To create a sense of zen at home,many of us have been burrowing the depths of our cupboards for candles long ago received but never burned. The good news is that a quality candle that is still in its box should still be good. But the reason scented candles,which have only really been in vogue since the 1970s,get such a bad rap is that there are so many bad ones – smoky,sickly sweet or too artificial-smelling – on the market.
Nick Smart,founder of Agence de Parfum and Australian distributor of luxe candle brand Cire Trudon,says a good candle should be handmade,contain no parrafins or petrochemical raw materials,no preservatives,parabens or sulphates,and derive their scent from natural oils.
A Cire Trudon candle will cost about $120,which may seem a lot but Smart says it equates to about $1.50 an hour,if burned correctly.
A"good"burn means lighting any candle for at least three hours to ensure the full circumference of the candle has melted,or else it will"tunnel"and burn unevenly for the remainder of its life (and you may sacrifice half your candle in the process).
Other good practices,Smart says,include trimming a candle's wick to one centimetre before lighting and,later,using a special tool with a hooked tip to extinguish to help coat the wick in wax to protect it until next use.
He warns against blowing out a candle."It will produce smoke,as well as allow the wick to continue smouldering,reducing it to a unusable stump,"he says. And don't overburn:candles shouldn't be left for more than four hours,as it reduces the efficacy of the scent,and never leave a burning candle unattended.