Guide to Candle Making Terms

You’ve been walking the walk, now it’s time to talk the talk. Here’s our guide to common candlemaking terminology. 

Burn Cycle: 

The process of lighting a candle for 3-4 hours, allowing the edges to melt completely to the edges, and then letting it cool. This cycle is used to evaluate wick performance and calculate burn time. 

Burn Time: 

The total duration of time that a candle lasts from its first light to its last. Typically measured in hours. 

Curing:

The process of allowing the wax to solidify and for the fragrance to fully incorporate and bind to the wax. 

Cure Time:

The amount of time a candle is allowed to sit after being poured before it’s ready to burn. 

Cold Throw:

Don’t throw your candles! Cold Throw is used to describe the strength of fragrance before a candle has been burnt for the first time. 

Discoloration:

Gradual changes in the color of a finished candle. Discoloration can come from oxidation, exposure to light, frosting, and various fragrance oil components. 

Fragrance Load: 

Percentage of fragrance oil relative to the total wax weight. For example, our Freedom Soy Wax has a maximum fragrance load of 10% or 1.6 oz per pound of wax. 

Frosting:

A natural white formation that appears on the surface of soy and other natural waxes. Caused by uneven cooling or temperature fluctuations. It is mostly aesthetic and does not affect your candle's performance. 

Glass Adhesion: 

Also known as Delamination or Wet Spots. This appears when the wax pulls away from the glass. Very common in container candles. 

Gutter:

Excess melted wax that runs down the outside of a pillar or self supporting candle. 

Hang-Up:

Unmelted wax that clings to the inside walls of the vessel after the candle has burned. 

Hot Throw:

Used to describe the strength of fragrance while a candle is burning. 

Jump Lines:

Also known as chatter or stuttering are visible horizontal rings or ridges on the sides of a candle. They are often caused by pouring wax at too low of a temperature or pouring into a cold container which causes the wax to solidify unevenly during the pouring process. 

Melt Point:

The temperature at which wax turns from a solid into a liquid. 

Melt Pool:

The liquid layer of wax that forms when a candle is lit. 

Mushrooming:

The little black ball that sometimes forms at the top of a candle wick. This is caused by carbon buildup from incomplete combustion. This happens when the wick consumes more fuel (such as wax, fragrance, or dye) then it can effectively burn. 

Pour Temperature:

Temperature to pour your fragranced wax into your containers or molds. 

Sink Holes:

Voids or cavities that form around the wick as the wax cools, shrinks, and sets unevenly. Often caused by air pockets that are trapped in the wax while it is cooling.

Tunneling:

When the wick burns down the center of the candle leaving excess wax on the sides without creating a full melt pool. This is often caused by underwicking. 

Wick Down & Wick Up:

To go down or up a single wick size within the same series. For example: Switching from a CD 4 to a CD 6.