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What is curing and why it matters for scented candles

If you’ve ever made a scented candle at home or bought a handmade one and lit it right away – you might have noticed it didn’t smell the way you expected.
The answer lies in a process called curing.

What is curing in candles?
Curing is the time needed for the wax and fragrance oils to fully bind and stabilize. It’s not just waiting – it’s a key part of the process that helps the candle develop its full scent throw and burn properly.

Think of it like maturing – similar to dough needing to rise or perfume needing to “rest” before it reaches its true scent.

The chemical process behind curing
When fragrance oils are mixed with hot wax, they aren’t fully “bonded” at first. These aren’t chemical reactions (no new compounds are formed), but physical-chemical interactions that increase stability.
During the curing process, the following happens:

– Scent diffusion – fragrance molecules spread evenly throughout the entire wax volume.
– Microscopic bonding – the wax and fragrance “lock” together in stable microscopic pockets, preventing premature scent evaporation.
– Wax stabilization – especially with plant-based waxes (e.g. soy), slower crystallization occurs, improving both burn quality and appearance.

How long should a candle cure?
– Gel wax: 1 day (ideally 3)
– Sunflower wax: 3 days (ideally 10)
– Rapeseed wax: 4 days (ideally 12)
– Soy wax: 5 days (ideally 14)
– Paraffin wax: 2 days (ideally 5)
– Beeswax: can be more than 2 weeks

If you want the best possible scent experience, it’s worth the wait.

What happens if the candle hasn’t cured enough?
– Weak or no scent
– Uneven burn (tunneling)
– Scent evaporates from the top layer, while the rest remains “silent”
– Shortened lifespan of the candle

What do we do in our workshop?

In our studio, every candle cures for the right amount of time before it reaches the customer. We don’t rush – because we believe a good candle should also have a soul.

Apple Cinnamon
Top: Apple
Heart: Red Fruits
Base: Cinnamon

Superfruit Cherry
Top: Red Berry
Heart: Black Cherry
Base: Vanilla Sugar

Black Berry Sorbet
Top: Red Fruits
Heart: Blackberry
Base: Vanilla

Wild Fig & Ylang
Top: Fig Leaves
Heart: Ylang-Ylang
Base: White Musk

Pomegranate
Top: Plum
Heart: Black Currant
Base: Vetiver

Black Orchid
Top: Bergamot, Jasmine
Heart: Ylang-Ylang
Base: Patchouli, Amberwood

Orange Sunrise
Top: Orange Peel & Bergamot
Heart: Grapefruit, Yuzu
Base: Bourbon Vanilla, Cedarwood

Spiced Winter Apple
Top: Red Apple
Heart: Clove, Ginger
Base: Cinnamon, Vanilla

Cactus Water
Top: Lemon, Apple Blossom, Melon, Green Stems
Heart: Water flowers, Aloe Vera
Base: Coconut, Vanilla, Musk

Lilac Bloom
Top: Green Leaves
Heart: Lilac
Base: Hawthorn

The Blanc gingembre
Top: Cardamom, Petit Grain
Heart: Ginger, Jasmine
Base: Fig Tree Leaves, Musk

Lavender Field
Top: Lavandin
Heart: Linaloe
Base: Fir Balsam

Apple & Pear
Top: Green Apple
Heart: Golden Pear
Base: Vanilla

Anti Tabac
Top: Bergamot, Petitgrain
Heart: Lily-of-the-Valley, Ylang
Base: Patchouli, Amber

Lemon Yuzu
Top: Lime
Heart: Yuzu
Base: Bergamot

Citronelle Essence
Top: Citronella
Heart: Citronella
Base: Citronella

Minor D
Top: Bergamote, Aldehyde, Ylang
Heart: Rose, Jasmine, Orange Blossom
Base: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetyver

Flavius
Top: Jasmine, Caramel
Heart: Amber, Cedar
Base: Oakmoss, Amber

Adagio
Top: Mandarin, Orange blossom, Pear
Heart: Jasmine, Raspberry, Rose
Base: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk

Daragonfly
Top: Apple, Grapefruit, Galbanum
Heart: Cedarwood, Cardamom, Vanilla
Base: Sandalwood, Tonka, Amber

Madness
Top: Bergamote, Nutmeg, Mandarin
Heart: Lavender, Violet, Clove bud
Base: Patchoulz, Amber, Oakmoss

White Ginger Ylang
Top: Geranium
Heart: Orchid
Base: Amberwood

Fir Balsam
Top: Cypres
Heart: Oak
Base: Benzoe Blsam

Charmant
Top: Nutmeg, Lemon, Grapefruit
Heart: Jasmine, Cedarwood, Geranium
Base: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetyver, Oakmoss

Gaufrette 1970
Top: Bergamot, Lemon
Heart: Jasmine, Ylang, Tuberose
Base: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Musk

Echo
Top: Basil, Juniper, Cypress
Heart: Geranium, Violet, Rose
Base: Patchpuli, Moss

Biceps
Top: Italian lemon, Orange Brazil, Fir balsam
Heart: Lavender, Petit grain, Jasmin, Sambac
Base: Oakmoss, Amber, Santal, White musk

Iris
Top: Cerdamom, Violet, Fig
Heart: Jasmin, Rose
Base: Iris, Santal

Epice Doux
Top: Cinnamon, Ginger
Heart: Dry fruits, Clove
Base: Vanilla, Tonka bean

Blue Light
Top: Orange Blossom, Lemon, Honeysuckle
Heart: Warm smooth rose
base: Wood

Fig&Spa Essence
Top: Bergamotte, Green Grass, Green Leaves
Heart: Jasmin, Iris, Ivy Leaves
Base: Velvet, Amber

“I cannot imagine a better invention than candles that would burn without a need for trimming.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832)

Let’s briefly forget about our high-tech world and take a look at the scientific mechanics of a candle flame. When we light a candle wick, the heat of the flame melts the wax. Capillary action carries this liquid wax up the wick and causes it to change into gas as soon as it reaches the end. This releases molecules of hydrocarbon.

Molecules break down into smaller molecules that react with each other and with oxygen in the atmosphere. The hot gas emitting heat from the reaction area heats the solid carbon particles to a glowing incandescence. These carbon particles are what create the pleasant warm, yellow flame of the candle.

Since not all carbon particles burn completely, some residual particles are released. This is why soot (fine carbon particles that didn’t burn) or carbon residues (larger carbon particles that didn’t burn) are formed.

Although no candle flame will ever be completely free of soot, the amount of unburned carbon particles can be minimized by using the best raw materials for candles and wicks that are made or treated to bend and reach the top of the flame where the temperature is highest.

Today, natural products are the fastest-growing segment in the market and probably the biggest trend in fragrances, with a projected growth rate of 9.6% from 2019 to 2024. Due to the demand for natural fragrances, this opens up a pathway for growth in the fragrance industry.

Marketing Trends
Multinational brands have already started to influence this trend. For example, in 2008, SC Johnson acquired the green brand Mrs. Meyer’s, and just last year, Air Wick introduced its own natural and eco-focused products with its Botanica line.

What factors contribute to such growth? The biggest role in this is played by consumers’ lack of knowledge, as they are obsessed with entirely natural products. While all product ingredients must meet the same safety criteria, most consumers still opt for natural products because they believe it means they are safer and healthier.

Understanding “natural fragrances”
As much as the major manufacturers are present in this field, they also influence regulations, so we still do not have a universally accepted definition of a natural ingredient, creating a huge space for defining ingredients in the “natural” category.
The key point is that the ingredient must occur in nature, which is sufficient for the industry to start and develop a product.
There are many ways to design a product with a natural look, as can be seen in the following text.

Regarding the advertising campaign for products in trend, there is also an informal qualification.

When the label reads “contains 100% natural fragrances,” it means that the product may contain ingredients that are 100% natural according to ISO 9235 standards.

When the label reads “made with,” it means that the fragrance contains natural essential oils. The product formula may contain many synthetic ingredients, but it must contain a carrier of natural ingredients.

“Naturally derived” means that the product may be made from natural or synthetic ingredients that were originally derived from materials found in nature. Many raw materials available for sale are already made from natural sources, which is a good way to support their sustainability while giving the manufacturer a wide range to work with.

A fragrance labeled “nature identical” is made from ingredients found in nature but is synthetically made to promote sustainability. Many natural fragrance ingredients are becoming rare and hard to find. By using synthetic equivalents, manufacturers can consistently provide high-quality products and protect the environment.

When using plant-based raw materials to make products, we get a “vegan” product. Such fragrances must not contain components of animal origin or petrochemical-derived materials.

This option includes essential oils and natural plant-based fragrances, as well as synthetics if they are plant-derived.

Unlike vegans, “vegan-friendly” has a similar range but may also include petrochemically derived materials.

Since fragrances from animal-derived materials are mostly not found in manufacturers’ catalogs, many fragrances fall into the category of “vegan-friendly.”

Ingredients and finished products labeled “Cruelty-Free” are not tested on animals, which applies to all aromatic materials.

For fragrances to originate from “sustainably sourced” means that the ingredients must be collected from sustainable sources.

This classification allows for the use of synthetic fragrance ingredients.

Currently, the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) has defined 150 essential oils, 800 natural isolates, and 3000 synthetic bases.

By combining all of the above, we get fragrances, but only 100% natural fragrances are used in our scented candles.

What is the situation in the market?

We know that all global markets are regulated, but how?

The American market is regulated in a way that, for example, it is not mandatory to label the content on the product, so, for example, their leading candle manufacturer does not disclose the content for their scented series, but rather describes the candles: “Pumpkin, baked with cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, sweetened with brown sugar.”

In addition to global standards, the European Union has its own standards for the EU, and each member state has its own, such as Italy and France, just like Slovenia.

Among all vegan products, candles are perhaps the most complicated to determine the origin of the material, as unlike food, their compositions are often not found on the label, if they have a label at all, making it difficult (or impossible) to determine the vegan status of candles.

In terms used in today’s market (in marketing), such as “vegan,” “vegan-friendly,” or “cruelty-free,” there are huge differences. The question is simple: does the material contain ingredients of animal origin? Is it enough to trust the manufacturers’ answer: “It does not contain ingredients of animal origin, we swear.”?

I make candles, and do not believe me on my word, because there are many reasons for this. I support Manchester United (and Olimpija), I drive a Suzuki (previously German and French cars), I have an Airedale Terrier (I also love cats), I have been smoking for over thirty years (currently IQOS), and so on…

Simply put, candle makers (sometimes just “chandlers”) have been making candles from materials purchased on the market for over 1,000 years. And that will not change. We work with materials supplied to us, and we will never be able to say that any ingredient is 100% accurate, because… if they lie to me, I lie to you too.

If the material contains a percentage of paraffin, the candles are not vegan, because paraffin is a derivative of oil, of fossil origin, and who knows what fossil residues contain. Maybe even human tissue!?

If it contains stearin – they are not vegan, because it is of animal origin and is added to increase the melting point, so the candle can be properly shaped in the mold. It usually contains about 10% stearin.

If the material contains beeswax – the candles are not vegan, because bees are additionally tortured (with human selection, killing queens, and the like).

Fortunately, today we have organizations that deal with this. They determine whether a particular product is vegan or not and give it a seal, a certificate.

The same applies here. If this organization lies to me, I lie to you too.

Candlemaster Ltd has certified five of its products. Why only five and not all? Simply put: it costs. It costs, on an annual basis.

The V-labes certificate for vegan candles has been awarded to the following three products: My Baby, eTNA, and DRY Dry Wax.

Today, these are the only certified vegan candles in Europe (and we are proud of that).

The V-Label is an internationally recognised, registered symbol for labeling vegan and vegetarian products and services.