What type of wax do you use?

We use paraffin wax for our candles, as in our experience, no other wax performs as well as paraffin. The Wax Lyrical paraffin wax blend was developed after extensive testing. It has excellent fragrance throw and performs very well for all other properties such as appearance and stability.

We also offer a vegetable wax blend which can be bought in our RHS Wildscents range.

Where does paraffin wax come from?

Paraffin wax can be found naturally, occurring on the leaves and fruits of many plants, such as on the skin of apples. Most of the paraffin wax used today is derived as a by-product from crude oil, which contains the wax from the plants that lived 500 million years ago. The wax exists, unchanged, as a fraction of the crude oil and is simply separated from the oil and cleaned.

What is the difference between paraffin wax and other waxes, like soy?

Both paraffin and soy candles have their strength and weaknesses. There is no such thing as the perfect candle wax for containers. Candle makers have to balance the following competing attributes;

• Good appearance
• The wax should look good naturally and also be easy to dye.
• Perfume
• The cold and hot throw performance.
• Burn performance
• No sooting, smoking, tunnelling or clubbing.
• Stability
• No fading or bleeding.

Are your products vegetarian/vegan friendly?

All of our products are vegetarian friendly, and nearly all of our products are vegan friendly. The only products that are not suitable for vegans are some of our vegetable wax candles, as these contain beeswax. We do not test any of our products on animals.

What do the terms 'fragrance throw', 'cold throw' and 'hot throw' mean?

Fragrance throw is how strong the fragrance smells – therefore, cold throw is how the candle smells when it’s not lit and hot throw is the strength of the fragrance when the candle is lit.

What is 'sooting'?

Sooting is as it sounds – the appearance of soot, whether this is coming off the wick when it burns, or when soot appears on the container of the candle. When we test all of our candles during the burning process, we look at what blends of wax and wick has minimal/no sooting to put into production.

Jars are prone to sooting more than other types of containers, due to hot and cold air mixing, a process which we call turbulence. But, we test which wax and wick produce minimal sooting to give you the best product we possibly can.

How can I get my candle to burn down evenly?

When a candle burns down the centre without melting the wax at the edges, we call it tunnelling. Tunnelling can happen for a variety of reasons. At Wax Lyrical, we don’t like tunnelling, so we try to make candles that create an even pool of wax as they burn. We do this by formulating our wax to melt evenly and by selecting the right wick for every single blend of wax that we make. But, you can help with this too! Our advice is to always burn your candle until the melted wax reaches the edge before putting out the flame.

How do I stop the build up of black carbon on the wick of my candle?

‘Clubbing’ is when there is excessive build up of carbon on the end of your wick after burning. You shouldn’t see heavy clubbing on your Wax Lyrical candle, as we blend our wax and fragrance to avoid it. In the unlikely event that your Wax Lyrical candle starts clubbing, let us know. 

Why does my candle wick self-extinguish or drown?

The wick on your candle shouldn’t ever self-extinguish until the wax has burned right down to the bottom of the jar or pillar.  However, if your candle has been standing in a draught, it may have burned unevenly and in that case, the wick could self-extinguish before it has chance to burn down all the wax. 

Why does wax look like it’s pulling away from the side of my candle jar?

We make our wax filled candle jars by pouring molten wax into our glass jars.  As the wax cools it shrinks and pulls away from the glass slightly. We call it ‘pullaway’ and it's par for the course in candle making.  That said, we’ve found ways to minimise pullaway at Wax Lyrical, as we pride ourselves on making beautiful candles that will look gorgeous in your home. 

How long will my candle burn for?

This completely depends on the candle – please see each individual candle’s page on the website to see the burn time.

Do you use different wicks for different candles?

Yes, we do! We have a variety of wicks and we select the best one for the type of wax. We test all our wax and wick combinations in our Burns Room, to check for sooting, clubbing and tunnelling. If we change even one small element of our wax, we need to test it again with our wicks, as a tiny change can have a big impact on the way a candle burns.

Are your candle wicks lead-free?

Yes, for many years the wicks in our candles have been free from lead.

What other tests do you perform?

Apart from the tests previously mentioned, we also make sure our candles not only burn great, but look great too – our other tests include making sure the colour of the wax stays consistent and doesn’t fade over time.

Why do you say not to place your candles on painted, polished or synthetic surfaces?

We want you to enjoy your home fragrance, without having to worry about our products damaging your home decor and furniture. We advise that you always place your candle on a heat proof surface to avoid damage. This is also why we also advise you to discard a candle when 5mm of wax remains.

Wax Lyrical’s Candle Tips

When re-lighting candles, trim the wick to about 0.5cm to avoid sooting and irregular burning. Keep the wax pool free of used matches or any other contaminants. These can act as secondary wicks and cause a much larger flame.

Tins: always place on a safe surface. Do not use the lid of the tin as a base.

Do not pour liquid wax down your sink – you will need to put this in a disposable container and once cooled, throw away with your normal household waste.

Our Top 10 Tips for Safe Candle use are as follows:

1. Never leave a candle burning unattended.
2. Burn well out of reach of children and pets.
3. Keep well away from flammable items.
4. Observe minimum distance between two burning candles.
5. Only stand on inflammable surfaces – use suitable containers or candleholders.
6. Do not expose the candle to draughts or other air flows e.g. radiators.
7. Keep the burning bowl free of impurities and flammable materials.
8. Extinguish sooting, flickering candles – trim the wick and/or rim before re-igniting.
9. Do not move the candle so long as the wax in the burning bowl is still liquid.
10. Never extinguish burning candles with water.

Diffuser FAQs

How long will my reed diffuser last?

It’s impossible to say as the rate at which our natural reeds absorb the fragrance oil and diffuse the scent into your room depends on a couple of things: how warm your room is, whether there’s any draught and even the type of fragrance of your diffuser. So, if your reed diffuser is above a radiator, on a mantelpiece or on a draughty window sill, it will diffuse fragrance more quickly than if it’s in a slightly cooler part of your room, out of a draught. 

To prolong the life of your diffuser, why not use less reeds? Although we provide a good amount of reeds for each diffuser, it doesn’t mean you need to use them all.

What size of room will my reed diffusers fragrance?

This all depends on how strongly you like to scent your room.  Wax Lyrical reed diffusers are some of the strongest in the business because we blend a lot of fragrance into our oil.  We suggest you start with one reed diffuser in your room.  It will start diffusing scent immediately and within a couple of hours you should notice it when you walk into the room.  Give yourself chance to get used to your newly fragranced room over the course of a few days and if you think you’d like a more intense fragrance then you can add a second reed diffuser.  If you’d prefer a temporary fragrance boost then we suggest burning a candle or spritzing a room mist in the same fragrance as your reed diffuser.

What do I do if my reed tips dry out?

Reed tips can dry out if your diffuser is standing in high temperatures, for example, above a radiator, or in a draught.  That’s because warmth and draughts make the fragrance oil evaporate quicker.  If you notice the tips of your reeds have dried out and there is still oil in the diffuser bottle, simply turn the reeds over and they will diffuse a fresh burst of fragrance into your room. 

Why does one reed diffuser have wet reeds but another have dry reeds?

Reeds come in different sizes – the shortest being 15cm and the longest being 30cm. The shorter, 15cm reeds almost always look wet. The longer, 30cm reeds are much more prone to be partially dry, as the longer the reeds, the further the diffuser oil has to travel to reach the end of the reeds.

Are different reed diffusers made up of different oils?

As of 2020 we are beginning to use a more natural fragrance formula in our reed diffusers. The blend can be found in all new reed diffusers (2020 new ranges and collection re-launches) and the non-alcohol blend means the fragrance will last even longer in your home.

What are the benefits of a reed diffuser?

Reed diffusers are a great way to continually fragrance your home. You also don’t need to worry about having a naked flame or leaving your reed diffuser unattended.

Do your reed diffusers use pure essential oils?

Our reed diffusers are a blend of ingredients so that they are effective and as safe as we can make them. Pure essential oils can be quite allergenic which is why we do not just use essential oils.

There is a bung or piece of foam in the top of my diffuser - how do I get the reeds in?

You will need to remove the bung, or unscrew the lid and remove the piece of foam before adding the lid back on and placing your reeds into the bottle.

Wax Lyrical’s Reed Diffuser Tips

1.    To increase the impact of the fragrance, flip the reeds from time to time. The more you flip them, the faster the fragrance oil will diffuse, but the fragrance intensity will be stronger.

2.    If you prefer a more subtle fragrance use fewer reeds. This will mean less area to soak up the fragranced oil, which will create a softer fragrance. It’s equally as important to use no more than the number of reeds allocated to each product as this can impact the length of time you can enjoy the product.

3.    Store your diffuser away from a radiator, out of direct sunlight and away from any drafts to maximise the longevity of the fragrance.

4.    The perfume has an impact on lifespan so consider this when you choose your reed diffuser. Light fragrances such as citrus or lavender will diffuse quicker than heavier wood or amber scents.

Room Spray FAQs

Are your room sprays safe to use around my family?

Yes, as room sprays are water based, they won’t cause harm to your children, pets, husbands, grandmas, granddads, aunties, uncles, nieces, nephews or Great Aunt Edna.

Why can’t I see a room spray in my favourite range?

We don’t make a room spray for all our ranges, unfortunately. But let us now if you do want to see a room spray in a specifc range, we love to hear from you!

What are the benefits of a room spray?

Room sprays are a great for an instant burst of fragrance in your room. As they’re water based, they’re safe to spray around your family and around furniture. We’ve manufactured the sprays so that they create a fine mist, rather than droplets. They’re also great value for money, with around 1500 sprays per bottle.

Wax Lyrical’s room spray tips

When storing your room spray, we recommend placing it out of direct sunlight, as over time, it may discolour the liquid.

Before spraying anything in a room, please take into consideration the people in it – anyone who suffers from asthma could be negatively effected by sprays of any kind.

Scented Sachet FAQs

Why don’t my scented sachets smell any more?

The fragrance of scented sachets will very slowly fade with time and also depends on the environment they’re placed in – they may last longer in a drawer at home than in a hot car over summer. To drier and cooler the space they’re placed in, the longer their scent will last.

Do I remove the packaging before I can use my scented sachets?

The only packaging you need to remove is the cellophane wrapping and the sachet will do the rest. No matter if you place it in your car, wardrobe, drawer or suitacase, the special paper permates the scent of your chosen fragrance.

Company FAQs

Where are you based?

Our offices and factory are based in Lindal-in-Furness, Cumbria, on the doorstep to the English Lake District. We also have our retail outlet based here, plus other concessions throughout the country. 

How long has the company been in existence?

From starting in a garage in 1980 to now having just invested £1 million in our Cumbrian factory, we’ve come quite a way. We’re celebrating our 40th birthday in 2020.

Do you manufacture your own products?

97% of our products are made in our Cumbrian factory, a fact we’re very proud of! We’re working towards 100% of our products being UK-made.

Do you test on animals?

No, we do not test our products on animals.

Are you accredited?

Yes, we are accredited by many different bodies and work to meet regulations and requirements across the business.

• BRC accreditation
• RSPO certified
• General Products Safety Regulations (GPSR).
• CLP
• Fragrance Policy
• Environmental Policy
• Glass Policy
• Carbon Footprint Strategy
• REACH

Candle standards:

EN 15494 – Candles Product Safety Labels

EN 15493 – Candles Specification for Fire Safety

EN 15426 – Candles Specification for Sooting Behaviour

EN 16738:2015 - Emission safety of combustible air fresheners. Test methods.

EN 16738:2015 - Emission safety of combustible air fresheners. Methodology for the assessment of test results and application of recommended emission limits.

EN 16740:2015 - Emission safety of combustible air fresheners. User safety information.