Candle & Wax Melt Safety Guidelines
We love cozy vibes. We love safe cozy vibes even more. These guidelines apply to every Candles by Christie product — read them once, then burn and warm with confidence. When in doubt, the answer is usually: trim the wick.
Applies to all Candles by Christie products. Always follow your warmer and candle manufacturer's instructions alongside these guidelines.
Wax Melt Safety
- Use only in a UL-listed electric or tea-light warmer on a stable, heat-safe surface.
- Start with 1 cube. Add a second for larger rooms. Overfilling causes spills and weakens fragrance throw.
- Never add water or other liquids to the dish. Do not ingest. Keep away from children and pets at all times.
- Keep clear of drafts, curtains, paper, or anything flammable. Do not leave a warmer unattended.
- Unplug or extinguish the warmer before moving it. Let wax cool fully before touching the dish.
- Tea-light warmers: use only unscented tea lights. Never stack or use oversized candles beneath the dish.
Bert's tip: One cube for small rooms, two for big open spaces. Never add water to the dish. The wax is doing all the work — let it.
Changing & Cleaning Melts
- When scent fades, turn off and cool until wax is just cloudy — then pop it out cleanly. If fully cooled and stuck, warm for 30–60 seconds to loosen.
- Alternatively, while still warm: absorb with cotton balls, then wipe the dish clean with a paper towel.
- Dispose of cooled wax in the trash only. Do not pour wax down drains — it re-solidifies and causes clogs.
- Wipe the dish clean and dry before the next use for the best fragrance throw on your next cube.
Candle Safety
- Trim wick to 1/4″ (6 mm) before every burn. Remove all trimmings and debris from the wax pool before lighting.
- First burn: allow a full, even melt pool to reach the edges — approximately 2–3 hours for most jar sizes. This prevents tunnelling on all future burns.
- Maximum single burn: 3–4 hours. Extinguish, let cool completely, re-trim the wick, and relight as needed.
- Always burn on a heat-safe, level, non-drafty surface, away from vents, curtains, and all flammable materials.
- Never leave a burning candle unattended. Keep away from children and pets at all times.
- Stop burning when about 1/2″ (12–13 mm) of wax remains to protect the vessel, the surface beneath it, and the scent quality.
- Jar may be hot — do not touch or move until fully cooled. Use a snuffer to extinguish; avoid blowing out, which can scatter hot wax.
Bert's first-burn rule: The first burn sets the memory of the wax. Rush it and you tunnel for the life of the candle. Set a 2-hour timer, let the melt pool reach the edges, and every burn after that will be clean and even.
Storage & Placement
- Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to protect fragrance integrity and prevent colour fading.
- Keep lids on between burns to preserve scent and prevent dust accumulation in the wax pool.
- Place candles and warmers at least 12″ (30 cm) from walls or overhangs to allow safe heat dissipation.
- Wax melts can be stored in wax melt bags or their original clamshell packaging in a cool area — fragrance stays strong for months when stored correctly.
Quick FAQ
A short wick burns steadier, cleaner, and with less soot. Longer wicks create larger, flickering flames that produce soot, cause mushrooming (a carbon build-up at the tip), and reduce fragrance performance. One trim per burn is the single highest-impact candle habit.
On the next burn, let it run longer to try to even out the melt pool. A foil tent — a loose ring of aluminium foil around the top of the jar with a small gap for airflow — can reflect heat inward and push the melt pool toward the edges. Always monitor closely while using this technique, and never leave unattended.
Always keep flames and warmers completely out of reach of pets. Ventilate the room regularly when burning. Some essential oils are toxic to cats and dogs even in small amounts — if in doubt about a specific scent, check with your vet before using. For households with curious pets, an elevated wax melt warmer in a fully supervised space is generally the lower-risk option.
Yes — once fully cooled and cleaned of remaining wax and all wick hardware. To clean: place the cooled jar in a warm oven (lowest setting) for a few minutes to loosen remaining wax, then wipe clean with paper towels. Not suitable for food storage, but great for pens, plants, small candles, craft supplies, or bathroom organising.
That's called "bloom" or "frosting" and it's a completely natural characteristic of soy wax — not a defect. It happens as the natural soy crystals re-form on the surface after cooling. It doesn't affect the scent throw or burn quality at all. It actually signals you have a genuinely high-soy-content candle.