About Candles

Okay. We're obsessed with candles. We love unwinding by candlelight after a long day. Our clear jarred candles allow for maximum light from the flame and we are seriously obsessed with our own candle scents. 

WAX
We use a creamy natural soy wax that is made from soy beans grown in the USA. The reason we choose soy wax over other waxes is that it's completely renewable. It offers a clean, slow-burning candle. In contrast, paraffin wax is made from petroleum by-product which is produced when crude oil is refined into gasoline. Now doesn't that sound lovely to burn and breathe?

Soy wax is made simply from soybean oil. Once the beans are harvested, they are cleaned, de-hulled, and rolled into small flakes. The oil from the flakes is then extracted and processed. The unused parts of the soybean are used for other purposes so none goes to waste.

WICKS
We use all-natural cotton wicks that have small paper threads in its core to help keep its rigidity rather than a more common zinc core. Metal cored wicks have been linked to health issues in some. Our wicks are also coated in our soy wax which is what gives it a stiffer, waxy appearance.

SCENTS
Our scents are created using natural botanical and essential oils in addition to fine fragrance oils that are non-toxic. All of our scents are phthalate-free. Phthalates are esters of phthalic acid which are usually added to plastics to increase flexibility and durability. Doesn't that sound safe? No thanks! We like to keep is clean and basic.

PRODUCTION
All of our candles are hand poured and packaged in our 9 foot by 12 foot studio in Long Beach, California by the owner of Wilderess, Kristina. Each candle is made in small batches (four to six candles at a time), cleaned, labeled, and prepared for shipment by hand.

BURNING YOUR CANDLES
Not many people know that candles have “memory.”  For this reason, it’s important that when you burn the candle, you let the wax melt to all sides of the jar. If you only let it burn a small pool, your candle will tunnel as it burns. If you let it burn to the sides each time, it will burn cleanly down the side of the jars. On the first burn of the candle, you’ll want to burn it for three to four hours to ensure a clean melting to all sides of the jar. To prolong candle life, it’s also important to keep the wick trimmed to ¼ inch and get all debris from trimming out before each lighting. This will keep the wick from getting long and curling under which can prevent it from lighting in the future. For our larger jars, we recommend using a stick lighter to light your candles.

THE NATURE OF CANDLES
All of our candles are dye-free, phthalate-free, chemical free, and handmade in small batches. We like to keep our products as natural as possible so you will find variations as you would in nature. Occasionally in warmer months, some of the oil from the candle will sit on top. This doesn't effect the use of the candle and is a common occurrence when using soy wax. When candles are exposed to intense cold, the wax can sometimes shrink and show a frosty appearance where the wax has pulled away from the jar. This will go away as you candle is used and the jar warms up a bit. If shrinking or discoloration occurs, don't despair! The scent is still there and the candle will still burn!

REUSING YOUR JARS
We purposefully produce our candles with minimal, reusable packaging. Our classic jar candles come in mason jars with lids that can be washed out when you're finished with the candle and re-purposed for a plant, storing loose change, or whatever else you can dream of! Our specialty candle (aside from our tea lights themselves- sorry, world), are sold in jars that can be reused as tea light holders! Once you finish your candle, you can place the jars, lids off, in the oven at a low setting. Check often. Remove from oven carefully using protective wear once all of the wax is melted and dump out excess wax into trash can. Don't put it down the sink! You can then wash with warm water and soap and wipe clean.


**These candles are not meant to be used as moisturizers on skin. Not all oils are safe to use on the skin and can cause reactions. Please only use our candles as they are meant to be used--home decor.**

You can view our candle collection here.