Candle Terminology Overview

Like any sub-culture or niche, the world of candles has its own lingo and terminology. Understanding these key terms will provide you with a common lexicon to describe specific characteristics of candles.

Burn Time

Burn time refers to the amount of time it takes for the wax of a candle to be fully used. Burn is typically measured in hours and is a function of the size of the candle.

Knowing how long a “100 hour” candle will vary depending on how long your burn sessions typically tend to be. A helpful way to think about burn time is to divide it by the average time you typically burn a candle.

For example, say a medium sized candle that has a burn time of 80 hours. That means that with an average burn time of, say, four hours, you would have 20 sessions before your candle was done.

Types of Wax

Candles can be made with different wax types. Each wax type has a different set of characteristics that can influence how a candle is made and the candle’s performance over time. There are two main types of waxes that are used in the candle making process:

Paraffin Wax:

• Made out of petroleum oil

• Can leave soot residue as a result of burning

• The color is typically more transparent than soy bean wax which is helpful to make more colorful candles

• When the wax is combined with the fragrant oils, there is little time needed for the candle to “set”

• Known to have a stronger scent throw than soy candles

Soy Wax:

• Soy wax is made out of a hydrogenated vegetable oil derived from soy beans, however it can include other non-soy ingredients

• Known to burn cleaner than paraffin wax which means it leaves less black residue around the candle lid or any surfaces the flame might be close to. That said, soy candles can still leave residue for other factors like not trimming your wick for example

• Soy wax tends to be more opaque or cloudy

• Needs days for the wax to set with the scented oils

That is not to say one type of wax is better than the other. It depends how strongly you feel about using natural products or performance. Different brands use different types of wax. Le Labo opts for soy based waxes, for example.

Types of Wicks

Candle wicks can vary in materials, lengths and sizes which will inform the flame size, melt pool and throw (see definitions below).

Most common candle wicks are made out of fibers and can take different forms:

Materials:

• Cotton

• Wood (check out the Wooden Wick Co)

• Bamboo

Form:

• Braided

• Curled

• Flat

The diameter and length of a wick also play a role in the candle’s performance.

Scents:

Very simplistically, in order to make scented candles one must first combine the “scent” with the wax. This is trickier than it sounds.

The scent, typically in the form of a combination of scented essential oils, is mixed with the wax at a “flashpoint” which is a specific temperature at which the scent would become integrated with the wax. This temperature can vary, but is traditionally around 185 degrees.

The reason why luxury candles are more expensive is in part due to the raw materials used to create these scents. Not only are the essential oils used in higher-end candles typically more expensive, but they are also blended or made by master parfumeurs.

And as frivolous as that might sounds, making a scent that is well-balanced, unique and recognizable can take years of trial and error which in and of itself is very capital intensive. Le Labo’s Santal 33 for example took three years to make.

Well constructed scents have different layered “notes”. An easy way to think about this is with fragrances — when you spray perfume or cologne, the initial smell is quite different from the scent a few hours later. This is a reflection of different scent notes:

• Top Notes:

  • These are the first notes that hit your nose when you smell a fragrance. They set your expectations as to what’s to come and very much shape your impressions of the fragrance. They tend to be lighter in molecular composition and last for 5 to 15 minutes.

• Middle or Heart Notes:

  • They make up the “heart” of the fragrance and take center stage once the top notes have faded away. These last for 20-60 minutes.

• Base Notes:

  • Base notes are the backbone of the fragrance. They help ground the top notes and the heart notes. On their own, they might not smell special or pleasant, but are necessary to bring together the other notes. Base notes can last for more than 6 hours.

Throw

Throw refers to how strongly a candle can emit a scent. There are two types of throws:

Cold Throw:

• The throw given off a candle when it is not lit. A candle with strong cold throw would be one that you unbox, leave out in a room and the smell is still noticeable in the room

Hot Throw:

• The throw given off a candle when it is lit. Similarly, a candle with strong hot throw would one that when lit, fills the room up with the scent. Hot throws are stronger than

Contribute to strong throws:

• The combination of wax type, wick, essential oils

• The melt pool (bigger pool, stronger throw)

• The room size (smaller room, stronger throw)

Melt Pool:

A melt pool is the area of wax on the surface of a candle that is liquid. A larger melt pool results is greater throw as there is more surface area that are releasing scent molecules into the air.

Tunneling:

Tunneling is when a candle’s melt pool is smaller than the top surface of a candle and over time, begins to create a tunnel with wax around the edges.

This is typically caused by two things:

1. Initial burn was not long enough to liquify the entire surface of the candle. They say that wax has a memory. In only burning a small melt pool, the next time the candle will be burned it will be unlikely to reach the area of the candle that wasn’t initially burned.

2. Burn sessions are not long enough. Each time you light a candle you should aim to liquify the entire surface area of a candle.

There are many ways to fix tunneling including using tin foil, a blow torch to heat the hard wax and even cutting out the wax.

Mushrooming or Blooming:

Mushrooming or blooming is when carbon deposits form at the tip of the wick after burns. This can result in uneven flames, soot and soot.

The best way to prevent mushrooming is to trim the wick regularly with a wick trimmer to a lengths fo 1/4 of an inch.

Conclusion:

There are terms to describe candles — don’t get bogged down! This list if far from exhaustive and just a quick primer. There are tons of resources online and sales people are always willing to provide more information. Don’t be shy in asking any questions you might have in the comments below!