How Long Should Homemade Candles Sit Before Burning?

Properly curing homemade candles before burning is an essential step for safety and performance. Curing allows time for the candle wax to harden completely and for fragrance oils to stabilize within the wax blend. Burning candles before they have had adequate time to cure can be dangerous and lead to issues like tunneling, poor scent throw, and even fire hazards.

Candle wax needs time to fully harden and stabilize after pouring and setting up. As the wax cools, molecules continue to link together and form a rigid structure that holds the shape. Rushing this process by burning too soon means the wax structure has not solidified completely, which can create problems.

Additionally, fragrance oils need time to adhere to the wax molecules evenly throughout the candle. If not given proper cure time, the oils may pool at the top or separate within the wax. This prevents even fragrance dispersion when burned, reducing scent throw. Curing allows the wax and oils to mingle thoroughly for optimal performance.

Safety should be the top priority when making candles at home. Taking the time to cure candles completely before use avoids potential issues like sinking, cracking, and uneven burn. With proper cure time, homemade candles will burn beautifully and fill the space with fragrance. This guide covers best practices for curing to ensure homemade candles are safe and high quality before lighting.

What Happens During Curing

When a candle is first made, the wax is still molten and fluid. As the candle cools, the wax begins to solidify and form crystals. According to Armatage Candle Co., during the curing process, the crystals in the wax continue to grow and harden, which helps strengthen the overall structure of the candle.

Additionally, curing allows the fragrance oil to fully bind with the wax. When hot wax is first mixed with fragrance oil, the scent molecules float freely throughout the liquid. But as the candle cools and cures, the fragrance oil molecules intersperse themselves evenly amongst the wax crystals. This helps the scent become evenly distributed throughout the entire candle, rather than just concentrated near the top.

Recommended Cure Times

The general guideline is to cure homemade candles for 1-2 weeks before burning, though exact cure times can vary (https://armatagecandlecompany.com/blog/candle-curing/). A minimum cure time of 48 hours is recommended for soy candles (https://sojourncompany.com/blog/how-long-should-soy-candles-cure/). However, a longer curing time of 1-2 weeks allows the candle to fully harden and release trapped air bubbles. This produces an even burn and helps maximize scent throw. Aim for as close to a 2 week cure time as possible for best results.

Factors That Affect Cure Time

The primary factor affecting candle cure time is the type of wax used. As noted by Armatage Candle Company, soy wax candles generally need 10-14 days to cure properly. Paraffin wax candles cure faster, usually in 3-5 days. Blended parasoy candles fall in the middle at around 7-10 days. Specialty waxes like coconut wax need even longer, around 14 days according to Armatage.

Additives like fragrance oils and dye can also impact cure time according to The Sojourn Company. Fragrances especially can increase cure time to allow the scent to fully bind with the wax. More complex fragrance blends often need longer cure times.

The candle’s shape and size is another consideration. Large wide container candles will cure slower than thinner pillars or tapers. The more surface area exposed, the faster the candle will cure. Very large candles may need extra cure time for the inner wax to fully harden.

Testing Cure Completion

There are a few simple tests you can do to determine if your homemade candles have cured completely:

Visual Tests

Examine the candle visually. Properly cured candles should have a smooth, shiny surface with no spots, discoloration or frosting. The wax should be firm with no indentations if pressed gently. According to CandleScience, completely cured candles will pass the ruler test – drag the edge of a ruler across the wax and see that it leaves no marks.

Fragrance Test

Test the fragrance diffusion of cured candles as described by BrambleBerry. Allow candles to cure for 3-5 days, then burn for a few hours. Fully cured candles will have an even fragrance throw with no harsh or chemical notes.

Dryness Test

Check wax dryness by pressing a piece of paper towel to the cured wax surface for 10 seconds. Lift and check for wax residue. Properly cured candles will leave no trace of wax behind.

Storing Cured Candles

To fully preserve the cure of a candle, it is important to store them properly before burning. According to sources, a common recommendation is to store cured candles in a dry, cool, dark place such as a closet or cupboard for 1-2 weeks after curing to allow the fragrance to stabilize.

Candle experts advise keeping candles tightly covered and away from light, heat, and humidity during storage, as these factors can cause the fragrance to evaporate prematurely (source: https://snif.co/blogs/news/how-to-store-candles). A constant room temperature around 60-75°F is ideal.

Storing candles upside down can also help prevent wax pool issues later on (source: https://www.reddit.com/r/goosecreekcandles/comments/roas6h/about_storing_candles_upside_down/). However, do not store in the refrigerator or freezer as this can cause frost to develop.

Proper storage allows the full scent to develop and anchors it into the wax, ensuring an optimal burn once the candle is lit after the 1-2 week rest period.

Burning Uncured Candles

Burning homemade candles before they have fully cured can lead to several issues. One common problem is tunneling, where the candle burns unevenly and forms a hole down the center of the wax. This happens because the wax on the sides and bottom of the container is still soft and liquid, while the wax at the top has already cooled and hardened. The flame follows the path of least resistance, burning down through the softer wax and leaving the edges untouched.

Wet spots may also develop on the surface of uncured candles. As the wax continues to settle and shrink during the curing process, oil pockets can rise to the surface and create sections that appear wet, sticky or oily. Burning a candle before the wax has stabilized can worsen these wet spots. The flame’s heat will quickly liquefy any remaining oils and make them spread further across the candle’s surface.

Finally, uncured candles often demonstrate poor fragrance throw and an inconsistent burn. Fragrances have not had sufficient time to fully bind to the wax, so burning the candle prematurely results in a weak scent. The wet sections, soft wax, and uneven texture of an uncured candle also cause it to sputter, smoke, and release an irregular amount of fragrance as it burns.

To avoid these problems, it’s recommended to let homemade candles cure for at least 1-2 weeks before lighting to allow the wax and fragrance to set and stabilize. This helps ensure an even burn and strong, consistent fragrance.

Safety Considerations

One of the biggest reasons to allow candles to cure properly before burning is safety. Burning a candle before it has fully cured can be dangerous.

When a candle is burned too soon, within the first 48 hours of creation, the wax melts at a lower temperature since it is not fully set up yet. This makes the wax pool dangerously hot and more prone to flaring up or igniting the container. It also causes issues like sinking wax pools and tunneling.

Allowing the full 2-4 week curing time ensures the wax has completely solidified and will melt at its intended higher temperature for safer burning. Rushing to burn an uncured candle puts you at risk of accidents like flare-ups, container fires, and more.

For your own safety and best results, be patient and refrain from lighting candles until they’ve cured for the recommended timeframe. Rushing the process can have dangerous consequences.

Curing Other Homemade Products

Like candles, many other homemade bath, body, and aromatherapy products require a curing period before use. This allows ingredients to fully incorporate, chemical reactions to complete, and excess moisture to evaporate.

For cold process and hot process soaps, a cure time of 4-6 weeks is recommended as per Brambleberry and Soap Queen. This produces harder, longer-lasting bars by allowing saponification to fully occur. Handmade lotions and creams also need 1-2 weeks to allow emulsifiers, preservatives, and fragrances to fully blend.

Potpourri mixtures and aromatherapy products like bath salts and bath bombs require at least 48 hours sealed in an airtight container as per Homestead. This allows moisture to evenly distribute through the products for proper scent throw and texture.

Always follow recipe instructions for exact cure times. Proper curing is key to achieving effective products with maximal benefits.

Conclusion

In summary, allowing adequate curing time for homemade candles is a critical step in candle making. Though it may be tempting to burn a candle soon after pouring it, resisting that urge and allowing the proper chemical processes to occur results in a higher quality, safer candle.

Candle wax needs time to crystallize and adhere properly to wicks. Fragrance oils and dyes require time to bind with wax. Rushing this curing period can lead to issues like poor scent throw, discoloration, and tunneling. For safety, it’s essential that wax fully adheres to wick material before lighting to prevent dangerous flare-ups.

While typical cure times are 1-2 weeks, many factors can shorten or lengthen the ideal window. Monitoring wax appearance, fragrance strength, and ambiance testing can confirm when a candle is ready for use. With the right curing period, homemade candles will burn beautifully.