Why your candle isn't burning properly. On the influence of color pigments.

Why your candle isn't burning properly and what color and other substances have to do with it

Many people immediately think of wrong wax or an unsuitable wick when they encounter problems with burning behavior. But often the cause lies elsewhere. The influence that pigments in candle dyes can have on a candle's burning behavior is often underestimated when making candles. A simple test should help to clearly identify and explain the problem.

In this article, you will learn why too much candle dye can be problematic and how to avoid typical mistakes.

Candle burning poorly? A simple test shows the difference

For our test, we made two identical candles. They were produced under the exact same conditions and have the same composition. The same jars and wicks from our shop, 70 grams each of our Soy Wax 4130 and also the same amount of Vanilla Crème Brûlée fragrance oil were used.

The only difference lies in the amount of color. One candle was heavily colored with 2ml of black liquid candle dye, the other only minimally with 2 drops. Soon after curing, a difference became apparent during the burn test. While both candles initially behaved similarly, the more heavily colored candle developed a smaller flame after a short time.

 

After about two hours, the difference was clearly visible. The melt pool remained smaller in the heavily colored candle, indicating that the wick had to work harder. The next day, this effect intensified even further. The flame was small, unstable, and had difficulty developing properly. The less colored candle, on the other hand, burned calmly and evenly.

The Influence of Candle Dye on Burning Behavior

Why does a candle with more color burn worse? The answer lies in the candle's structure. A candle functions like a finely tuned combustion system. The wick draws liquid wax upwards, where it evaporates and feeds the flame.

However, if the wax is heavily enriched with pigments or other additives, such as fragrance oil or mica powder, its density changes. The consequence: the wick has difficulty absorbing and transporting the wax. As a result, the flame receives less fuel, especially with heavily opaque colors, leading to typical problems such as:

• small or unstable flame
• poor melt pool
• problems with relighting

Avoiding typical mistakes when pouring candles

Especially when making your own candles, it's tempting to use strong colors. But here's the rule: the right dosage is crucial. Too much color can throw the entire burning system out of balance.

If you want to achieve strong color results, you should gradually increase the amount of dye and test the result. Alternatively, it may be useful to adjust the wick to meet the changed requirements.

The combination of color and scent also plays a role. The more additives in the wax, the stronger the capillary action of the wick is affected.

Conclusion: Less color, better burning performance

If your candle burns poorly or the flame is too small, it's worth taking a closer look at the amount of color used. Often, the cause is not the wax, but too many pigments in the system.

With balanced dosage and coordinated materials, you can create not only visually appealing but also technically perfectly burning candles.