Beauty Notes Daily

By Jenny Dickinson

Just 12 short months ago, I couldn’t see the point of a scented candle. ‘Why didn’t she just hand me a £10 then set fire to it?’ I complained when ‘Secret Santa’ gave me a lemongrass and ginger one. But all it took was a few stressful weeks and candles quickly became my evening essential. I have them in the living room, the bathroom and the bedroom. I guess you could call it a fire risk, but these carefully crafted glasses of wax are my salvation. They can soothe, relax or invigorate, depending on the scent. The best of them can even transport me to a different time and place – early summer in France (via Jonathan Ward’s Peonies in Paris) being my favourite destination. 

I have discovered though, that there’s a lot to learn about candle buying if you want to get the best value for money. Master candlemaker Jonathan Ward gives his four top buying tips below… 

1.  For a stronger fragrance in your room don’t burn multiple candles (doubling and trebling the price) – if you have a large space to fill then look for candles with double and treble wicks. The additional heat will give elevated fragrance fill for larger spaces.

2.  Try to look for candles with jars that can be reused. When finishing a good candle it’s often disappointing to be left with a dirty jar and no fragrance. Cleaning a used candle jar is simple. Simply fill the glass with boiling water and washing up liquid and let it soak overnight. In the morning you should see a wax ‘cake’ on the top of the water, which can be easily broken up.

3.  Let your candle burn longer for better results. When purchasing an expensive candle the urge to be frugal and preserve can often lead to the candle ‘tunneling’ [where the candle burns through the middle, leaving wax around the edges]. You should burn a candle for 3-5 hours on the first burn to allow the entire surface area to become liquid. On subsequent burns 2-3 hours will ensure an even burn.

4. These days, you hear a lot about ‘natural waxes’, but it’s important to be aware where they come from. The world is dominated by a few giants that produce their soy products aggressively and in poor countries – deforestation in South America (http://www.mongabay.com/brazil.html) is an increasing problem. Look for natural blends like soy and palm or soy and beeswax. 

Paraffin wax (the most commonly used) is a bi-product of crude oil manufacture – it’s the sludge left over after the oil has been refined and processed. It also contains toluene and benzene, which have been linked to cancer and respiratory disease.

Jonathan Ward enq http://www.jonathanwardlondon.com