Candle 101

I thought I would post my candle 101 here as well as in my store. As always, I welcome questions and comments. If you would like to see something added to my candle 101, let me know.

There‘s more to a simple candle than you think!
Whether you use them for simple decoration or daily meditation, a candle makes a house a home. A long burning candle can be your friend when the power goes out, and it can be a daily reminder of your personal passions and desires (I find that I get more done around the house when I have a candle burning). Where would a birthday party be without candles?

What goes into a candle?
Wax- The majority of candles, especially those you find at the store, are made from paraffin wax (if the label doesn’t say then the safe bet is that it is paraffin). It is refined from crude oil. There are serious social and ecological implications to using a limited resource, but luckily you don’t have to use paraffin to have a beautiful and functional candle. Soy wax is the main inexpensive renewable resource wax. It makes beautiful candles with a smooth, creamy finish. Palm wax is a more recent addition to the renewable resource wax family so most people haven‘t seen it yet. It comes from the waxy oil of palm trees and makes unique candles with gorgeous crystallizing or feathering patterns. It is harder than soy or even paraffin wax.
Wick- All wick sold now in the United States is legally required to be lead free (with the exception of zinc core wick which must be certified to have a safe amount of lead). The same is not true for the cheap imported candles on store shelves (see www.leadfreecandles.org). There are a lot of types of wick out there. I go for simplicity and function. Plain cotton wick works well for most candles. It is self trimming (it won’t put up a big cloud of smoke if you don’t trim it so short that you can barely light it). In the near future, I am planning on using hemp cored wick (plain cotton with hemp in the center). It should be even cooler and slower burning than plain cotton.

What is a triple scented candle?
To say something is triple something else you need a concrete number to triple in the first place. There is no exact standard amount of scent to add to a candle, only a range (normal use varies from 1/2 to 1 oz of scent per lb of wax, which is about 3-6%). More than that, and fragrance oil seeps out of the candle. Granted, some fragrance oils are better than others and some scents are stronger than others, but if it were as simple as adding triple the scent, every candle maker would.

What makes a candle vegan or not?
Certain additives used to make candles harder are derived from animal fat. An alternative hardening agent natural candle makers use comes from the leaves of palm trees. Also beeswax is not considered vegan. As a vegetarian myself, I have never used any animal derived ingredient to make a candle.

Wouldn’t a container candle be safer?
Not necessarily. Glass and especially aluminum tins get hot. I’ve even seen the glass of a cheap container candle crack and break. Most container candles use zinc or paper cored wick which burns hotter (and faster) than plain cotton wick. A shaped candle with a wide base is not easier to tip over than a container candle.

How to safely burn even the largest, drippiest, shaped candle:
There are flat glass burning plates, but I actually prefer an old or inexpensive dinner plate (if it is dishwasher safe it is candle safe). Because the edges are slightly curved, no wax will drip off the edge. For decoration and added insurance against tipping, put colored glass stones around the candle. Wax comes off of anything nonporous (like glass or ceramic) easily with a knife or melted with a blow dryer on hot ( just don’t pour melted wax down a drain). If the glass stones need cleaned just sit them on some newspaper and blow dry. It is best not to burn any candle for more than an hour or two at a time, especially if you want a longer overall burn time (I personally have not had problems burning my candles longer than that.)
As a candle lover and mother of three, my policy on candles and children is that if you can cook around your children, then you can burn a candle around them. You should always supervise your children around a burning candle, and teach them that it is hot (just as you would with a stove). Just as you probably wouldn’t burn a candle while you are doing aerobics, you wouldn’t want to burn a candle during your child’s playtime (but it is great for quiet time).

Candle Meditation isn’t just for new age people!
Meditation is becoming more and more popular as a great way to help people relax and collect their thoughts. It is a time out in a hectic world. You can do candle meditation whatever your age or abilities (at the age of two my oldest daughter used to get out of bed and sit on the floor with me and stare into the candle flame during my meditation time). Just follow these five steps:
1. Pick a quiet time (usually either early in the morning or late at night is best for me), even if you can only get ten minutes it is worth it.
2. Light a candle (keep in mind that you need to be able to see the flame), and turn off all artificial lights (sunlight coming in the window is fine).
3. Sit somewhere where you can relax (I’ve sat on the floor, on my couch with the candle on the mantle, at my kitchen table.)
4. Stare into the candle flame and let your thoughts slow down. You can contemplate one particular thing or nothing at all. If something comes to mind that makes you feel bad, let the flame consume the bad feeling as you slowly breathe out and then slowly breathe in good feelings. With all the bad, there is still a lot of good in the world. Ask yourself what is good to you. It doesn’t matter how unreal those thoughts that make you happy are, let your mind wander to that fantasy world anyway.
5. When you are done, before you blow out the candle, think of at least one thing you are grateful for (it doesn‘t matter how big or small, or whether it is tangible or intangible).