Most commercially available candles are made from paraffin wax, a by-product of the petroleum refining process, which makes them seem neither natural nor environmentally friendly. During combustion, benzene and toluene are released, which are not good for the health of the body, and are not good for the environment because they are difficult to break down. Soy wax is 100% biodegradable, as it is made from the natural oil of soybeans. Soy candles can burn twice as long as paraffin candles and do not pollute the air with chemicals. As it is all-natural and vegan, we highly recommend it as a magical addition to an environmentally conscious, plant-based home.

Wooden wick candles are special because they make a crackling and dripping sound when they burn, and they fill your whole home with a pleasant atmosphere, helping you to relax and unwind. In addition, you can increase the life of your candle by using wooden sticks, as they burn much more slowly than cotton ones. I use only maple wicks for the candles, which are not only environmentally friendly, but also free of toxins and phthalates

A soy wax memory tunnel is formed when only a small part of the wax around the wick is melted during the burning of the candle, theinstead of the entire surface of the wax melting evenly. The flame seems to be bored into the candle, resembling a small vertical tunnel. In the tunnel, the wax directly under the flame melts rapidly into a liquid, while the surrounding wax remains hard. This causes the tunnel to deteriorate over time. As the wick sinks deeper into the surrounding wax, the flame will not be able to get enough oxygen to sustain itself, so the candle will go out.

There are two main causes of candle tunnels: poor candle burning habits, and inadequate wick sizes. In this context, bad candle burning habits refer specifically to the “first burn” or the first burning of a candle. At Miaamor, we always stress the importance of burning the candle long enough to melt the entire surface of the candle before blowing it out or extinguishing it. This usually takes at least an hour or two, depending on the size of the candle. If you don’t, you are almost guaranteed to develop a soy wax memory tunnel. Why? This is because wax contains a certain amount of “memory”. Wax is not always as “hard” as it looks. Even in its solid, unmelted state, the wax will continue to harden over time. Candle wax that has been melted yesterday and cooled down again will always be softer than candle wax that has been sitting for a week. So if you let the wax in the middle melt before blowing out the candle the first time, and burn it the second time, only the small middle part of the wax will continue to melt. This is because it is “softer” than the wax around it and therefore requires less heat energy to remelt. The surrounding wax, which has not melted first, is “harder” in comparison, so it doesn’t melt, and voila – the tunnel is done. Another reason for a candle tunnel is if the wick is too small for the size of the candle. If the wick is too small, it may not be able to produce enough heat to melt the wax on the edge of the candle completely. As a result, even if you give the candle plenty of time to burn for the first time, it can still create a tunnel. This is a problem with the design of the candle, so tunnelling is more common with mass-produced candles using cheaper wicks. The more expensive, luxury candles are usually designed with more care, making sure that the wicks are of better quality and the right size for the diameter of the candle. But again, tunnelling can occur even in high-end candles if they are not burned properly. Be sure to allow enough time for the entire surface to melt evenly during the first firing.

Solution: each time you light the soy wax, make sure that it melts from rim to rim, approx. Always let it burn for 1-2 hours. This is particularly important for the first ignition.

If you have already developed the soy wax memory tunnel, don’t panic, you can still save the candle, if you understand what is causing the tunnel to develop, you can of course reverse the situation.

There are two solutions to this problem, both of which are described below.

Method using a heat gun or hairdryer

1. Cut the wick (you can easily break it by hand) and remove all debris from the tunnel (minerals). Use a heat gun (if you have one) or a hair dryer on the highest setting to heat the wax on the top surface of the candle.

2. You can use a toothpick to gently poke the unmelted wax on the side to make it melt faster.

3. Continue heating until the entire top surface of the wax is completely melted and glued on.

4.Light the candle again and let it burn for at least 30 minutes (for small diameters e.g. Cotton candy mistery) or 1 hour (for large diameters e.g. horoscope candle).

Set the candle aside and let the wax harden over the next few days. Soy wax takes 1-2 weeks to reach full hardness.

The other solution, the one I recommend the most, has always worked for me.

Aluminium foil method

1. Cut the wick (you can easily break it by hand) and remove all debris from the tunnel (minerals).

2.Cut a piece of aluminium foil of the right size and cut a small hole (about 1 inch) in the middle.

3.Remove the foil, light the wick and replace the foil cover.

4.Leave the candle to burn for a few hours until the top surface of the wax is completely melted and smooth. Set the candle aside and allow the wax to harden over the next 1-2 weeks.

Both methods area game of patience, but it’s worth it, because the candle gets a new life.:)

How can I prevent this problem?

To avoid tunnelling, all you need to do is burn the candle long enough each time to melt the entire top surface of the wax. This is especially important when burning the candle for the first time! How long this takes depends mostly on the size of the candle. A good rule of thumb to remember is to burn the candle for one hour for every inch of diameter. So if your candle is 3 inches in diameter, you should let it burn for 3 hours before extinguishing it.

If the candle is decorated with soy wax moulds, it is possible that after melting, the soy wax will be too much for the wick and will not burn with the flame it should.

The solution to this is simple, When the entire surface of the candle is melted, pour out onto baking paper as much wax as is necessary to prevent the wick from being covered with wax.

And you can always use the poured wax as a fragrance wax, so it won’t go to waste! When you’ve burned half of the candle, feel free to throw in the little bit of fragrance wax and enjoy the extra burn time it gives you!:)

Step 1: Light the candle

Step 2: Wait until the gift appears.

Step 3: Carefully remove with tweezers when the wax has melted sufficiently.