – you may want to wait 24 hours. I know you are to excited to wait, but it will save the potential of a shattered jar from heating up to quickly.
Next, what time of day is it – for your first burn it should burn for minimum of 1 hour per diameter inch. A reference is that a 3-inch diameter candle would require a 3 hour burn time for the first time. This establishes your base for future burns. Shorter burns will create tunneling and uneven wax in your candle jar.
Now are we ready to light our new candle? Wick length should be no more than ¼ inch in length to not have a flame that burns to hot. Your first light may have a high dancing flame that you are not normally used to - It's ok! Give it a few hours and it will settle down and everything will even out.
Now you are ready to light your candle! Enjoy the wonderful scent that you chose throughout your house. Although many leave their candles burning all day, it is highly recommended to not burn more than 4 hours at a time to give you the maximum scent value for your candle dollar. The scent will be in the house long after you extinguish your flame. So put it out, let it cool down and go back to solid and relight again.
Type of wick in your candle plays a big role in how your candle will burn. Soft based waxes require a stronger wick to be able to stay put and not fall into your melted wax. To be stronger they require a partial zinc or lead core.
"The Consumer Product Safety Commission has finally banned the use of lead in candle wicks. ... Lead is put in candle wicks in the first place because, as one expert
put it, "it's a kind of Viagra for candle wicks" It makes them stand up straighter and the candle burns better."
To tell if you perhaps have a candle that may contain lead - rub the unburned wick onto a piece of paper. If it leaves a gray coloured smudge or mark, it may still contain some traces of lead.
Metal core candle wicks contain small trace amounts of zinc or "tin". All industry standards have classed these as being safe - but they will create a sulfur ball at the end of the wick during burning and contribute to the sooty look in your candle jar.
When burning your Mia Bella's candle for the first time, it should burn for minimum of 1 hour per diameter inch. A reference is that a 4-inch diameter candle would require a 4 hour burn time for the first time. This establishes your base for future burns. Shorter burns will create tunneling and uneven wax in your candle jar. This will give your wax time to release all of the top, middle and bottom notes of scent and for your wax to catch up to your wicks.
First light will have a higher flame than you are used to if you have been burning soy or paraffin candles in the past. After the first hour, the flame will calm down and you will have a nice even burn all the way to the bottom of the jar.
Although many leave their candles burning all day, it is highly recommended to not burn more than 4 hours at a time to give you the maximum scent value for your candle dollar. The scent will be in the house long after you extinguish your flame. So put it out, let it cool down and go back to solid and relight again
Scentastically Yours;
Jaye