CANDLE CARE & MAINTENANCE 101
You put thought into choosing a candle. A little care means it burns longer, smells better, and fills your space more fully. Here's how to get the most out of every Luz del Mar candle — whether it's one of our hand-poured soy candles or a Seascape Gel Candle from the coast.
Trim the Wick Before Every Burn
Keep your wick at about ¼ inch before lighting. A longer wick creates a larger, uneven flame that burns through wax too fast and can produce soot. If you're burning one of our wood-wick candles, pinch off any charred material from the previous burn — wood wicks need a clean tip to light evenly and give you that soft, quiet crackling sound.
Let the First Burn Go the Distance
The first burn sets the memory of your candle. Let it burn long enough for the wax to melt all the way to the edges — usually 2 to 3 hours for our 6 oz and 8 oz soy candles. Skip this and the wax will tunnel straight down the center, leaving a ring of unused wax around the edges that you'll never recover.
Keep It Out of Drafts
A flickering flame means uneven burning and more soot. Find a calm spot away from fans, open windows, and AC vents. Our candles are made for slow, quiet burns — give them the right conditions and they'll reward you with consistent fragrance and a clean melt pool all the way through.
Snuff, Don't Blow
Use a candle snuffer or set the lid gently over the flame instead of blowing it out. Blowing creates smoke, pushes fragrance oil out of the wax, and can splash melted wax. The lid method is simplest — set it on for 30 seconds, then lift.
Stop at ½ Inch
When there's about ½ inch of wax left, retire the candle. Burning past this point overheats the glass and can damage the surface underneath. The vessel can be cleaned out with warm water and reused — they make great small planters or desktop organizers.
A Note on Seascape Gel Candles
Our Seascape candles work a little differently. Gel wax burns at a higher temperature than soy, so keep them away from flammable surfaces and out of direct sunlight. The sand and shells inside are real — collected from Puerto Rico's beaches — and are part of the display, not meant to be removed. Burn time runs about 40–50 hours with the same basic care rules above.
Storage
Store your candles in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. UV light fades fragrance over time and can discolor soy wax. Keep the lid on between burns to protect the scent.
Small-batch candles made by hand deserve a little attention. These tips take seconds and make a real difference — from the first burn all the way to the last. Browse our soy candle collections to find your next favorite.
