It was made to Burn | The First Burn of your Beckah Beeswax Candle

There is something rather lovely about lighting a new candle for the first time. Until that moment it has remained exactly as it left my hands, the wick unburnt and the surface untouched and then you light it, and it begins to change.

The wax warms around the flame, the scent of beeswax rises and that perfect surface slowly disappears. The candle is no longer simply an object sitting on a table. It has become candlelight, which is exactly what it was made for.

There is plenty of advice around about the first burn, and sometimes you could be forgiven for thinking you need a degree in candle making before you're allowed to strike a match.

You don't.

The first burn matters, but it doesn't need to be complicated. Give your candle a decent burn when you can, let a melt pool begin to form and take notice of how it is burning. You don't need to sit beside it waiting for every last millimetre of wax to melt because you've been told you'll ruin your candle if you don't.

A little wax around the outside isn't necessarily tunnelling. There is a difference between a candle tunnelling badly and a beeswax candle developing a wall as it burns, and different shapes and sizes will naturally behave differently.

A well-made candle has already had much of the work done for you. The wax has been prepared, the wick chosen and the candle tested before it ever reaches your table.

Your part is fairly simple. Keep an eye on the flame, trim the wick when it needs it and never leave a burning candle unattended. Some larger candles may need a little tending as they burn.

Give the first burn some thought, but don't organise your evening around achieving a perfect melt pool.

If dinner is finished, blow the candle out.

There will always be another match and another evening of candlelight.