Just a few years ago buying a hand poured candle was guaranteed a remarkable quality. But it seems anymore candle makers are a dime a dozen. I am a candle maker myself so I know the importance of testing, testing, and more testing. And that is only after the hours upon hours of research. Now with ads popping up everywhere telling people how easy it is to start your own candle business quality has gone right out the window.
Now I am not saying that all hand poured candles are bad. Many people take pride and put long exhaustive hours into their work. But truth be told, that is not the norm anymore. With all the candle business hype people are buying it up, making, and selling candles in less than a month. There is no research or testing. Buy it, melt it, mix it, pour it, sell it. And they are done.
I recently went to a craft market. I shopped around and was amazed at what I saw before I even bought anything. Wicks being off center and no warning labels. Needless to say I bypassed these and moved on to another booth. The next booth had beautiful jars, warning labels, and centered wicks. I thought I had hit the jackpot. The lady behind the table said she pours all her own candles and uses nothing but essential oils. I put the candle back. Either this lady was a good liar or had no idea what she was talking about because last time I checked chocolate chip cookies didn’t have an essential oil.
I purchased a few candles from different vendors and came home. The first one I decided to burn was strawberries and cream. Smelled wonderful as I took off the lid. The candle burned maybe an hour and the soot on the sides of the jar was already forming. A sure sign the wick was too big. I trimmed it and let it burn another hour. At this point the soot was horrible and the jar was so hot I could not touch it. So for the sake of saving my house from catching on fire I put it out.
The next day I decided to burn another one. This was a soy candle. After being lit for 3 hours it was tunneling down the middle. A sure sign the wick was too small. I let it burn another hour or so and put it out. By the next day and the third candle I was getting frustrated about my wasted money. I lit the last one and was pleasantly surprised. I could smell the Citrus scent through out my living room. It burned perfectly. No soot and the jar was just warm to the touch.
Before you by a hand poured candle check for a warning label, it is a law that they have one. Make sure the wick is centered. If it is not it could be to close to the glass and crack it. Next talk to the candle maker, if they are around. Make sure it sounds like they know what they are talking about. Even if you’re not a candle maker yourself use your common sense. If something sounds phony it probably is. You will find that right person to but from, who puts pride into their candles. And that is where you will find the quality.
