   
Buying the Best Brightly Burning Candles by Sherry Bloom
Believe it or not, it actually took me some trial and error before I figured out how to burn a candle properly. It seemed like a lot of the time, my aromatherapy candles were finished halfway through their supposed “burn times.” Wax would spill everywhere, or the wick would tunnel down through the gel candle and fizzle. And when I tried to do a little repair work, things only got worse. You know how it is when you try to fold wax back or peel it away – instant disaster area!
In order to make sure that your wax and gel candles always burn perfectly, remember to keep those wicks trimmed! Long wicks cause buildups of soot and carbon in your candleholders and your candles. These excess materials, combined with an overlarge flame, can lead to damaged holders, wax spills, and even fires getting started.
Furthermore, if your wick is too long, your candle will burn unevenly, which means that its burn time will be shortened, and pillars and jar candles will develop those cavernous walls of wax around the outside that are so unsightly and useless.
By trimming a candle’s wick down to about ¼ inch before lighting, you can avoid many of the risks and disappointments so often associated with candle burning. You also get your money’s worth, especially in the case of those giant, super-expensive candles. They will burn forever, but only if you treat them right.
Soy candles and gel candles are great modern options as they burn much more evenly and cleanly than most paraffin candles. Of course, it doesn’t hurt the process of candle burning perfection to buy a high quality candle.
For safe, clean-burning candles, Colonial Candles are a smart choice. All of their products have the exact thickness and number of wicks required in every candle in order to ensure a perfect burn. In fact, Colonial Candle patented the two-wick system that everybody’s using these days. It never hurts to go with the original product!
Another great thing about these candles is that most of them come in beautifully crafted, sturdy glass jars. These jars are designed not to crack in the heat, and as long as you keep those wicks trimmed, they won’t become soot-stained. Colonial Candles burn so cleanly and evenly that when the candle’s done, you’re left with a lovely clean jar that you can use for anything!
Colonial Candle started out in the business almost one hundred years ago making the beautifully scented bayberry candles you always hear about. Today, Colonial offers a wide variety of scents and beautiful containers, all available online - another solid product definitely worth checking out if you enjoy high-quality aromatherapy candles.
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