An odd phenomenon that sometimes occurs is that of a sweating candle. This can be caused by a variety of reasons and it is something that you usually should not be concerned about. However, it is something you should at least look into so that you can understand why it is happening to your candle. Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on.
Why is my candle sweating? Candles sweat when too much oil was added to the wax during the candle-making process. In addition, some hydrogenated oil candles will sweat under the right conditions. These candles include coconut wax candles, soy wax candles, and palm wax candles.
These natural candles already have a high oil content being made from hydrogenated vegetable oils. Furthermore, they also have low melting points in comparison to paraffin wax, which also increases the chance they will sweat.
Natural oil-based wax candles also generally have a low melting point, which makes temperature fluctuations have more of an impact on the candles. Coconut wax can melt at temperatures as low as 100F and even a bit less depending on the purity and additives used.
For semi-solid candles with such low melting points, you can see how direct sunlight and temperature fluctuations can begin to cause problems.
Stopping Candle Sweating
The good news is that sometimes candle sweating is something you can stop, and even avoid. It is not always due to too much oil being added during the manufacturing process. Here is how you can stop a candle from sweating.
How to stop candle sweating? Stop candle sweating by moving the candles to a room that has a stable temperature. In addition, if the candles are in direct sunlight you should move them away from any windows or doors. Once the candles have a stable temperature, they should stop sweating.
Candles should always be stored in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight.
If you have a lot of candles that you only bring out for special occasions, certain days of the week, or when you are entertaining then you should wrap them up in a paper bag so that they stay clean and keep them in a floor level cabinet.
Floor level might provide better temperature stability if you live somewhere that can get hot during the summer or if you do not use air conditioning in that particular room.
Fixing Candle Sweating
You are not left with a lot of good options when it comes to fixing a sweating candle. There are really only a few things you can do and whether or not they work depends on why the candle is sweating to start with. Let’s see how you can fix a sweating candle.
How do you fix a sweaty candle? Fix a sweaty candle by wiping it down with a paper towel. Then move the candle to a room where it will not be exposed to temperature swings, extreme temperatures, or direct sunlight. Once the temperature of the candle has returned to normal, and you wipe it clean, it should be fine.
While some candles sweat naturally, and some sweat due to the fragrance oil load, a lot of candles sweat simply because they are exposed to a wide variety of temperatures or swings in temperature. Removing the candles from those situations can help fix the problem.
Candle Sweating Safety
Seeing a sweating candle might be quite the surprise for a lot of new candle users, particularly if you know what the sweat actually is. However, there is no reason for concern as you will see below.
Is candle sweating dangerous? Candle sweating is not dangerous. However, the “sweat” that is accumulating on the outside of the candle is oil. It is generally natural oil used to make the wax, or fragrance oil or essential oil. This oil should be wiped off of the candle with a paper towel before handing or using.
Pure fragrance oils and essential oils can cause skin irritation in some cases, and the smell can be hard to get rid of once it is on your clothes and skin. That is why it is a good idea to wipe dry any sweating candle you see before handling or using it.
In addition, if the candle is sweating because you left it on a hot car or a cold car then I would let the temperature come back to normal before lighting it. If the candle is too hot, it can make it melt too quickly, causing mushrooming and soot.
If the candle is too cold, it can make it pool irregularly, and the combination of hot and cold might make the sweating even worse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Candles can feel greasy when they’ve been exposed to extreme temperature changes or when too much fragrance oil was used when the candle was made. Large swings in temperature can cause some candle to sweat fragrance oil or their own natural oils which can feel greasy.
Soy candles sweat oil because they have a high oil content. Soy candles are made from hydrogenated soybean oil which makes them semi-solid. When exposed to sunlight or temperature swings they can sweat out some of this oil.
Coconut wax candles sweat because of their high oil content and low melting temperature. The low melting temperature makes it harder for coconut wax to bond with the fragrance oil used to make the candles. So when coconut wax candles are exposed to temperature swings they begin to sweat.
Wax melts are soft when they contain too much fragrance oil. If your wax melts are not hardening all the way it may be due to the fragrance oil content. Always check the manufacturer’s suggested fragrance oil load rating for the wax you are using and do not exceed it.
Like with candles, wax melts can sweat when exposed to dramatic temperature swings or direct sunlight. This is likely due to the amount of fragrance oil used when making the wax melts, or because the wax melts are made out of a hydrogenated oil-based wax such as soy or coconut.
Fix oily candles by wiping away all of the excess oil with a paper towel. Once the candle is dry, store it in a cool dark place, such as in a bag in a floor-level cabinet. This should help avoid problems with oily candles in the future.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a sweating candle is not too much of a reason to worry, as long as you are not trying to sell sweaty candles. However, if you are the owner of a sweaty candle, just wipe it off and use it as normal. Candles sweating is just a natural thing that can happen sometimes with natural waxes made out of vegetable oils.
Even when candles sweat due to extreme swings in temperature, they will still be good to use, but I do suggest wiping the candles off first. Technically surface fragrance oil could be flammable when lighting and using a candle, so your main priority is to store the candles at a steady temperature and wipe them off before using them.