Do White Candles Burn Faster than Colored Candles

Burning white candle
Do white candles burn faster?

Have you ever wondered, do white candles burn faster than colored candles? It seems that just about every element of a candle can affect how fast they burn, so it's no wonder that people are curious about the addition of candle dyes and colorants.

Reasoning Behind the Theory

Most people seem to think that plain white candles will burn faster than those with added dyes. The reasoning behind this theory is that the plain wax is more pure, and will give a faster burn than candles with additives.

There's nothing wrong with this line of thought, but when put to the test, do white candles burn faster than colored candles?

Color Makes Little Difference

In reality, color makes little to no difference in how fast a candle burns. In fact, candle dyes can make a candle burn hotter in some cases, causing the colored candles to burn faster. This is especially true for richly colored candles with a lot of added dye.

Overall, there is so little dye used in candle making that it doesn't affect the burn time much at all. Only a small amount of colorant is needed to turn pure white wax into bright, vivid colors.

Do White Candles Burn Faster than Colored Candles - The Proof

The topic of white candles versus colored candles is a popular subject for school children's science fair projects. Almost all of these begin with a hypothesis that the white candle will burn fastest, but that is never the case. Here are some links to show the results of such experiments:

  • Poster.4teachers - This is an illustration of the actual project with results, in which the student found that red candles burned fastest.
  • All-Science-Fair-Projects - Here's a very well planned and executed experiment using five different colors of candles. This student discovered that her yellow candles burned the fastest.

The Main Factors in Candle Burning Speed

As you can see, color doesn't play much of a factor in how long a candle burns. There are many other elements of candle making that will speed up or slow down the length of time that a candle takes to burn down.


The most important consideration in burn time is the candle wick. Wider or thicker wicks will burn much faster than thin ones, and the material the wick is made with can also make an impact.

That said, it's important to choose the right wick for your candle project. Large candles with very thin wicks will burn unevenly and you risk the flame being drowned out by pooling wax.

Candle Wax

Different types of candle wax burn at different temperatures. Generally speaking, the harder the wax, the longer the burn time. Soy wax, for example, is a softer base for candle making, and these candles will burn more quickly than those made of beeswax or paraffin.

Other Elements

Other elements that can affect how long a candle burns include:

  • Additives, such as wax hardeners
  • Burning the candle in drafty spaces
  • The age of the candle, as older candles tend to dry out
  • Over-scenting

Controlled Conditions

When you consider all the other factors that determine how long a candle burns, you might be tempted to discount the science experiments listed above. Since everything from the wick to the candle wax contributes to burn time, perhaps these experiments should have taken all of these into consideration.

In fact, the kids doing the experiments used the same brand and size of candles for their tests. It would stand to reason that a candle manufacturer would use standard materials to make these candles, with the only difference between them being the added dyes. Therefore, the experiments are likely correct.

Try It Yourself

If you want to test the theory for yourself, or have your children give it a go as a fun afternoon science project, it's easy to set up and execute. There are full instructions, including materials needed, at If you really want to have control over the materials, you can even make the candles yourself, ensuring that the only difference between them is the added color.

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Do White Candles Burn Faster than Colored Candles