FAQ

ON FIRST BURN, When lighting your candle for the first time, burn for at least 2 hours to allow the top of the wax to melt completely. This will prevent tunneling in the future! TRIM YOUR WICK, Always trim your wick to 3mm-5mm before each use (use your nails, wick trimmer or nail clipper). TIME FOR A NEW ONE, Do not burn your candle for more than 4 hours at a time and never burn a candle all the way through - discontinue use when there is 1.5cm of wax remaining. Wash jar/tin and re-use or recycle :)

If your wood wick isn’t staying lit, it could mean that your wick is either too long or short. You may need to trim your wick for a proper burn. The easiest way to do this is by pinching off the top burnt bits with your fingers or using a small tool like a nail clipper or wick trimmer. You should regularly trim the wicks of your candles to ensure a crisp burn. We recommend a length of 3mm – 5mm.

If your wood wick is flicking, dwindling in size or burning out, there’s a chance there may be a 'glitch' in the timber of the wick (these aren’t always visible as no two wood wicks are the same). Some wood wicks can take a few goes to get started. A few relights may be required but once lit, it should burn well! We’ve had some experiences where it took 4-5 tries.

Don’t worry, we looked this up too when we were in the testing phase! Turns out, this is the best way to know your candle is made from 100% soy. Bumpy surfaces are super common with soy wax — it happens when the candle cools at an inconsistent rate. Sometimes your candle can dry with an uneven surface and sometimes it will dry smooth as ever. The good news? This is all-natural and does not affect the performance of your candle.

Your candle can tunnel if you extinguish the flame before its optimal burn time, leaving a literal ‘tunnel’ around the outside. This leftover wax means your candle won’t achieve its maximum burn potential and can become difficult to light later on. We never want that to happen, so please ensure you are burning your candle until the entire top layer is liquid wax. This way it will set evenly with no tunelling.

Don't stress! There's an easy fix if you've accidentally tunnelled your candle. What you need to do is create a foil wrap around the sides and top of the tin, then poke a hole to light the wick. This will create an oven inside the candle for the edges to melt down. Make sure on first burn to always leave your candle lit until all the wax has melted to the edge, as this forms a memory ring for the next burn.

If you see beads or small oil build up on the top of your candles, your candle might be sweating. Sweating is notorious in 100% soy wax candles and is a sign that the product is all natural. Soy wax is sensitive to extreme temperature changes, causing the natural oils to separate from the wax and leaving pools of oil on top. Sweating will not affect the quality of your candle at all. You can simply wipe off the excess oil with a tissue. To avoid this in the future, make sure to keep your candles away from drafts, direct sunlight and room that vary in temperature.

Good question, we’re all about upcycling at VDA! To properly clean your jars, first you’ll want to remove any additional wax on the inside of the jar. You can do this by heating up your jars in low simmering water to melt the wax. Once melted, discard the wick and add a little bit of water so it sets to a firm block. Remove the block of wax with a fork, then wash the inside with some soap and water. If you want to remove any labelling, you can simply use a hairdryer (works like a charm.)

We are super transparent about how our candles are made and packaged. In our candles, we use 100% natural soy wax, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood wicks and recyclable tin cans. Our packaging contains biodegradable peanuts with cards made from 100% post-consumer paper and water-activated tape. The boxes we use are recyclable, containing at least 50% recycled fibre, plus our samples are sent out using compostable mailers. The only plastic materials we use are adhesive on wick stickers and label stickers, although we are actively trying to find greener alternatives to this!

Oh no! This is definitely not something we want happening. But rest assured it’s on its way! If there still aren’t any updates, feel free to contact us at vdacandle@gmail.com and we’ll get to the bottom of it for you. We appreciate your ongoing patience during this time.

Due to the nature of our products, used candles cannot be exchanged or refunded. Please note we also do not offer refunds on change of mind purchases. However, we’ll be more than happy to replace or refund products damaged during transit. If your candle was damaged during shipment, please contact us at vdacandle@gmail.com with proof of damage within 48 hours of receiving the order.

Yes, we can do wholesale orders and custom candles for any event! Please reach out to us at vdacandle@gmail.com with more details.