When you make your own candles, there are a few things you need to do in order to ensure that they burn properly and smell great. One of those things is curing the candles. This means allowing them to reach their full burning potential before lighting them up. But should you cure your homemade candles with the lids on or off? In this article, we will discuss the benefits of both methods and help you decide which one is best for you!
Why is it important to cure your candles?
Below is a list of all of the benefits of curing your candles properly before use.
- Candles that are cured tend to burn more evenly and slowly. This means that you will get more use out of your candle, as it will not burn down as quickly.
- Curing gives your candle a richer scent as it allows for the fragrance oils to bind better with the wax, which will make the scent stronger and last longer.
- Candles that are cured tend to have less soot build-up on the sides of the jar. This not only looks better, but it also helps to keep your candle burning cleanly.
Now that we know why curing is important, let’s discuss the benefits of curing with the lid on or off.
Should candles be cured with the lid on or off?
You should always cure your candles with the lid on if you have a lid available. The reasons for this are two-fold. First, it helps to keep the fragrance oils from evaporating too quickly by making sure that the fragrance and wax are fully binded together. Second, it helps to prevent any dirt or dust from getting into the wax and ruining your candle.
If you do not have a lid available, or if you are curing a large batch of candles at once, you can cure your candles by temporarily using some paper or card as a makeshift lid. This will help to minimize the amount of fragrance that is lost to the atmosphere and stop any dust build-up on the wax surface during the curing process.
From my own experience of candle making, curing candles is a necessity, and using a lid or cover on your candle during the process is very important, so always cure your candle with the lid on.
How to cure a candle
Follow the simple steps below to successfully cure your candle no matter what wax or fragrance oils you are using.
- Allow the candle to cool fully: This is important as you do not want to disturb the wax when it is too hot, as this can cause sinkholes in the wax and cause the fragrance oils to evaporate.
- Put a lid on the candle: As we discussed above, it is important to use a lid on your candle during the curing process. This will help to keep the fragrance from evaporating and prevent any dirt or dust from getting into the wax.
- Leave the candle in a cool, dark place: Curing candles takes time, so you will need to be patient! Always store your candles somewhere cool and dark and out of reach of children.
- Leave for between 2 days to 2 weeks: The time that you leave your candle to cure will depend on the type of wax and fragrance oil you are using. For most candles, curing for between two days and two weeks should be sufficient. However, if you are using a very soft wax or a highly fragranced oil, you may need to leave it for longer. For more information about the curing times for each type of wax check out this guide that I wrote.
What are the benefits of using lids on candles?
Using lids on candles is not only important during the curing to process it’s also important to put the lid on after each use.
Retain the scent from the fragrance oil.
Using a lid on a candle after use helps to retain some of that important fragrance oil. When you light a candle the heat from the flame starts to break down the fragrance oil and release it into the air. If you put the lid back on after each use, this will help to slow down that process and make your candle last longer. Candles do not expire but they can lose scent over time, read this guide to learn how to keep your waxes smelling great for longer.
Keeps the candle wax clean.
We have a cat and dog in our home and I know from experience how much hair they shed, not to mention all of the dust particles. If you live in a home with pets, then you know that no matter how much you vacuum there is always hair and dust floating around in the air.
When you put the lid back on your candle after each use, it helps to keep all of that dust and hair from settling into the wax and ruining your candle. If left uncovered, your candle will become one big dust bunny! Not only is this unsightly, but it will eventually affect how your candle burns.
Protection from outside interference.
Kids, pets, or even significant others. If you leave your candle without a lid on it could get poked and played with ruining the wax or even damaging the wick.
Putting a lid on your candle helps to protect it from any outside interference that could damage or ruin your candle.
Final thoughts.
It is really important to cure your candles with the lid on for the reasons above and it is also important to store your candle when not in use with a lid on. For this reason, I always provide a lid with the candles myself and my wife make and sell.
We hope you enjoyed this article and please feel free to share it with your friends. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below. Happy candle-making!
I started Scents and Aroma as a way to share my knowledge from owning a candle, wax melt, diffuser and bath bomb business so that you can make your home smell lovely too.
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