Follow These Steps to Cure Beewax Timely


Beeswax candles are a great way to soothe your senses. The natural aroma from these candles is a delight for your anxiety! Now if you are planning to make beeswax candles then the curing time could be a cause for concern for new candle makers. So, you might be wondering how long beeswax candles need to cure. Let’s find out!

Beeswax candles take at least 4 to 6 hours to cure. So, you can immediately light it and enjoy the fragrance. But curing can take much longer than that. Hence, I would suggest you cure it for at least 7 to 10 days. That way, all the wax, and essential oils will get to know each other perfectly.

Cured Beeswax Candles

Now, there is a lot more to talk about on beeswax candle curing time. And I’m going to share some of my secrets on increasing the curing time as well. So, hopefully, you’ll stick around till the end to get a full idea of the matter.

How Much Time Do Beeswax Candles Need to Cure?

As mentioned before, you can start using your beeswax candles after a few hours of curing. I would even say some are ready after 1 hour. Hence, this duration depends on the size of the candle and the extra essentials you might add.

So, do you need anything special for curing? Not really! After pouring the lukewarm beeswax into your glass container, keep it at room temperature. The wax should harden with time and start to cure. The curing process is like fine wine. The longer you age, the better it is! So, just let the wax do its thing.

You can easily make a beeswax candle at home using simple home appliances. Make sure to choose your glass container and wick properly! Otherwise, you won’t get that proper hot throw you’re looking for. Hot throw is the depth of fragrance and the dissipation time after you light your candle. So, make sure to get that right!

How To Cure Your Beeswax Candles Faster?

You can cure the beeswax candles naturally in your room. But if you wish to cut your time then the water bath is a great technique.

Let’s face it. You hate waiting, don’t you? Don’t worry I have a solution for this too. Here are two methods you can use to cure your beeswax candle faster!

Water Bath Your Beeswax Candle

This is a great way to cut your beeswax curing time. It is a method to improve the curing time of only molded beeswax candles. Hence, it is not for container candles. So, before I tell you the steps you will need:

  • A Bucket with great depth (5 gallons is perfect)
  • Pitcher to pour cold water
  • A weighted mold

Okay, so here are the steps. There are two ways to do this but I’m telling you the better one. So, follow them to the letter! Are you ready?

Step 1: For precision, place a weighted mold on the bucket. Then fill the water, keeping a few inches free on top. You don’t want water to get inside the mold so be careful. Then remove the mold and check the water level you require and mark it.

Step 2: After that remove the testing water. Then pour some cold water and fill it to the level you’ve marked before.

Step 3: Place the weighted mold inside the bucket. The mold should already have the molten wax in it. Wear safety gear before you handle the mold. Also, I would advise cooling off the wax a little before placing it inside the bucket.

And that should do it! The timing depends on the size of the mold and the coldness of the water. A great rule of thumb is to burn test it after 24 hours of curing. And you can reiterate this as much as you can to get the proper hot throw.

The second method that I briefly said is quite similar to the first one. The difference is that you place an empty mold instead of a filled one. Then you fill it with warm wax and then pour the cold water evenly and at once. Otherwise, you will have uneven curing time and notice weird contrast layers outside the candle.

Refrigerate Your Beeswax Candle

This one is easy! As the title suggests, just put your beeswax candle inside the refrigerator. But before you freeze it, make sure the candle is not molten anymore. After an hour or two, the wax should be hard enough to keep the wick in place. After that, just put it inside the fridge and you’re all set!

So, I hope these techniques are easy to understand. Another mentionable method is Stearic acid. It has chemical properties to cut curing time. So, add this with your essential oils before you finally pour it into the container. If all this sounds too hard for you then stay tuned! Because I will talk about whether curing is even necessary.

What Will Happen If You Don’t Cure Your Beeswax Candles?

So, to cure or not to cure? This is a tricky answer. But first I wish to ask, are you making the candles for fun or not? If it’s just for fun then you don’t need to cure it. Just make sure it’s properly set and then light it up. But if you’re making it commercially then I would strongly advise you to cure the candles. If you don’t, here are the issues that might happen:

Hot throw: If you want proper fragrance and dissipation time then curing is a must. Curing creates that depth of beeswax scent which also lasts longer. It also travels faster from room to room.

Tunneling: Tunneling is a common problem in candles. It is a case where the candle doesn’t burn the nearby wax evenly. Hence, this creates a small round tunnel in the middle where the wax melts way more. So, curing can make the candle more rigid and prevent tunneling.

Mixing of oils and wax: The essential oils you mix with your beeswax needs some time in the mixture. This will create an ideal ratio of wax to essentials. So, if curing isn’t done, the fragrance might disappear after lighting it a few times.

So, now you see the benefits of curing? If you’re starting a business then cure every single candle. I want you to succeed in life and candles, okay? I hope you remember that.

How to Understand If Your Beeswax Candles Have Been Cured?

There is no proper time or definition to know when curing is complete. But you can look out for some changes in the candle with time like through color, and testing.

As I’ve said before, burn testing is a great method. It is the bread and butter for a good candle. Not only for testing the overall safety of the candle but also to know the curing condition. If you’re curing it to the point, then you will have a proper hot and cold throw.

Cold throw is the depth of fragrance a new candle gives off. Also, you can check out the color of the beeswax too. It should have a mild yellowish tint to it. Moreover, there will be a glossy finish with no blemishes.

Also, curing the beeswax candle for 7 days is great for an overall change in the color, rigidity, and throw of the candle. You might notice the candle turn a bit pale yellowish. But do not worry! Such changes come after the essential oils mix properly with the wax. So, make sure to notice these changes in your candle.

Conclusion

So, to summarize, beeswax candles take 7 to 10 days to properly cure. The time can vary from candle to candle depending on the size and oils you add. Also, certain methods can help the process go faster like the water bath. And, if you don’t cure your candle, you might face some problems like inferior hot throw and tunneling.

So, I hope I was able to teach you everything about how long do beeswax candles need to cure. Thank you deeply for reading it till the end. Keep making candles and never stop having fun with them! I’ll see you soon. Take care.

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