Understanding the Burn: Pure Beeswax & Container Candles

Beeswax is a beautiful, natural wax with a character all its own, but with that beauty comes a bit of a learning curve. Unlike softer waxes, beeswax has a high melting point and is typically considered a pillar wax. When it’s used in containers, as we do, it requires a little patience and understanding to enjoy the best burn.

That said, this doesn’t mean you have to follow a long list of rules in order to enjoy your candle. These tips are simply here to help you get the very most out of your beeswax experience. Even if things aren’t perfect every time, beeswax is wonderfully forgiving and will still give you a clean, cozy, and long-lasting burn, it will just look a little different from store-bought brands most of us are familiar with.

Temperature Matters

One unique trait of beeswax is how it reacts to the environment around it. The temperature of your home can affect how the wax burns, especially in the beginning. Beeswax tends to cling to the cooler outer edges of the jar. That’s why your first few burns may look uneven or show signs of tunneling.

About Tunneling

If you notice tunneling early on, whether because the candle wasn’t burned long enough or because your space is on the cooler side, don’t panic. As the wax melts deeper, the heat becomes more contained within the jar, allowing the wax to melt more evenly and conduct warmth throughout the candle. Over time, the tunnel will “catch up,” and the remaining wax will melt down evenly. In other words: no wax should go to waste.

That said, the first burn is crucial. To help prevent tunneling altogether, try to allow the candle to burn long enough for the melt pool to reach the edges. Depending on the size of your candle and the temperature of your home, this could mean up to 6 hours. Always burn in a well-ventilated area and never leave an open flame unattended.

Wick Care

Once the candle has reached a full melt pool and any tunneling has caught up, the most important step is keeping your wick trimmed. We recommend trimming to ⅛ inch for the cleanest burn. Before a complete melt pool has formed, however, you don’t need to trim as aggressively. In fact, if there’s tunneling, leaving the wick a little longer can help the candle correct itself. Still, trimming a small amount is always wise.

Why 100% Beeswax Matters

At Soli Deo Gloria Candle Company, we keep things pure and simple. Many candle makers blend beeswax with oils or softer waxes, like coconut, to make it easier to work with. While that can reduce the learning curve, it also changes the integrity of the candle. We’ve chosen not to add any fillers or additives.

Our candles are crafted with only two ingredients: 100% beeswax and pure essential oils/botanical extracts. This is incredibly rare in today’s market, but it’s intentional. Our rule of thumb has always been:
Every additional ingredient in a candle, like dyes or unnecessary oils, will end up in the air you breathe.

By keeping our candles simple, with the air purifying effects of beeswax, we ensure that what fills your home is as close to nature as possible.

Candle Care & Scent Throw

To help you enjoy your candle from the very first burn, we include a short candle care card with each order. This is meant to be a quick overall guide, so hopefully this article will help give greater depth into how-to care for your candles. We also note in our thank you cards that allowing your candle to burn longer will not only help prevent tunneling but will also fill your space with more natural scent. The deeper the melt pool, the more scent is released into the air, creating that warm, welcoming atmosphere beeswax is known for.