FAQ

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Burning coconut/soy blend candle wax is far superior to the parrafin and palm waxes of the past.

NOTE: While coconut wax on its own is likely the more optimal choice for environmental friendliness, at Psychopomp Candles we use a blend of soy and coconut. The reason we use a blend is because coconut wax on its own has a low melting point and can result in mis-shapen candles and less burn time depending on where you store them. Coconut together with soy maintains its shape and burns the longest all while merging the benefits of both soy and coconut waxes!

Here's a short list of the benefits of this wax combo:

1. Coconut wax candles burn the cleanest and soy is not far behind it! While no flame is soot-free, coconut and soy wax burns with almost zero soot, maintaining and clean candle, clean air and clean surfaces in your home.

2. Coconut wax is entirely organic, renewable and has minimal environmental impact. This way, we can enjoy our candles while we plot to reverse climate change.

3. Coconut waxes are slow-burning, meaning you get more bang for your buck! Less money on candles, and more time enjoying the scent that you love. 

4. Coconut waxes maintain a superior "throw" - meaning they smell really good when they're lit and they smell really good when they're just sitting there. No more lit candles that are simply ambience. Your room will smell the way you want it to! 

 CONS

Using coconut and soy candle wax has its benefits, but we it's all about balance, right? While coconut/soy wax blend is a great choice, there are some cons we should talk about.

1. Coconut/soy wax blend may result in ugly candles every now and then. Each candle is carefully crafted to achieve a smooth top, but during burning, it may look a little wonky. Please read Candle Care below to understand how to maintain even burning and beautiful wax! 

2. Because of all of the good things about this wax, it's more expensive than it's lesser counterparts. This results in a higher price point for some of these candles. However, as this is our passion, we work very hard to keep our prices low. 

3. Low melting point! Be sure to store your candles in the proper environment, never exceeding 85 degrees Farenheit, to ensure that your candles don't melt in storage. 

 1. Burn Edge to Edge! Because coconut/soy wax is a semisoft wax, it can "tunnel". This is when the candle burns straight down leaving a border of wax around the perimeter. Sometimes it can look a little mis-shapen or wonky. In order to make sure you're getting the most out of your candle and its burn-life, make sure that you prevent tunneling by burning the candle edge to edge. You can do this by taking a small piece of aluminum foil and wrapping it around the candle, leaving a dece large enough hole for the flame, but ensuring the edges of the candle are covered. Light the candle. The heat from the flame will be redirected back to the edges of the candle slowly, helping to burn the candle in edge to edge. 

2. Trim your wicks! Ensure that you trim your wick to 1/4" every time you light your candle. This will help to prevent soot, it will promote even burning and it will help your candle burn efficiently and as long as possible!

3. Safety as a value! Keep your candle away from anything flamable! The flame should be clear of anything close enough to touch or even get warm from the heat of the flame. Never burn your candle when you're not home, and make sure it is not unattended - this means away from pets, children, or anything that could disturb the candle.

 One of the things we most love about our candles is that once they're done burning, we have a new vintage mug/glass to add to our collection! 

Once your candle has finished burning, following the instructions below to clean the wax out so that you can use your mug.

How to clean your mug:

1. In general, coconut wax is pretty pliable. You may be able to wipe the excess wax out with a towel or paper towel without heating it. 

2. If not, you can pour boiling water into the mug itself. This will slowly melt the wax and it will raise to the top of the vessel. Allow the boiling water to cool completely, ensuring that all of the wax has melted to the top. This should result in one solid disk of wax at the top of your mug/glass, floating on top of room temperature water. Discard this chunk of wax and wipe the glass clean!

3. Removing the wick: Once the wax has been removed, the wick should come out fairly easily. This is especially true for mugs that have been warmed. You can pry the wick out of the mug by using a long tool like a screwdriver. 

CAUTION: be extremely careful removing the wick and handling the mug as it could break!