Candle Care Guide | How to Get the Most from Your Heart & Havoc Candle
✨ Ritual, Not Routine
Every candle you light is a small act of intention. Whether it’s five quiet minutes after bedtime or a deep-breath pause between to-dos, caring for your candle keeps that ritual clean, calm, and safe.
Our candles are hand-poured in Michigan with a beeswax + soy blend, cotton wicks, and essential-oil fragrance. They burn best when treated with the same mindfulness that went into making them.
🔥 The First Burn Matters
Your first burn sets the candle’s “memory.”
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Trim the wick to ¼ inch before lighting.
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Let the wax melt fully to the edge of the tin or jar (about 2–3 hours).
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Avoid blowing it out too soon — this prevents tunneling and wasted wax.
🕯 Pro tip: If you can see an even melt pool across the surface, your candle will keep burning evenly for every light after that.
✂️ Trim Before Every Light
Before each new burn, snip the wick back to ¼ inch. It keeps the flame steady, reduces soot, and prevents overheating. A wick trimmer, nail clippers, or scissors all work fine — just make sure the debris doesn’t fall into the wax.
🌬 Burn Time & Safety
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Never burn for more than 4 hours at a time.
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Always place your candle on a heat-safe, stable surface.
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Keep away from drafts, curtains, and pets or kids.
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Stop burning when ¼ inch of wax remains — that protects your container and surface.
💡 Bonus tip: If your candle seems to flicker wildly, it’s probably too close to a vent or fan. Move it somewhere still and let the flame steady itself.
💫 Storage & Seasonal Care
Store candles in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. Extreme temperatures can soften the wax or fade natural colorants.
If you live somewhere cold (hello, Michigan winters), let your candle warm to room temperature before lighting — that helps the wax burn smoothly.
🌿 Reusing Your Vessel
When only ¼ inch of wax remains:
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Freeze the tin or jar for a few hours.
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Pop out the remaining wax with a butter knife.
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Wipe clean with warm water and soap.
Reuse it to hold tea bags, bobby pins, spare change, or small ritual items. Every candle can become something new.
💌 A Tiny Ritual to Remember
Every time you light a Heart & Havoc candle, take a breath before you strike the match. Name what you’re releasing and what you’re welcoming in. That’s where the calm begins — not in the flame, but in you.
🛒 Shop the 2025 Holiday Flame Collection
For the ones who give all year long -
Each one is hand-poured with intention — a tiny ritual for the modern giver.