Wax, wick & vessel
Wax, wick and vessel — and how each one behaves.
Every product in the catalog is made from these. The useful part of knowing which is not the romance of it — it is knowing why soy wax frosts, why the wick needs trimming, and what the glass will and will not take. All of that is below, per material.
Soy & coconut wax
A blend of soy wax and coconut wax, poured by hand. It burns cooler and slower than paraffin and holds fragrance well. Soy wax frosts — a white crystalline bloom on the surface and sides — which is natural to the wax and does not affect the burn.
10 products made mainly of this — Borealis Candle 8 oz, Solstice Candle 8 oz, Fjord Candle 8 oz, Tundra Candle 8 oz, Fireside Candle 8 oz, Night Meadow Candle 8 oz, Solstice Travel Tin 4 oz, Fjord Travel Tin 4 oz, Discovery Trio, Winter Gift Set.
- Used for
- The wax in every scented candle and tin
- Heat
- Melts low; burns cool and slow
- Over time
- Frosts white; may pull from the glass in patches
- What ruins it
- A first burn that stops before the wax reaches the edge — it tunnels and never recovers. Direct sun fades the scent
Pure beeswax
Unblended beeswax, filtered and left its natural honey colour. Denser than plant wax, so it burns longer and drips less. It can develop a pale surface bloom over time, which buffs off with a soft cloth.
2 products made mainly of this — Beeswax Taper Pair, Beeswax Pillar 3×4 in.
- Used for
- Tapers and pillars, unscented
- Heat
- Dense; burns long with little drip in still air
- Over time
- Develops a pale bloom; buffs off
- What ruins it
- Drafts (dripping), a leaning taper, and a hot car or sunny window
Cotton wick
Braided cotton wicks with no lead or metal core, sized to each vessel so the melt pool reaches the edge. Trimmed to 1/4 inch before every burn, they burn with a steady flame and little soot.
Every candle, tin, taper and pillar in the catalog uses a braided cotton wick.
- Used for
- Every candle — no lead, no metal core
- Heat
- Sized to each vessel's width
- Over time
- Curls and mushrooms slightly as it burns
- What ruins it
- Not trimming it. A long wick smokes, soots and overheats the vessel
Frosted glass
Straight-sided glass tumblers, acid-frosted and tinted to each scent. Thick enough to take the heat of a full melt pool. Reusable once the candle is finished and the last wax is removed.
2 products made mainly of this — Borealis Reed Diffuser 100 ml, Solstice Room Mist 100 ml.
- Used for
- The 8 oz tumblers and the diffuser bottle
- Heat
- Takes a full melt pool; gets hot to the touch
- Over time
- Tint and frosting vary slightly by batch
- What ruins it
- Burning past the last 1/2 inch of wax, and cold water on hot glass
Matte ceramic
The wide bowl of the three-wick candle: gloss-finished inside, matte ink-navy outside. Heavier than glass and slower to warm, which suits a larger candle burning three wicks at once.
1 product made mainly of this — Borealis Three-Wick 22 oz.
- Used for
- The three-wick bowl
- Heat
- Heavier and slower to warm than glass
- Over time
- Matte surface can pick up marks; wipe with a damp cloth
- What ruins it
- A knock to the rim, and burning past the last 1/2 inch of wax
Brushed brass
Solid brass with a brushed finish on the lids and tools. Brass darkens and warms in tone with handling; a little polish brings it back, or leave it to age.
3 products made mainly of this — Wick Trimmer, Candle Snuffer, Match Cloche with Striker.
- Used for
- Lids, trimmer, snuffer and the cloche base
- Heat
- The snuffer bell gets hot in use
- Over time
- Darkens and warms in tone with handling
- What ruins it
- Abrasive cleaners, which cut through the finish
The one that catches people out
The first burn. Soy wax remembers it: put a new candle out after twenty minutes and the wax melts only that far every time after, tunnelling down the middle and leaving a wall of unburned wax on the glass. Give the first burn the 2 to 3 hours it needs for the pool to reach the edge. If you remember one thing from this page, that is the one.
Full burn and safety instructions are on the burn care page and in the record on every product page. Questions: hello@auroracandleworks.com.