How to care for your scented candle

A beautiful scented candle is chosen with care, and it deserves to be looked after. Well cared for, a Diptyque, Trudon, Frédéric Malle or Carrière Frères candle burns longer, diffuses its scent better and stays beautiful until its very last hour. Here are the tips we share every day in our shops.

The first burn: the most important

The first time, let your candle burn until the whole surface of the wax has melted, from edge to edge. Allow about 2 hours for a small candle, and 3 to 4 hours for a classic size. Wax has a kind of memory: if you put it out too soon, it will dig a well around the wick every time you light it. This is the well-known “tunnelling” effect, which wastes a good part of the wax and the scent.

Trim the wick before each use

Before relighting your candle, trim the wick to about 5 mm with scissors or a wick trimmer, while the candle is cold. Remove any bits of wick that have fallen into the wax. A short wick gives a calm, steady flame, with no black smoke or dark marks on the glass.

Don’t burn it for too long

After the first burn, don’t let your candle burn for more than 2 to 3 hours at a time, and 2 hours for small sizes. Beyond that, the wick lengthens and forms a little mushroom, the flame grows, the glass heats up and the scent evaporates faster.

Put it out properly

Avoid blowing it out: you risk spattering wax and making the wick smoke. Use a snuffer instead, or gently dip the wick into the melted wax with a small tool before straightening it again. Once the candle has cooled, put its lid back on: it protects it from dust and preserves its scent.

Choose the right spot

Place your candle on a stable, heat-resistant surface, away from draughts, open windows and radiators, which make the flame flicker and blacken the glass. Don’t move it while it is lit, keep it out of reach of children and pets, and never leave it burning unattended.

And when it’s finished?

Stop using it when about 1 cm of wax is left at the bottom: the base of the glass would get too hot. The jars of the great houses are real objects, and it would be a shame to throw them away. Put the jar in the freezer for a few hours: the wax shrinks and comes away easily. Then wash it in hot soapy water. It makes a lovely pot for brushes, pencils or cotton pads, or a cover pot for a small plant.

Discover our candles

Explore all our scented candles, including Trudon, Frédéric Malle and Carrière Frères candles, available exclusively in Nantes at Passage 31. For the holidays, also discover Diptyque’s Sapin candle and our Christmas gift ideas.

A question about your candle? Come and see us in the Passage Pommeraye or at 9 rue du Couëdic, in Nantes: we will be delighted to advise you.