Candles By Victoria ~ FAQ

How Candles By Victoria Came to Be...

I started making candles in 1999 for myself because I was a huge candle lover but was always disappointed in the scent throw and burn quality that I got from store bought candles, even from the upper end candle companies. So in my quest for a better burning more fragrant candle, I started Candles By Victoria. I tested for over a year until I came up with the perfect wax formulation to give a full and complete burn all the way to the bottom of the candle. Then I tested and searched for the perfect scents for our line that would give off the strongest and most fragrant aromas!!

I requested the help of my friends and family to give me honest opinions and through many months of testing and reformulating, Candles By Victoria went public in May of 2000 and has been going strong and growing ever since! In June of 2006 I opened my first retail store, from my kitchen stove seven years ago to a small workshop on my property to the now 3000 + sq. ft. retail store where CBV currently resides, dreams do come true!

Candles By Victoria is my dream and my passion, I put my entire heart and soul into this business. I make each and every candle by hand in my store. I personally pour each candle, advertise the business, create and maintain the entire website, including 99% of all the graphics you see on it. Candles By Victoria is my full time job, and my #1 priority is producing a high quality, 100% handmade candle that burns and smells amazing! Customer service is very important to me as well and we will go beyond the normal call of duty to make sure EVERY customer is satisfied with their order and the service they receive.

The biggest and most important thing is that I LOVE what I do and I think that shows in every candle that I make.

Listen to our PodCast Interveiw!!
Candles By Victoria Interview

Read the article my daughter Chelsea wrote about Candles By Victoria for her school newspaper!
CBV Article

When I give to you what I make with my
hands, I share with you my heart

Price Increase...

Paraffin prices are expected to rise by another 10-20% by the end of June. Up until now, paraffin has seen only moderate increases in price when compared to the volatile soy wax prices. While Candles By Victoria is committed to providing competitive prices, we are seeing huge price increases, which are driven largely by increasing fuel and transportation costs. Historically, Candles By Victoria has attempted to absorb as much of the increased costs as possible. However, since Candles By Victoria moves such a large volume of candles, our prices are very sensitive to current market conditions and have to be adjusted accordingly.

The History Of Candles...

For hundreds of years, fire has been used as a source of warmth and light. Out of necessity, candles were created to gain control of the fire and solve the heat and illumination problems. They were simplistic; made of wax, tallow or paraffin with a fiber wick running through the middle. They can be found in nearly every society and have been used since ancient times in mankind's rituals and rites of passage including those pertaining to the dead and ghosts thereof. Although the origin of candles is unknown, earliest evidence of candles dates back to fourth century B.C. in Egypt and Crete, where they were used to repel evil spirits through religious ceremonies. Traveling chandlers (candle makers) went door to door giving candle making demonstrations in the 13th century and the first candle molds were used in 15th century Paris. The 1800s brought us the Renaissance of candle making. Not much has changed although molds and products have improved.

Scents and Sexuality...

The pumpkin pie you serve after Thanksgiving dinner may be an aphrodisiac. In a study of male arousal conducted by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, the odor of pumpkin pie and lavender increased arousal in men by 40 percent, more than any of the other 30 scents tested. Doughnut and black licorice were the second most titillating scents for men. The scent of cucumber combined with the licorice smell of Good & Plenty candy appears to have the largest impact on female arousal. Lavender and pumpkin pie were also stimulating for women but no scent increased female arousal to the same degree as the male response, however. If baking pumpkin pie is out of the question, don't worry. Candles By Victoria makes it easy to work these scents into your bedroom!! Click here to read more about The Art of Romance and visit our color chart page.

Candles going to War...by Seth Hall

As hectic as our lives here at home can be, it’s often hard to remember that, somewhere else in the world, thousands of people are going through a very difficult, frightening experience.

Anyone trapped in a warzone understands that life is all too delicate. While men and women in expensive suits debate political strategies over dinner, soldiers and civilians on and near the battlefield do everything they can to stay alive. It’s not surprising that a calming influence is welcomed in such inhuman conditions.

This is true in the many nations that have felt the dark thunder of war recently, just as it’s been true for every battle ever fought. A soldier losing a comrade in her unit, or a father losing his civilian son in a random attack, both desperately need a beacon of bright light in their suddenly dark lives.

The effects of a candle are hard to quantify in a warzone, but the result is definitely positive. Sailors serving on the ground in Afghanistan relied heavily on a box of small candles mailed from home – not for light, but for peace. In a country that wasn’t their own, surrounded by an entirely new world, these sailors had little in the way of comfort. But what they did have, that small box of candles, kept them going when their emotions were running hot.

The sailors in this story are called Seabees, men that are trained to build, repair and, when necessary, fight. They build everything from roads to airfields, hospitals to entire bases – even schools and power plants. But doing this job leaves them in a very high-profile position in the eyes of anyone with violence in mind. Casualties are inevitable. Losing a friend in any situation is overwhelming, frightening and always unfair. For these soldiers, the box of candles they had tucked away suddenly had a new purpose: honoring the lost. Each night, in memory of their friends, a single candle burned. This act became a sort of tradition for the entire battalion and is practiced, whenever possible, to this day.

Candles have a deep place in the hearts of these soldiers, acting as a symbol of hope and healing when familiar faces are no longer with them. At home, the candle-light vigils held for the wounded and killed on all sides of the conflict are a powerful testament to the significance of a lone candle – soldiers aren’t the only ones that need a symbol of hope. A candle, burning quietly and gently, has a way of soothing broken hearts. Candles can’t talk to us, nor can they give us a hug. Instead, they whisper a tranquil warmth into our hearts – a silent promise that hope and peace aren’t far away.

Candles aren’t part of a soldier’s standard issue gear, but they are certainly a welcomed addition. Candles remind us of home, comfort and familiar things – rare commodities in our world of doubt and danger. It’s always wise to ask your military friend if they can receive candles, however, since some duty stations don’t allow them.

Bringing a moment of serenity into a hectic world can mean more to someone than a million dollars; if you have family in the military, sending them a letter and a candle will bring more joy than you might expect.

Candle Love...

A very wealthy man with two sons wanted to give his wealth to the son who would use it wisely. He thought of a test. He gave each son a coin small in value and size. He told them to buy something with just that coin, which would fill the house. The oldest boy priced big bulky items, but his coin wouldn't buy them. He finally bought a large amount of straw but as he spread it he realized that it would not fill the entire house. Meanwhile his brother came home with a small box. He went room by room and placed a similar item in each room from the box. CANDLES! When he lit the candles the whole house filled with light. Where there is light there is warmth, and where there is warmth there is love. May a candle from Candles By Victoria bring that same warmth and love into your home.

A Candle in the Window...

A lit candle in the window meant that the inhabitants of the dwelling extend warm greetings and are willing to offer their homes to weary travelers. Come in! Let us give you shelter!

Many nationalities, states, countries and religions take responsibility for the custom and tradition. Here are a few of the explanations:

The most widely accepted explanation is the history of The Christmas Candle:
The Christmas tradition of placing candles in your windows dates back to the very beginning of Christianity. A large candle was lit on Christmas Eve, symbolizing Christ, the light of the world. It was left to burn the whole night to mark the nativity-lighting the way for Mary and Joseph. This ancient custom still persists in several European countries such as France, England, Ireland and Denmark.

The first of the 13 original colonies, Virginia, takes credit for adopting the tradition in the USA, with its own twist:
A candle in the window is an old Virginia tradition, a gesture of welcome and a promise of warm hospitality to guests. The tradition of placing a candle in the window goes back to colonial times in the United States and much further in other countries. It symbolizes the warmth and security of the family hearth and signals loyalty to family members and loved ones who are not present in the home.

The Tale of Newport Candles is an interesting story:
Some communities are returning to the early custom of putting a small light in each window of the home to celebrate the holiday season and share the candle's warmth and glow with the passing world. Some say it originated in Newport RI and is a tradition that is worth spreading along the Revolutionary Road. The light event was repeated the week of March 6, 1781 when Washington reviewed the French troops in Newport. Then they also had a precession with candles. But the story goes back further to the arrival of the French fleet.

The town of Newport was at first stunned by the size of the French fleet and some were afraid they were about to be invaded. The story goes that revolutionary Committee of Safety knew otherwise and offered free candles so that every house would have a candle in every window that night to welcome the French. Rich and poor gathered up the free candles. When everyone had been served, it was announced that the candles were no longer free but that the display of lights had become mandatory. Those who had wanted to boycott this warm display of gratitude to our allies then had to buy their candles.

Did you know that a candle has a cure time?

Here at Candles By Victoria we pour your candles to order, we never pull anything off the shelf, everything is made fresh when you order it. Deb, who used to work here at CBV once said, "we are like the Burger King of candle companies, you order it and we make it up fresh!"

Once a candle "sets up" it looks finished, but there are still changes happening within the molecular structure of that candle that the eye cannot see. The wax and fragrance need time to bond to each other and fully transform. Just like fine wine gets better with age, our candles will get stronger with age. We recommand a minimum of 3 days of cure time for our candles. What this means to you is, if you order your candles on Monday and we pour them Tuesday they will ship Tuesday, depending on how long that order takes to arrive to you is how long of a cure time that candle has received. Most orders take 2-3 days to arrive to the customer once we have poured them and they leave our store, which puts that candle at the perfect "cure time", but some orders only take a day to arrive to the customer, which means you should allow that candle to cure another two days for maximum performance and maximum scent throw.

What does Scent Throw mean?

There are two terms when talking about "scent throw". The first is "cold throw", this is how the candle smells before it is lit, the first whiff you get of the candle when you open the lid. The second term is "hot throw", this means how the candle smells when it is lit, the radius of a candle's scent, ie the number of feet you can be away from a candle and still be able to smell it.

Many of the candles on the market today have a throw of 5 feet at the very best, I'm sure many of you have had your head practically inside a candle before and still couldn't smell it, we have all been there. With Candles By Victoria Candles, our throw is profound, and results from the liquefication of at least one-half-inch of wax, (better known as a "melt pool") from edge to edge that releases as many scent molecules as possible into the air of the a room in which the candle is being burned. For all of our candles, that means that if you light up an candle in the kitchen, you will more then likely be able to smell that candle when you walk in the front door.

The Notes...The Heart of our Candles...

Did you know a typical fragrance contains 30 to more then 200 different ingredients in infinitely variable proportions? The key to an amazing fragrance is the perfect combination of Top Notes, Middle Notes, and Base Notes.

The Top Note: This is the first impression. It is the fragrance the customers notice when they unscrew the lid of our candles.

The Middle Note: This is the heart and soul of the fragrance. It's most pominet after the top-note recedes. The middle note is what you experience while the candle is burning.

The Base Note: This is the note with tenacity, the lingering scent in our candles. This is what you smell even after the candle is extingished.

How does a candle work?

Candles really are an amazing lighting system -- the fuel itself is the package. There are two parts that work together in a candle:

The fuel, made of some sort of wax
The wick, made of some sort of absorbent twine

The wick needs to be naturally absorbent, like a towel, or it needs to have a strong capillary action (as in glass fiber wicks used in oil lamps). If you buy a length of un-waxed wick at a craft store and play with it, you will find that it feels like soft string and absorbs water very well. This absorbency is important in a candle because the wick needs to absorb liquid wax and move it upward while the candle is burning.

Paraffin wax is a heavy hydrocarbon that comes from crude oil. When you light a candle, you melt the wax in and near the wick. The wick absorbs the liquid wax and pulls it upward. The heat of the flame vaporizes the wax, and it is the wax vapor that burns. You can prove that it is wax vapor, rather than liquid wax, that is burning with two experiments:

If you place one end of a metal or glass tube (shaped like a thin straw, 4 to 6 inches / 10 to 15 cm long) into a candle's flame at a 45-degree angle, you can then light the upper end of the tube. The paraffin vapor flows up the tube and is the fuel for this second flame.
When you blow out a candle, you notice a stream of white smoke leaving the wick. This stream is paraffin vapor that has condensed into a visible form. It continues to form as long as the wick is hot enough to vaporize paraffin. If you touch a lit match to the stream, a flame will run down it and re-light the wick.

The reason the wick does not burn is because the vaporizing wax cools the exposed wick and protects it. You may have seen the camping trick of boiling water in a paper cup. The cup does not burn because the water inside cools it. The liquid wax does the same thing for the wick.

Paraffin wax will burn on its own, but it is like cooking oil, motor oil and coal in that you have to get it very hot for combustion to begin. An oil fire is intense and very hard to put out. Paraffin is the same way. In a candle, this works great -- only the tiny amount of wax on the wick is hot enough to vaporize and burn.

Frequently Asked Questions...

Q. What does triple-scented mean?
A. Here at CBV we triple scent every candle, what this means to you the customer is that you are getting the highest level of fragrance that the wax will allow. We use 3 times the industry standard, this is just one of the things that sets us apart from the mass manufactured candle companies. When we say highly fragrant candles we mean it!!

Q. What is the difference between a vegetable wax and a paraffin (petroleum-based wax)?
A. There have been several misconceptions floating around (especially on the internet) regarding paraffin waxes vs. vegetable-based waxes. Many proponents of vegetable waxes are making extravagant claims about their superiority to paraffin. It is important to realize that both are safe, viable "natural" raw materials with differing chemical compositions thus offering many varied benefits depending on end user applications.

Paraffin and vegetable-based waxes are derived from similar manufacturing processes where a "crude oil" is refined (hydrogenated) to obtain a "wax" product. Both exhibit similar physical properties that give them their "wax-like" characteristics. These properties include being solid at room temperature and having a relatively low viscosity at temperatures slightly above the melt point. Since each material is derived from a different natural base, the chemical composition greatly differs resulting in a very wide range of functionality.

As vegetable wax proponents seek to establish market share, there is a misconception that it must be done at the expense of paraffin waxes. Various manufacturers who utilize vegetable wax materials, have launched aggressive marketing campaigns designed to "disqualify" and "discredit" petroleum wax. Unfortunately, their negative publicity campaign has resulted in numerous misconceptions and generally unsupported scientific claims being promoted. It is important to clarify that both paraffin and vegetable-based waxes have been found to be biodegradable, safe, and effective when used in well-designed products.

Q. What type of wax do you use?
A. When making our container candles, we use our special secret Paraffin blend of wax which almost has the consistency of Crisco. Our creamy blend of wax has many advantages, one being the amount of fragrance we can add to this wax, it has a very high fragrance load which makes for extremely highly scented candles. Another great advantage of this wax is that container candles require a low melting point to burn off the wax and not leave a ring of unburned wax around the inside of the container. (The term for this is "wax hang up") Softer wax also makes a more strongly scented candle. With the soft wax, the scent molecules bind to the wax better and are easily released during burning making a very fragrant candle. Soft container wax also has a much higher oil content making a longer burning candle. When you purchase a candle from Candles By Victoria we guarantee you will have no wax hang up on the side of your jars. You will get a complete highly scented burn all the way to the bottom!! Our special blend of soft wax makes a candle unlike any candle you have experienced before.

Q. What kinds of testing for health effects have been done with fragrances added to candles?
A. According to the requirements of U.S. and European governments, extensive health and safety studies are conducted on fragrance materials. These include toxicological, pharmacology and skin contact tests. Because of the extensive testing and close relationship with U.S. candle and fragrance manufacturers, consumers can feel confident that scented candles are safe when used as directed.

Q. Do scented candles emit dangerous amounts of toxic pollutants into the air?
A. A properly burning candle produces water vapor and carbon dioxide, the same materials we exhale when we breathe.

Q. Are scented candles triggers for asthma and allergies?
A. Millions of Americans who use scented candles have positive responses to them. The small handful of consumers who may have a negative response should avoid burning candles with that particular scent and be sure to use candles in a well-ventilated area.

Q. Why does my candle jar sometimes turn black at the top?
A. The black you see is carbon. An excessively large flame will produce carbon due to lack of sufficient oxygen from the air in the jar to provide complete combustion. The updraft of hot gases from combustion hinders diffusion of air into the jar and that starves the flame of oxygen. The key for that perfect burning candle is wick maintenance. The wick must be trimmed to no more than 1/4" throughout the candle life. The candle can be burned for several hours without trimming. It is suggested that upon each candle lighting the wick be trimmed to our specifications.
Note: Burning a candle for longer periods of time than recommended can cause a wick to "mushroom" or produce a large black clump on the wick. Always keep your wicks trimmed to 1/4 inch and burn for only the recommended amount of time to prevent this effect.

Q. What is the best way to trim a wick?
A. As a bit of trivia, "Did you know that there is a difference between a candle snuffer and a candle extinguisher?" It is interesting to note that the charred wick-end was termed snuff. The scissor like instrument used to remove this char, or to trim the wick, was referred to as a snuffer. A candle extinguisher was a cone shaped cap at the end of a rod. Through the passage of time it has been a common error to think of a candle snuffer as an extinguisher. There are several ways to trim a wick. The most popular ways are with a pair of scissors or nail clippers. Or if you don't mind washing your hands (subsequent lightings), before re-lighting a solidified candle, simply reach into the jar and twist the wick. The wick will ordinarily break off at the precise height recommended. As a safety precaution, make sure that all wick trimmings and all other foreign materials are removed from the jar.

Q. What is the best way to extinguish a candle?
A. We ordinarily don't give this area of candle extinguishment much thought but there is a correct way. The best way to blow out a candle is to hold your finger in front of the flame and blow at your finger. The air will flow around your finger and extinguish the candle flame from both sides preventing hot wax from spattering. While on the subject, to reduce after burn wick smoldering, continue to blow until the wick glow is extinguished. This will prevent smoking of the wick upon extinguishing. Another way to prevent smoking is when extinguishing your candle, bend the lit wick into the already melted wax. This will extinguish your flame with little to no smoking. Do not use water as it can cause the hot wax to spatter and some candle containers to break due to the sudden temperature change. Additionally, do not use the jar cover as some have plastic filaments which may melt.

Q. Will my candle lose its fragrance if the jar is left uncovered?
A. No. This is a common misunderstanding. Remember, a candle is a solid not a liquid. Most liquids will lose their fragrance if left uncovered. Examples of this would include perfumes and colognes. At Candles By Victoria we thoroughly mix our fragrances within the wax and continue to agitate throughout the filling process. This assures that the fragrance is captured within the very structure of the candle and releases the powerful fragrance upon wax liquefying through melting. Occasionally a customer will drop one of our candles, shattering the glass. This gives us the opportunity to prove that our candles are scented throughout the candle, not just "topping off" surface scenting or wick scenting. This very well may be your answer when purchasing candles from others sources, which after a short time you say, "I can't smell my candle anymore!"

Q. Why after a couple of hours of burning do certain candles seem to lose their fragrance?
A. In all probability only the top surface of the candle was scented! At Candles By Victoria the entire wax batch is blended with our powerful fragrance oils and color. This assures even and constant fragrance discharge throughout the life of the candle.

Burning a Candle Safely

Few things are as captivating as the soft light and glow of a candle. But there's an art to burning a candle properly and safely. Never allow any candle to burn longer then 3-4 hours without extinguishing it, allowing it to cool completely, trimming the wicks, removing any wick debris, before re-lighting it. Wax does have a flash point and when it is reached due to extended burning times it can flash and catch fire. Candle care and candle burning is a responsibility, please burn wisely!

Remember, a lighted candle is an open flame. Be careful. Always follow the basic rules of fire safety when burning candles:

1. Always use extreme care when burning candles!
2. To avoid smoking when extinguishing your candle, bend the lit wick into the already melted wax. This will extinguish your flame with little to no smoking.
3. Our candles are HIGHLY scented. Please always keep your wicks trimmed to 1/8-1/4 inch and remove all wick debris before lighting each time.
4. Always trim your wick to 1/8 -1/4 inch before each lighting! This will keep smoking and sooting to a minimum.
5. Keep you're wicked centered at all times. Long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning and dripping.
6. Candle containers will become HOT, please handle with care and place all burning candles on a heat resistant surface.
7. Keep all candles out of the reach of children and pets! Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.
8. Never burn candles near anything that can catch fire. If your candle comes with decorations, i.e cinnamon sticks, raffia, etc. Please remove before burning!
9. Always leave 1/4 inch of unburned candle at the bottom of each container to keep from cracking containers and debris from igniting.
10. Extinguish a pillar candle if the wax pool approaches the outer edge.
11. Burn candles in a well-ventilated room, but away from drafts and air currents. This will help prevent rapid, uneven burning, and avoid flame flare-ups and sooting. Drafts can also blow lightweight curtains or papers into the flame where they could catch fire.
12. NEVER leave a candle burning unattended!! Always keep a burning candle within sight!! Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep.

Smoking or Sooting

A well-made candle should not soot or smoke when burning properly. However, noticeable smoking will occur whenever a candle’s flame is disturbed, which allows unburned carbon particles (soot) to escape. In fact, any candle can be made to smoke by causing the flame to flicker.

To minimize candle flickering, trim the wick to 1/4 inch before lighting, and place burning candles away from vents, drafts and other strong air currents. Consumers should know that the minuscule amount of soot produced by all candles is similar to that given off by toasters and cooking oils in the kitchen, and does not present a health concern.

About Lead Wicks

Safety is a top priority at the National Candle Association, which is why no member of the NCA (which accounts for 90 percent of all candles made in the U.S.) uses lead wicks. NCA members voluntarily agreed more than 25 years ago not to use lead wicks, and in 2000 asked all U.S. candle manufacturers to sign a formal pledge not to use lead wicks. Some imported candles reportedly have been found to contain lead wicks. Candles By Victoria strongly supports the Consumer Product Safety Commission's proposal to ban lead candlewicks from the U.S. marketplace.

Candle Burn Times...

8 oz. Containers ~*~ 60-80 hrs.
16 oz. Containers ~*~ 140-160 hrs.
20 oz. Containers ~*~ 180-200 hrs.
Coffee Cup Candles ~*~ 240-260 hrs.
Heart Tarts ~*~ 6-8 hrs. per tart

Did you know that a candle has a memory? When burning a candle for the first time, it's suggested that you burn it one hour for each inch in diameter. This will allow the pool of wax to extend to the outside and will prevent your candle from forming a "canyon" in the center. Burning a candle this way will also set its memory. Each time you burn the candle it will "remember" to burn to it's edge.

Disclaimer: Candle care and candle burning is a responsibility, please burn wisely! Candles By Victoria is NOT responsible for damage or injury due to lack of care and attention when burning our candles.

Candles By Victoria shall not be responsible for any injuries, damages or losses of any kind due to your use of any product purchased from Candles By Victoria. In any case, our maximum liability to you is the amount you paid for the product. Your purchase from Candles By Victoria signifies your acceptance of the aforementioned information and policies.