Candle hugging for beeswax candles has been a long tradition, and you’d best make it a habit. Let me explain why.
What is “candle hugging”?
Apart from being a cute concept, candle hugging is a candle care technique suitable for (beeswax) pillar candles. Its aim is to encourage the flame to consume all the wax available, without leaving a tall mantle around the wick. By using this technique, you will make sure that you make the most of your beeswax candle. It will burn more evenly, and you will prevent the wax from leaking out.
How to hug your candle
How to hug your candle? Gently push the tall wax walls towards the middle (towards the wick). You can do it:
Right after you’ve put out your candle – this has the disadvantage of wax being too hot (don’t burn yourself!) and wax melt pool being too runny (candle can leak if not done skilfully).
Wait a few minutes after the candle is turned off - you must be attentive to do it before the wax becomes cold and too hard.
Try to do it when the candle is cold completely - this can be difficult and depends mostly on the thickness of the wall and the type of wax.
Do it a couple of minutes after your next light the candle - you must remember to do it at the right time but otherwise, it is my favourite method – the advantage is that the wax is not too hot yet, and a full melt pool has not been created yet, so there is no risk of the wax leaking out.
Just try and experiment, find a method that suits you best! By doing this every time, you’ll make sure all of your candle wax gets consumed. To learn more about how to prolong the life of your pillar candles, read this blog post next: How to Prolong the Life of your Pillar Candles.
Precautions
Even though you don’t have to be afraid to touch the wax mantle once you’ve blown out your candle, do exercise some caution. Touch and push the wax gently, using the minimum force necessary. Don’t make any abrupt movements, just try and experiment with each candle type. Practice makes perfect!
I recommend making candle hugging a habit, so that it doesn’t cost you any mental energy, and your candles burn optimally every single time.
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Enjoy your candles and, until next time!
Emma