You've found the perfect scent, lit your candle, and it burns out way sooner than you expected. It happens to the best of us. The good news is that getting more life out of your soy candle isn't complicated — it just comes down to a few simple habits.
Here's what we do at Harvey & Co. Sydney® to make sure every candle burns beautifully from the first light to the last.
1. Always do a full first burn
This one matters more than people realise. Soy wax has a kind of memory — it will only ever melt as wide as it did the very first time you lit it. So burn it long enough for the entire top to melt edge to edge, which usually takes a couple of hours depending on the size. Skip this step and you'll end up with tunnelling, where the wax builds up around the sides and the wick slowly disappears into the middle. Wondering why your candle top looks uneven after burning? We covered that here.
2. Trim your wick before every burn
Give your wick a quick trim to about 5mm before you light it each time. A wick that's too long creates a bigger flame that burns hotter and faster, and it can leave black marks on the inside of the jar. Nail scissors work fine if you don't have a wick trimmer.
3. Keep your burns to 2–4 hours
Burning for too long overheats the wax and pushes the fragrance out faster than it should. Two to four hours is the sweet spot for scent throw and burn life.
4. Find a still spot in your home
Fans, air conditioning and open windows cause the flame to flicker and the wax to burn unevenly. In Sydney homes especially, where the ceiling fan is basically always on, it's worth finding a draught-free spot for your candle.
5. Let it cool fully before relighting
It's tempting to relight a candle while it's still warm, but letting the wax set completely between burns helps it melt more evenly next time.
6. Keep unused candles out of the sun
Direct sunlight and heat can soften the wax, fade the colour and affect the fragrance over time. A cool drawer or cupboard is ideal — particularly through the warmer months. If you're choosing scents for winter, our Australian winter candle guide is a good place to start.
7. Stop at 1cm of wax
When there's about a centimetre of wax left at the bottom, it's time to retire the candle. Burning past this point can overheat the jar. Once it's done, pop it in the freezer for an hour and the leftover wax will lift straight out — the jar is too good to throw away.
A bit of care really does go a long way. Look after your candle and it'll look after your home.