Frequently asked questions

Under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, it is a requirement that all producers of any potentially dangerous product must be fully labelled with information and warnings relating to that product.

As well as a candle safety label your candles or melts must also be CLP compliant.

The CLP Regulation (for “Classification, Labelling and Packaging”) is a European Union regulation from 2008, which aligns the European Union system of classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances and mixtures to the Globally Harmonised System (GHS).

This article explains how to be CLP compliant: http://www.cirs-reach.com/CLP/Labelling_Packaging.html

Fragrances contain a range of different chemicals which are classed as potentially harmful and need to be displayed on the packaging. All such details are provided with products supplied by NI Candle Supplies.

A candle generally speaking can hold 10% fragrance oil, so we have created a CLP label template for you at 10%. These can be found on the fragrance product page under the data sheets tab - please click here for an example. To use the template, simply download, add your company details, print using a label printer and stick to your candle or wax melt.

This CLP label template can be used for all candles and wax melts produced using a maximum of 10% FO load. If you wish to use this template at less than 10% we recommend you contact your TS officer, as they may require you to have the CLP at the concentration of oil you use. Please note though if you are to mix two or more scents together at any stage of the making process, you will need to arrange for a CLP label to be produced for the blend you have created. It is not possible to apply two (or more) separate labels to the one product, as the chemical compositions change when they are blended together. This includes layers of hardened wax touching, as when the wax melts, the different scents will then be combined.

Within the fragrance data tab you can also find the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) which provides full handling instructions for oils in their neat (100%) state. Please click here for an example. The SDS applies to yourself as the maker when handling the oils, but does not need to be passed onto your clients. The only exception is when  your products are being sold in stores. In this situation, you will need to provide the shop owner with a SDS at 10%, in addition to adhering the CLP label to your goods. Please contact us should you require this document, and we’ll be happy to assist!

Generally speaking, not achieving a full melt pool means that the wick used is too small, and you need to wick up. It is also possible that the candle has not been left to burn for long enough. A good rule of thumb is that you should burn your candle for 1 hour for every 1 inch (2.5cm) in diameter of the actual candle size. If you have allowed your candle to burn for the required time and a full melt pool is not achieved, your fragrance may be the cause.

Fragrances do vary in terms of their flash point, and its important to note this when purchasing candle products. If a fragrance has a low flash point, it needs a small wick. This enables the fragrance to evaporate out of the wax, and to bring about a good sized melt-pool. The opposite is true for high flash point fragrances, where you’ll require a larger size, hotter burning wick to get the best results. To find out the specific flash point of the fragrances stocked by NI Candle Supplies, please see the product details for each fragrance.

There are lots of variables in candle making so as any chandler will tell you, product results can vary from batch to batch and cracking can be a common occurrence especially in the cooler months. The type of dye, vessel and temperature can all have an impact. We recommend using our free resource centre for more specific guidance on individual products.

This can happen either when your vessel, or wax is too cold. To prevent these ‘jump lines’, try warming your vessel first or pouring the wax at a slightly higher temperature.

Like jump lines, air bubbles are often the consequence of a cold vessel. Whilst it can be tricky to achieve this, heating the vessel to around 70 degrees celsius is a great way to prevent air bubbles.

Achieving a great scent throw can be hard as there are a number of factors that will impact whether your candle smells amazing while burning (hot throw) and when unlit (cold throw). The most important things to consider are:

The size and style of wick being used.The type of wax.The temperature at which you add your fragrance oil.Fragrance load (we recommend adding 10% fragrance but always check the maximum that your wax can hold). The quality of you fragrance oils. We only recommend using 100% concentrated fragrances, which can be found here.

A detailed guide to the variables that impact on scent throw can be found here. 

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This can sometimes happen due to the second pour being too cool. If possible, aim to pour the re-pour only a couple of degrees lower than the original. From an appearance perspective, it’s also important to complete the re-pour layer whilst the candle is still warm and not yet fully hardened.

If you notice an area on your container candle that looks like an air bubble trapped between the wax and the glass, this is what is known as a wet spot. Wet spots occur when the wax pulls away from the edge of the glass. Unfortunately, once this happens the wax will not re-adhere to the glass; the good news however is as unsightly as wet spots are, they will not affect the performance of the candle.

The usual cause of wet spots is when the candle temperature fluctuates causing the wax to expand and contract and is especially common when candles are left out overnight or the weather is extremely cold. To help reduce the chance of wet spots forming, try increasing your pour temperature slightly and try to avoid leaving them to set overnight.

Many chandlers will agree that sometimes no matter what you do wet spots will form over time as the climate changes both inside and out; this can even occur during transportation or be triggered by heating or cooling in a shop. The only true way to avoid wet spots completely is to use coloured glassware, NI Candle Supplies stock a range of coloured glassware for this reason which can be found here.

In our experience, this usually due to the wick being too large or too much fragrance oil having been added to the wax. If you are confident that you are using the correct size wick (good melt pool, steady even flame) and have used the correct amount of fragrance oil, it may be that your wick is too long. Always ensure the the wick is trimmed to half a cm tall prior to each burn to avoid this.

Prior to pouring the wax, attach a wick stickum to the pre-tabbed wick and centre it in the bottom of the container. Secure the top of your wick using our adjustable wick holders to ensure they stay upright and centred.

It is possible that the candle was not burnt long enough on its first burn. It is vital to ensure you allow the candle to burn for 1 hour per 1 inch (2.5cm) diameter of the actual candle during its first burn. This will ensure the candle is able to burn correctly on subsequent burns, otherwise a tunneling effect is likely to occur resulting in leftover wax remaining on the side of the container. If you are unable to achieve a full burn pool when burning for the required length of time on the first burn, a larger wick may be required to resolve this problem.

As chandlers, we understand that advice, tips and experience are key traits of perfecting the candle making process. We’ve created a dedicated resource centre to help the candle making community in the UK.

Each type of wax has different maximum fragrance load percentages but generally speaking most waxes can hold 10% of fragrance oil per kilogram of wax. Working on a 10% FO load, for every 1kg (1000 grams) of wax you would use 100g of fragrance oil, e.g. for 500g wax, 50g fragrance = 10%. We recommended using digital scales to measure your fragrances in grams rather than using a measuring spoon or cup because different oils can vary in volume depending on their ingredients and density.