Candle Care

When using your candle for the first time, it is recommended to have it burn for 2-3 hours. The goal is to melt the wax so the entire surface area becomes liquid. This will prevent tunneling.

Be sure to trim the wick regularly.

If you notice your wick leaning a bit – center it in the wax after each use to ensure it burns the wax evenly. Be sure the wax has cooled so as not to burn your fingers.

Trimming your wick is an important part of candle care because it prevents the wick from curling and “mushrooming” as it burns: 3-4 hours after use and the wax has cooled.

We recommend trimming it once every 3-4 hours. Keep the wick at a good length and shape to prevent against mushrooming. This is also a good way to keep debris from falling into the wax.

Tunneling occurs when previously melted wax is softer and takes less heat to re-melt again compared to wax that hasn't been melted yet, so when you re-light your candle, the wax is melting at different rates, which results in a tunneling effect. This is commonly caused by keeping the candle lit for too short a period of time, not allowing for the wax to be evenly melted across the surface. To avoid tunneling, we suggest leaving your candle lit until it creates an even pool across the surface of the candle. Burn time will vary based on the size of the candle.

To fix tunneling, here are a couple of suggestions.

  • Hair Dryer Method – Use a hair dryer on low (to avoid splatter) to heat the unlit candle across the surface to remove the memory and create an even surface again.
  • Removal Method – Use a spoon to remove the wax, so the surface is even, and the memory has been removed. When you light the candle, be sure to keep the candle lit long enough for the surface to develop an even pool to prevent tunneling.

If your wick becomes buried in the wax of the candle, use a heat gun or blow-dryer (on high heat) over the candle wick to start melting the surrounding wax. Be careful not to cause the wax to splatter. If it was buried due to being too short, you can pour some wax out that was melted until about ¼ inch of wick is above the surface. Using a paper towel to soak up any excess wax is useful to avoid a mess.

All candles are made in the USA using a proprietary blend of coconut, soy, bees wax, and palm wax with lead free wicks.

Decorative candle packaging featuring a black and white skull motif with an illustrated scene of a person at a fence, labeled "crowns by nicole candle co.
A decorative candle box designed to resemble a boutique shop, featuring a black and white striped awning and illustrations of chairs and flowers on the facade.

Candle Afterlife

When 5 mm or less of wax is left or when the metal plate that supports the wick is visible, it is time to retire the candle.

We designed the vessel as well as the packaging to have an afterlife! To clean your candle, we offer the tips below:

  • Place the unlit candle in the freezer overnight.
  • Remove the candle from the freezer and let it sit for 1 hour.
  • Remove the wax that has shrunk.
  • If the metal plate holding the wick is still stuck to the bottom of the glass jar, you can pull it out with tweezers or pliers.
  • Clean the inside of the glass candle jar with a damp cloth and soap.

Now it’s ready to hold your favorite pens or pencils, flowers or make-up brushes etc!