23/08/2024 BURNING QUESTION NR 4: WHY IS CANDLE TESTING IMPORTANT?
Candlemaking looks very easy. Like just melt and pour and voila! Because in a way it is! But! It is actually a critical process to ensure that candle is burning safely without posing a fire hazard.
The right temperature. You do need a right temperature for adding a essential/fragrance oil or the color! For pouring it is very crucial to follow the guidelines of manufacturer and also what is the temperature of the space you are pouring? Room temperature between 20-25 degree is a must! All that matters and affects how the candle will come out.
The right wick size. This means all wicks and waxes and fragrance oils combination together shows if the wick is right for it or not. You might have overwicker if the flame is too big or if the candle starts tunneling, it is underwicked. Some wicks from wood can overburn the soft waxes like soy and coconut too quickly or even making it looking dirty. So yes, it does take lots ot testing to see what wick is right for each candle recipe (+ the jar).
Burn test. It is important also to do the burn tests to see how many g of waxes will be burnt per hour and how long each candle recipe in a jar or without a jar burns in total. This also means while candle is burning you need to note down things that doesn't feel right or what works well, how the flame is performing, how hot the jar is etc. And not to forget the aftersmoke - after extinguishing, does it smoke for less than 30 seconds?
Scent throw. This only matters if you make scented candles. Here you must think either you want lightly scented or just scented. Now in which vessel? Small jars like 90g are good for small spaces, cause the scent throw would be up to around 1-1.5m. 250-500g jars are good enough for regular size of room. The bigger the room, the bigger should be the candle as well! Choose your candle according to your room/are size.
Safety. Unscented or scented, this is very important! It is a must to check that the wick burns at consistent rate and doesn't create an execessive flame or too much soot, which could lead to fires. And to make sure you don't have anything close that might catch a fire. It is also your resonsibility as candleowner to make sure you follow the safety rules. More information about it can be read here.
Compliance. In many countries, candles must meet specific standars regarding their materials, performance and labelling. Testing is essential to ensure that candles comply with these regulations and will be minimalizing the risk to get recalled.
Candle testing is quite long process to get the right one. And not to forget the legal side to get it all labelled correctly. Good quality candles are key to a successful candle business.