There’s something special about lighting a candle at the end of the day — the fragrance, the warm glow and, with a wooden wick, that subtle crackle in the background.
But how you burn your candle can make a surprisingly big difference to how well it performs and how long it lasts.
At Mya Collection, we hand-pour our candles in Melbourne using a soy-coconut wax blend and wooden wicks. And while we put a lot of care into making them, a little candle care at home will help you get the best possible burn from yours.
Here are our simple tips.
1. How long should you burn a candle for the first time?🕯️
When you light your candle for the first time, give it enough time for the melted wax to reach close to the edges of the jar.
Why?
Wax has a bit of a “memory”. If you extinguish your candle too soon and only a small circle of wax melts around the wick, it can continue burning down that same narrow path.
That's what creates candle tunnelling — and it can leave a lot of perfectly good wax around the sides of the jar.
For the first burn, allow enough time for a good, even melt pool to develop.
2. How to trim a wooden wick
This is probably the candle-care step people forget most often.
Before relighting your candle, remove the blackened, burnt section of the wooden wick and keep the wick approximately 5 mm high.
You can do this with a wick trimmer, or carefully remove the brittle burnt wood once the candle has completely cooled.
Keeping your wick trimmed helps maintain a more controlled flame and gives your candle a cleaner, more even burn.
One little warning: don't trim it too short. A wooden wick still needs enough height above the wax to relight properly.
3. How long should you burn a candle?
We understand the temptation. 😂
But longer isn't necessarily better.
We recommend burning your candle for approximately 3–4 hours at a time.
Extremely long burns can cause the jar to become too hot and can affect the way your candle burns.
Light it, enjoy it for a few hours, extinguish it and let the wax cool completely before lighting it again.
4. How to prevent candle tunnelling
Where you put your candle matters too.
Try to keep it away from open windows, fans, air-conditioning vents and other strong drafts.
A constantly moving flame can lead to an uneven burn and may cause one side of the candle to melt faster than the other.
A stable flame = a happier candle.
5. Keep the wax clean
Before lighting your candle, have a quick look at the wax.
If pieces of burnt wick or other debris have fallen into it, remove them once the wax has cooled.
Keeping your wax pool clean helps your candle burn as it was intended.
6. When should you stop burning a candle?
We know. This is the sad part. 🥲
When approximately 1 cm of wax remains at the bottom of the jar, it's time to stop burning your candle.
Continuing to burn a candle when there is very little wax remaining can cause excessive heat to build up at the base of the jar.
It's always better to say goodbye a little early than push for one final burn.
A little care goes a long way
Good candle care doesn't need to be complicated.
Let the first burn develop properly, keep your wooden wick trimmed, avoid excessively long burns and keep your candle away from drafts.
Those few little habits can help you enjoy a cleaner, more even burn — and get the most out of every Mya Collection candle.
And considering each one is hand-poured by us, we'd definitely like you to enjoy every last possible hour of it. 🤍
Ready for your next fragrance? Explore the Mya Collection candle range and find your favourite.