A candle needs little. Quiet, air, a bit of attention. Then it burns longer, more evenly, more beautifully – and you have more of it.
Beeswax burns slowly by nature. Its melting point is higher than other waxes, which is why a beeswax candle often lasts noticeably longer than a comparable soy or paraffin one. But how long and how evenly it burns also depends on you. Four small things help.
1. Give It Time the First Time
The most important moment in the life of a candle is the first lighting. Burn it until the entire surface is liquid – with our sizes that takes about two hours. Wax has a memory. Next time, it will burn down only as far as it melted the first time.
Blow the candle out too early and you risk a tunnel: the wick burns down into the depth while a wall of wax remains around the edge. The candle gets darker, smaller, and barely fragrant by the end. So the first time, really give it time – it pays off across the entire burn.
2. Keep the Wick Short
Trim the wick to about five millimetres before each lighting. A wick that's too long produces more soot and a tall, restless flame. One that's too short drowns in the wax and goes out. Five millimetres is the point where the flame stays small, calm and clear.
A small pair of scissors does it in two seconds. A wick trimmer is nicer but not necessary. The only thing that matters: take the cut piece out of the wax before you light it.
3. Keep It Out of Draughts
A candle in a draught flickers, burns unevenly and loses wax on one side. The wick wanders, the flame soots, the candle leans. A calm spot is enough – a table, a shelf, a window without draught. Open windows, doors, hallways, fans or a radiator right next to it are not good places.
And: never leave a burning candle unattended, nor near curtains, nor on surfaces that can warm up.
4. Don't Blow It Out – Dip It
When you blow out a candle, the wick sends up smoke and the wax briefly smells burnt. Nicer is this: dip the wick into the liquid wax with a snuffer or a small stick and lift it back up immediately. The flame goes out, the wick is coated with wax and lights more easily next time. No smoke, no burnt scent.
When a Candle Is "Spent"
Leave about a centimetre of wax at the bottom. If the wax gets lower than that, the vessel or wick can overheat. You still get the most out of your candle – and at the end you have a glass or vessel you can reuse.
That's all it needs. A bit of time the first time. A trimmed wick. A calm spot. Then it will keep burning for you.