Simple habits that make every burn smoother, cleaner, and more luxurious.
A great candle isn’t meant to be rushed. When cared for properly, it becomes a lasting ritual: one that fills your home with beautiful fragrance, clean light, and calm atmosphere. But even the highest-quality candles need the right conditions to perform at their best.
Whether you're a candle enthusiast or just want to make the most of your Rayven & Co. favorites, here’s how to extend your candle’s lifespan and get the perfect burn every time.
1. Always Trim the Wick Before You Light
This is the single most important candle-care rule.
A properly trimmed wick helps your candle burn:
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Cleaner
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Slower
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More evenly
What to do:
Trim the wick to about ¼ inch before each burn.
Why? Longer wicks create bigger flames, which lead to faster wax consumption, soot, and uneven burning.
A wick trimmer is ideal, but small scissors work too in a pinch.
2. Let Your Candle Burn Long Enough to Create a Full Melt Pool
If you extinguish your candle too soon (especially during the first burn), the wax will only melt in the center, causing tunneling that wastes wax and shortens your candle’s life.
The rule:
Allow your candle to burn until the melted wax reaches the edges of the vessel.
We recommend 1–2 hours of burn time for our candles.
A full melt pool ensures even burning for the life of the candle.
3. Don’t Over-Burn Your Candle
Candle wax and wicks are designed to burn within specific time limits.
Burning a candle for too long can:
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Overheat the vessel
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Cause thick smoke
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Lead to wick shifting or mushrooming
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Burn through wax faster
Best practice:
Limit each burn to 3–4 hours. Then let the candle cool and reset before relighting.
4. Keep Your Candle Away From Drafts
Airflow, whether from a vent, open window, or fan, causes the flame to flicker unevenly.
That means:
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Uneven melting
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Smoke
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Reduced lifespan
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Faster wax burn on one side of the vessel
Place candles in areas with calm, steady air to protect the integrity of the flame.
5. Store Your Candles Properly
Wax and fragrance can be affected by light, heat, and dust. To keep your candle performing at its best:
Store it in a cool, dry place, away from:
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Direct sunlight
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Radiators or heating vents
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Open shelves where dust settles into wax
If possible, keep the lid on when not in use—this preserves the fragrance and maintains a clean surface.
6. Fix Tunneling Before It Gets Worse
If tunneling starts to happen, don’t panic, it's not irreversible.
How to fix it:
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Use a candle warmer to melt the top layer evenly.
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Cover the candle loosely with foil, leaving an opening for the flame, to help heat the edges (monitor closely).
Better yet, prevent tunneling with a strong first burn.
7. Know When to Stop Burning
When your candle reaches the last ½ inch of wax, it’s time to let it go.
Burning beyond this point can:
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Crack the container
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Overheat the surface
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Damage the wick base
The good news? Your vessel can be cleaned and reused for brushes, cotton rounds, matches, or decor.
Make Your Candles Last And Make Every Moment Count
With a few simple habits, your candles will burn more beautifully, more safely, and much longer. At Rayven & Co., we design each candle to be part of your daily ritual, one you can savor from the first light to the very last flicker.
