Brooke Martin
Candles are a great way to set the mood and create a cosy atmosphere, but it can be frustrating when they start to shrink and develop sinkholes or wet spots. This occurs during the making of the candle and when it is burned, as wax expands when heated and shrinks when cooled. To avoid these issues, there are several steps you can take: ensure the wax is heated enough to expand before adding fragrance and dye, pour the wax at a lower temperature, pre-heat the container, and cool the candle slowly at room temperature. Harder waxes like beeswax and paraffin are more prone to shrinkage, so using a blend or softer wax may be preferable. With these tips, you can create long-lasting candles that maintain their shape and avoid the disappointment of sinkholes and wet spots.
How to avoid candle shrinkage
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of wax | Avoid harder waxes like beeswax, pillar and votive waxes. |
| Temperature | Pour the wax at a lower temperature. |
| Container | Pre-heat the container before pouring the wax. |
| Cooling process | Ensure the cooling process takes place slowly. |
| Priming | Prime the wick with wax so that there is fuel to get the candle going. |
| Additives | Ensure the wax is hot enough to fully expand before adding fragrance and dye. |
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What You'll Learn
Avoid pure beeswax, opt for pillars or blends with soy, coconut or paraffin
If you want to avoid candle shrinkage, it's best to avoid using pure beeswax. While beeswax has its advantages, such as a subtly sweet natural scent and a tough, flexible nature, it is prone to significant shrinkage—up to 10%—when transitioning from a liquid to a solid state. This can result in unsightly gaps between the wax and container walls, as well as cracking around the wick.
To minimize shrinkage, opt for pillar candles made from beeswax. The structure of beeswax, with its long polymer chains, makes it ideal for moulded candles that can stand on their own, like pillars. Pillar candles are considered more prestigious and are a true test of a candlemaker's skill.
If you're not set on using pure beeswax, blends are another effective way to reduce shrinkage. Mixing beeswax with other waxes like soy, coconut, or paraffin will help adjust its shrinkage tendencies. However, blending will result in a loss of the "pure beeswax" label and a reduction in the natural scent of beeswax. Soy wax, in particular, is a popular alternative recommended by experienced candlemakers. It is important to note that palm wax is sometimes used in blends, but it is best avoided due to its massive environmental impact.
Additionally, the cooling process plays a crucial role in managing shrinkage. To prevent cracking and minimize gaps, it is recommended to pour the wax as cool as possible and then cool it down slowly. This allows the wax to shrink gradually, reducing the likelihood of cracks and other issues.
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Cool the wax as much as possible before pouring, and cool slowly
When making candles, there are two instances during the candle's life cycle where the candle wax will shrink or contract. The first instance is during the making of the candles, and the second is when the candle is being burned. When wax is heated and melted, it expands and opens up, creating space for fragrance/essential oils and candle dye to be added to the wax. The hotter the wax becomes, the more space is created, and the more fragrance oil can be blended with the wax.
To avoid candle shrinkage, it is important to cool the wax as much as possible before pouring and to cool it slowly. This is because all waxes have some level of shrinkage due to the structure of the polymer chain that binds the wax. Think of wax as one endlessly long rope that unravels itself as it is heated up. The unravelled rope occupies more volume than the twined rope, which is why wax expands when heated and shrinks when cooled.
To prevent shrinkage, it is recommended to pour the wax as cool as possible and then cool it as slowly as possible. This can be done by placing the moulds in an insulated cooler or box to slow the cooling process. It is important to note that pouring too cool may cause unwanted air bubbles, blemishes, and other defects on the candle's finish. Therefore, it is imperative to pour at the correct temperature, which can depend on the type of wax and the climate.
Additionally, it is important to heat the wax enough to fully expand it before adding fragrance and dye to ensure that they are distributed evenly throughout the wax. If the wax is not heated enough, the fragrance and dye may become encased within the wax, causing the candle to look like it is sweating or have pockets of oil hidden within it. These hidden pockets of oil can be dangerous if they are close enough to the flame to ignite.
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Pre-heat vessels to slow the cooling process
One of the most important factors in avoiding candle shrinkage is the cooling process. When making candles, it is best to pour the wax at a lower temperature to minimise shrinkage. However, the cooling process should be slow to avoid cracks in the candle.
To slow down the cooling process, pre-heat your candle vessels before pouring the wax. This will ensure that the wax does not cool down too quickly, reducing the likelihood of cracks forming on the surface of the candle. It is recommended to keep the room temperature steady at around 18°C to 20°C while cooling the candles.
Pre-heating your vessels can be done using a heat gun, which can also be used to gently heat the surface of the wax if there are any sinkholes or cracks that need to be fixed. If using glass containers, it is important to wash and thoroughly dry them before pre-heating and pouring the wax.
While pre-heating vessels can help slow the cooling process, it is still important to pour the wax at a lower temperature. This will ensure that the wax has expanded enough to release any air bubbles and create space for fragrance and dye molecules to be evenly distributed. By allowing the wax to cool slowly, you can also prevent wet spots, which are areas where the wax has not adhered properly to the glass.
Overall, pre-heating your vessels is an effective way to slow down the cooling process and prevent issues such as cracks, sinkholes, and wet spots in your candles.
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Avoid quick-cooling methods, e.g. fridge, cold room, fan
When making candles, it's important to be mindful of the cooling process, as quick-cooling methods can lead to undesirable outcomes such as sinkholes, cracks, and uneven wax distribution.
To avoid these issues, it's best to steer clear of quick-cooling methods such as placing your candles in a refrigerator, setting them in a cold room, or using a fan to speed up the setting process. These methods can cause the wax to cool and shrink too quickly, leading to the formation of sinkholes and cracks. Instead, aim for a gradual cooling process at a steady room temperature of around 18°C to 20°C.
The wax naturally expands when heated and then shrinks as it cools, and this temperature difference is what causes sinkholes to form. The rapid cooling induced by quick-cooling methods increases the likelihood of sinkholes and cracks. By avoiding these methods, you reduce the chances of these issues occurring.
Additionally, pre-heating your candle vessels before pouring the wax can help slow down the cooling process and reduce the formation of sinkholes. This technique ensures that the wax doesn't cool too quickly, allowing it to shrink gradually and evenly. Remember, the goal is to avoid drastic temperature changes that can cause stress and deformation in your candles.
In summary, avoid quick-cooling methods like refrigerators, cold rooms, and fans. Instead, opt for a slow and controlled cooling process at room temperature, and consider pre-heating your candle vessels to further reduce the likelihood of shrinkage-related issues. This approach will help ensure that your candles have a smooth and even finish.
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Heat wax enough to expand before adding fragrance and dye
When making candles, it is important to heat the wax enough to expand it before adding fragrance and dye. This is because the wax expands when heated, and shrinks when cooled. If the wax is not heated enough, it can cause major problems with your finished candle.
The process of heating wax causes it to expand and open up, creating space for fragrance and essential oils as well as candle dye to be added. The hotter the wax, the more space is created, and the more fragrance oil can be blended. Therefore, it is important to ensure the wax is hot enough to fully expand before adding any additional ingredients.
If the wax is not heated enough, the fragrance and dye may not be able to distribute evenly throughout the wax. This can cause them to pool together in certain areas, which can lead to the oil being expelled from the wax as it condenses. This can make the candle look like it is sweating, or it may have pockets of oil hidden within it. These pockets of oil can be dangerous if they are close enough to the flame to ignite.
To avoid these issues, it is recommended to add fragrance oil to the wax at a temperature of around 180-185°F for soy and paraffin wax, and 200-205°F for palm wax. This is the optimal temperature range for the fragrance and wax to bind together, providing the best fragrance throw in the finished candle. Adding fragrance at lower temperatures can cause the fragrance to not bind properly, negatively impacting the scent throw and potentially causing the fragrance to leach out of the wax.
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Frequently asked questions
All waxes have some level of shrinkage due to the structure of the polymer chain that binds wax. Beeswax is especially prone to shrinkage, so it is better suited for moulded candles. If you are set on using beeswax for container candles, you can mix in pure soy, coconut or paraffin wax to adjust the shrinkage. Alternatively, you can cool the wax in an ice chest and blow hot air with a heat gun to slow down the cooling process.
Sinkholes are caused by the candle wax cooling down too quickly once poured. This may be because your candle vessel was cold, the room was too cold, or the candle glass was placed in a fridge or freezer to speed up the setting process. To avoid cracking on the top of your candles, cool the candles at a steady room temperature of around 18°C-20°C.
Wet spots occur when the wax doesn't adhere to the glass properly. To reduce the likelihood of wet spots, pre-heat your glassware before pouring and lower the pour temperature to allow less shrinkage of the wax as it cools.
