15 candle terms everyone should know

The candle world is a big place with its own language, and we use a lot of terms you might not be familiar with yet. Wondering what the heck “mushrooming” is? Puzzled over trying to figure out your candle’s “throw”? Don’t worry— we’re here to help decode the lingo. Here’s your guide to all the terms you need to know! 

1. Burn cycle. This describes the process of burning a candle for four hours before blowing it out. Many candle makers use a burn cycle to determine burn time, scent throw, and      how well the wick burns. Candle enthusiasts can use a burn cycle to test out their new candles. 
2. Burn rate. Your candle’s burn rate is essentially the rate at which the wick pulls up and burns the candle wax. It helps you determine how quickly your candle will burn out.      According to Kaneya candles, you can calculate this by weighing your candle, burning it for a specific period of time, and then weighing the candle again. Afterward, you should subtract the new weight from the old weight and divide it by the time you burned your candle for. This will give you your candle’s burn rate. 
3. Burn time. Your candle’s lifespan can be described in terms of its burn time. This is basically just the total amount of time a candle burns before it can’t burn anymore.      Many candle makers provide this information, but you can calculate it yourself by dividing your candle’s original weight by its burn rate. 
4. Cold throw. This describes the scent and the intensity of the scent your candle puts off before you light it for the first time. It’s essentially what you smell in the store while      you’re shopping for candles. 
5. Container candle. This one is easy and pretty self-explanatory. Any candle that comes in a jar, glass, tin, or bowl is considered to be a container candle. 
6. Cotton wick. We use both cotton and wooden wicks here at Kaneya Candles. Most cotton wicks are made with braided cotton strands and pre-coated with synthetic wax or      beeswax to help them burn while maintaining their shape and quality. Unfortunately, cotton wicks are prone to “mushrooming”, which we’ll talk about a little later. On the plus side, they are very easy to light and they’re widely available.
7. Fragrance notes. You’ve probably read over more than your fair share of “fragrance notes” while candle shopping. Fragrance notes essentially describe the different      fragrances that make up a candle’s overall scent profile. 
8. Fragrance oil. This is what gives your candles the scents you know and love. Most fragrance oils are made with a mix of essential oils and synthetic fragrances. 
9. Hot throw. Remember when we talked about “cold throw” earlier? Well, a candle’s hot throw is just the opposite. This describes how the candle smells when it’s burning, and it      can be pretty different from how the candle smells before you burn it. 
10. Mushrooming. Okay, let’s (finally) talk about the elusive term “mushrooming”. This describes what happens when carbon builds up at the top of the wick while a candle is      burning. This carbon buildup can put off extra smoke, and it can actually cut through the fragrance of your candle, which could damage the overall scent experience. You can prevent your wick from “mushrooming” by trimming it down each time you burn your candle. 
11. Paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is one of the leftover products created in the oil-refining process. It’s used for everything from making candles to cleaning out industrial      pipelines. A typical paraffin wax candle is very affordable compared to other candles since paraffin is so cheap to source and use. One major drawback of paraffin wax is that it isn’t very environmentally friendly. 
12. Soy wax. We use soy wax in all of our Kaneya candles.        This wax is      derived from soybeans, making it completely biodegradable and compostable. Soy wax candles are better for your health overall because they produce less soot and don’t produce the same toxic fumes that paraffin wax candles do. 
13. Tunneling. It’s super important to burn your candles evenly and trim the wicks. If you don’t they could start to tunnel. This happens when your candle burns unevenly, and it results in an unsightly crater in the middle of your candle. Your candle will almost always burn unevenly if you don’t melt the entire top layer of wax all the way to the edges each time.
14. Wooden wick. Wooden wicks produce a pleasant, relaxing crackling sound while lit. This crackling sound is caused by burning plant material naturally found within wooden      wicks turning into a gas and trying to escape the wick. The expansion of the gas causes that peaceful crackling sound.