Candle Care 101: How to Make Your Favourite Scent Last Longer

Nothing's worse than finally finding your new favourite candle and realizing you burned through it in two weeks. A few small habits can meaningfully extend how long a candle lasts — and how well it performs the whole way through. Here's what actually makes a difference.

Trim the Wick Before Every Burn

This is the single biggest thing most people skip. A wick longer than about a quarter-inch causes bigger flames, faster wax consumption, and more soot. Trim it before every single burn, not just occasionally, and your candle will burn cleaner and last noticeably longer.

Let the First Burn Go the Distance

The first time you light a new candle, let it burn until the entire top layer of wax has melted evenly across the surface — this can take a couple of hours depending on the size. Blowing it out too early creates "tunneling," where the candle burns a narrow hole down the middle and wastes wax on the outer edges for the rest of its life.

Don't Burn It for Marathon Sessions

As tempting as it is to let a candle run all day, most candles do best burned in sessions of 3–4 hours at a time. Longer burns can overheat the container and shorten the candle's overall lifespan.

Keep It Away from Drafts

A flame that's flickering constantly from a nearby window, vent, or fan is burning unevenly and less efficiently. A steady, calm flame burns slower and cleaner than one that's constantly reacting to airflow.

Store Unused Candles Properly

If you're stocking up (looking at you, Black Friday shoppers), keep unused candles somewhere cool, dark, and out of direct sunlight. Heat and light can cause fragrance to fade and wax to discolor over time, even before you've lit them once.

Know When It's Done

Once you're down to about half an inch of wax at the bottom, it's time to stop — burning too close to the bottom can overheat the container. Consider that the natural end point, not something to push past.

Final Thought

None of this takes extra time or effort — it's mostly about a few small habits done consistently. Do these, and the candle you love will last quite a bit longer than the one you didn't take care of.

Shop our full collection and put these tips to use with your next favourite scent. 🕯️