Candle Frosting – What Is It and How To Prevent It
If you have candles at home, you may have noticed a crystal growth on the wax or a white coating. This is commonly referred to as frosting or blooming.
The particular phenomenon may not be aesthetically pleasing, so you will likely want to get rid of it. Luckily, even if your candle begins to experience frosting, it does not affect the scent throw or how the candle burns.
It also is not an indicator of poor quality. Read on to learn more about candle frosting, including what this phenomenon is, and how you can prevent it or deal with it in your own candles!
What Is Candle Frosting?
First things first, what is candle frosting, anyway? Candle frosting, or as it is also known, blooming, is when a crystal like or whitish coating appears on the wax of a candle.
Usually, it occurs on the top or the sides of the candle wax. However, this only occurs with soy wax. If you have beeswax or paraffin wax candles, then you will not encounter candle frosting.
Candle frosting is an aesthetic issue, but it does not affect how the candle will burn, or how the candle throws the scent. It occurs naturally and is a sign of the wax trying to return to its original state. Because of this, candle frosting is not an indicator of candle quality!
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How To Prevent Candle Frosting
There are some ways for you to avoid candle frosting. After all, you likely want your candles to look uniform and aesthetically pleasing.
Below, we will explain how to treat or prevent candle frosting in your candles, whether you are making the candles yourself or have purchased them from a vendor.
Mix Wax Slowly
One of the first tips for avoiding candle frosting when a candle is being made is to mix the wax slowly. When you melt the wax down and then begin to mix it too quickly or vigorously, this can lead to candle frosting. This is a perfect example of why taking your time and taking it slow is always the best course of action! It will yield better results.
Pour Wax at Low Heat
If you are making candles, another thing you can do with your wax is to pour it at low heat. Instead of pouring your wax into your jar or vessel when it is very hot, let it cool a bit before you pour. However, do not let it cool too much, as the wax will harden and return to its original state!
Preheat Glassware
A third tip for preventing candle frosting when you are making your candles is to preheat your glassware. If you are using a glass jar or vessel to hold your candle and pour the wax into, then you will want to preheat this. Be careful, though, as you do not want to make it too hot! Do this in an oven at no lower than 100 degrees.
Apply Heat to Get Rid of Candle Frosting
If you are experiencing candle frosting, you can apply heat to get rid of it, at least temporarily! Use a heat gun to apply heat to wherever you see the frosting occurring. Slowly heat these areas and watch the frosting disappear! You should also be sure to melt a thin layer of the wax on top of the candle to allow for the air bubbles that are trapped within to escape.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my candle look frosty?
If the wax on our candle, whether on top or on the sides, has a crystal-like or white color coating, then this is called frosting. Another name for frosting is blooming.
This is a characteristic that occurs naturally with soy wax. So, if this is happening to your candles, it is a way to determine whether your candles are made with soy wax rather than beeswax! It also means that this is nothing to be concerned about, as it is something that occurs naturally.
How do you fix frosting on candles?
When your candle is frosting or blooming, as it is sometimes called, you may not want it to continue. After all, if you use your candles as decor, too, it is not a good look!
You likely want your candles to look uniform and be in tip top condition. An easy way to fix the frosting on your candles is with heat. You should slowly apply heat to the areas of the candle where you see the frosting occurring. Also, you should melt a small layer of wax on top of the candle so that the trapped air bubbles in the candle can be released.
Does frosting affect the candle?
If you see a crystal-like coating, or a whitish coating, appearing on your candle, this is referred to as frosting. Some others may call it blooming instead. Of course, you may be concerned about candle frosting and whether or not it affects your candle’s health!
Essentially, frosting is just the wax returning to its natural state.
When in its natural state, the wax is often more opaque. Frosting, or blooming, is something that happens specifically with soy wax candles. Luckily, frosting does not have any effects, adverse or otherwise, on how your candle burns or how the scent throws, either.
Does paraffin wax cause frosting?
Frosting is when your candle has a crystalline or white color coating. This is produced in soy wax, when the wax tries to return to its natural state. If you have a soy wax candle, you have likely seen frosting before.
However, paraffin wax does not do this. If you use paraffin wax candles rather than soy wax, you may not have run into the frosting before. With paraffin wax candles, though, the wax may shrink as it cools, so it may need a second pour at the manufacturer to fill the jar or vessel properly. Therefore, there are pros and cons for both kinds of candles!