How to Take Good Care of Your Scented Candle?

You just bought that lovely cozy little candle, lit it up and the enchantment begins. However, after a few hours of burning you wonder if there’s a way you can keep its life longer without digging anymore into your pocket. Even if it’s just a candle, you should take good care of it like a baby.

Scented candles, especially soy wax candles, can be more expensive than ordinary paraffin candles especially when hand-poured with the finest ingredients. But if you know how to make it last longer, you will get more value for your money.

Here are some tips:

Burn the candle for at least 2 hours.

You should do this the first time that you light your candle and every time you relight it. Burn it first for at least 2 hours to prevent tunneling or pocket hole. This tunneling effect happens when the candle was not burned long enough for at least 2 hours until the wax melts across the top and edge to edge, thus creating a tunnel. This tunnel shape in the middle and around the wick of the candle will continue until the life of the candle. That is why it is also called the memory ring.

Make sure the wick is in the middle of the candle.

Another way to prevent tunneling is to make sure that the wick is centered in the middle of the candle so that the wax will melt evenly across the top of the candle.

Trim the wick

Cut or trim the wick for about 1/8 of an inch before lighting the candle or when relighting every 4 hours to keep the wick clean. This will prevent the mushrooming of the wick which causes the forming of soot in the air or dark traces inside the jar and surfaces. Make sure to fully extinguish the fire before you trim. Wick trimming before lighting the candle can also become part of your lighting ritual. Ideally, a wick trimmer is best to use but in its absence, a nice pair of sharp scissors will do.

Avoid Windy Places

Keep your burning candle away from windy places so that the fragrance will not be wasted away and the candle will burn evenly.

Use a Snuffer

To extinguish the candle, use a snuffer to prevent the smell of smoke filling your room. You can also bend the wick, dip it into the melted wax and then straighten it up. This time you can extinguish the candle near an open window. How about using a pretty glass dome to display your candle? After burning, put the dome on the candle to slowly extinguish the flame.


Store the candle in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight, intense heat or intense cold. This will prevent discoloration and make the scent last longer. Never leave a candle for too long inside the car, especially during summer for melting might happen and distort the beautiful shape and color of your candle. When left in extreme cold, allow the candle to stay at room temperature first before lighting it.

Be Safe

Never burn a candle near flammable materials and surfaces. Keep it out of reach of the curious little ones and pets. Never leave a burning candle unattended. Dispose of your candle when it reaches ½ inch from the bottom to avoid overheating the surfaces and prevent fire.