Do Northern Lights Candles' wicks have lead in them?
Recent media coverage has reported possible health issues relating to candles containing lead wicks. Northern Lights Candles would like to reassure you that we do not use lead wicks in any of our candle products. Only high quality cotton and zinc core wicks are used in Northern Lights Candles' products.

Why do I need to trim the wicks?
A short wick produces a smaller, more controlled flame that won't emit as much smoke or blacken the candle's container, due to the oversized flame.

What's the deal with the Mushroom?
When burning candles, the wick can/will develop a build up of carbon deposits or a black mushroom. This mushroom is caused by a combination of things. The most important is the high volume of fragrance oils. The wick serves as a straw when burning, pulling the fragrance oil through the wax and releasing the fragrance as it burns. When a mushroom is formed, extinguish the flame, let cool, trim wick to ¼" and re-light Without this simple attention, the mushroom could smoke and cause an oversized flame resulting in a blackening or breaking of the glass.

Which candle will produce the most fragrance?
More fragrance will be emitted from 5 and 3-wick containers. They produce the largest pool of melted wax, therefore creating a larger "simmer pool" that emits the fragrance.

How long should I burn my candle?
We recommend burning container candles long enough to create a pool of wax covering the entire top of the container and pillar candles until a wax pool almost spills over the side.

Why should i stop using a container candle when 1/2" of wax remains?
The glass can get hot on the bottom as the flame nears the base of the container and most of the wax has been consumed. For your safety, we recommend not burning the candle when there is less than a half-inch of wax remaining and remind you to always burn your candles on heat resistant surfaces.

Why don’t Dripless candles drip?
There are several types of wax used in candles. Each has its own characteristics. The wax used in most dripless candles contains styrene acid. This acid produces a hard wax with a higher melting point than regular wax – more heat is needed before it melts. The heat from the wick is not enough to melt the wax around the outer edge of the candle so a solid wax rim holds in the pool of liquid wax. The thicker the candle is, the less likely it is that the heat from the wick will be able to melt the edges of the candle.

Why is my Dripless candle dripping?
Even Dripless candles will drip if there is a draft. Heat normally rises, but if a draft blows hot air from the wick to one side, the hard edge will melt, and the liquid wax will drip. A thick wick also helps prevent dripping since it absorbs excess liquid wax, which then burns longer and doesn’t drip. The wax in the wick burns off and there is no build-up. Another possibility is if the candle were close to a window that is or has been exposed to the sun (basically unevenly heating one side of the candle), it would be softer on one side and could drip.

If you are burning a dripless candle and it is dripping, there are two easy things you can do that could help:

1) To begin with, you should check the room for a breeze or draft. The easiest way to check this is to light a candle and look at the flame. If the flame is not moving, your dripless candle will not drip, but if the flame is dancing, you have a draft. This will cause the flame to burn one side of the candle quicker, which causes the candle to drip.

2) The other problem may be that the wick is not centered in the candle. Simply adjust the wick while the pool of wax is hot until it is in the center.

What makes a candle produce soot?
Candles also need the right amount of wax, air and wick to burn cleanly, so as not create any significant soot. Candle soot is caused by factors such as the length of the wick and the flame's lack of access to oxygen, which causes an overproduction of carbon particles. Soot is the by-product of incomplete combustion. Jar candles are especially prone to the problem. Candles inside glass jars often produce more soot than freestanding candles because, submerged in the jar, the wick has limited access to oxygen.

The key is to trim the wick just enough to eliminate the smoking, yet have it long enough to maintain an adequate size flame to ensure that the candle will burn clean out of the jar. Also, watch when you light the candle. Sometimes soot is formed not by the burning, but by the match or lighter used to light the wick, especially when the candle is deep inside the jar. Try long fireplace matches or long handle lighters.

How can you get rid of soot?
The following soot removal techniques work in many cases, but not in every case. Always follow the instructions and take heed of any warnings printed on cleaning solution packaging.
• Very hot soapy water
• Mild detergent and scourer
• Natural orange cleaners