You strike a match, put it to the wick and just like magic, the candle starts to burn. Then after a few burns, that annoying thing called ‘tunnelling’ happens. You know, the part of the candle that actually burns, gets smaller and smaller, which is so frustrating if, like me, you're a little OCD.
Solu candles are specifically designed not to do that.
When I started making candles, I wanted them to burn all the way to the edge so that the whole candle was used. I’ve had a fair few product testers along the journey and, as they may testify, I’m ever so slightly strict on how they burn the candles.
It’s all about committing to the first burn, in my view. The first time you light a candle, you have to allow it to burn for a good 2-3 hours. A well wicked candle will take this long to burn right to the edge, creating a fabulous melt pool and strength of fragrance. Believe it or not, all candles come with instructions on the length of time to burn it for but, as a consumer, we typically just throw this advice away with the packaging! After this first burn, your candle may forgive you the odd 45-minute burn where the melt pool doesn’t get to the edge so long as the next burn is for a longer period of time. If your candle doesn’t get to the edge of the glass/container, despite a considerable burn time then the wick in it isn’t large enough for the candle. You often find this in mass produced candles where product testing is limited.
Candles can be expensive, and I understand why people are sometimes reluctant to burn them for too long, but trust me when I say that you will probably get longer out of your candle if you burn it for longer!
Ironic I know.