The first burn
How to burn a soy candle the first time
The first evening is the one the wax will remember. Leave the melt at the edges before you put it out.
People search how to burn a soy candle because the first night feels like nothing is happening. Soy is slower than paraffin. In our vessels, plan on two to three hours. Read. Cook. Stay nearby. When the liquid wax reaches the ceramic all the way around, you can put it out.
Why the first burn matters
Soy sets a memory. A small first pool becomes a canyon. Later burns follow it, and you are left with a ring of unused wax and a short life. That is tunneling. It is common. It is also avoidable.
We wick and weigh every oil we put in the shop. A good wick still cannot rescue a ten-minute lighting. If you only have a short evening, wait. Light it when you can sit with it.
After the first night
- Let the wax go completely firm before you move or trim it.
- Trim to a quarter inch. Light it again for one to three hours.
- If a tunnel has already started, you can sometimes recover it with one long, careful burn. Stay in the room. Do not leave it for half a day.
Drafts make a flame lean and a pool uneven. Keep the jar off window sills and away from a fan.
- 01
Set the vessel on a stable, heat-safe surface away from drafts.
- 02
Confirm the wick is centered and trimmed to about a quarter inch.
- 03
Light it and stay in the room.
- 04
Wait until the melted soy reaches the edges of the jar, usually two to three hours.
- 05
Put the flame out and let the wax set fully before moving the vessel.
How to do the first burn on a soy candle
Questions
- How long should the first burn last?
- Until the melt pool reaches the edges of the vessel. In most Hartisans jars that is two to three hours.
- What if I already tunneled the candle?
- One longer supervised burn can sometimes even the pool. If the wick is drowning, write us — we would rather hear it than have you force it.