Before talking about safety, what are wax melts ? Well to sum it up in just 2 words they are just wickless candles. The advantage of wax melts is that they are much stronger than candles as there is no naked flame burning the fragrance away. When heated, they release their fragrance, but do not evaporate so last longer. Wax melts are a fabulous alternative to candle as because the the wax is not burnt they are more ecological, especially so if you are using an electrical wax warmer.
Enjoy your wax melts but please use them safely ! To do so please use the following safety guidelines :
- Remove any packaging, place the wax melt on your dedicated wax warmer
- Only use an electrical or candle device that is specifically designed for burning wax melts
- Observe the wax melt at the beginning to ensure that the wax melt is not producing too much wax for the warmer. If you are unsure break the wax and add piece by piece.
- If there is too much wax turn off the wax warmer and wait for it to cool completely. Remove a good portion of the wax melt and turn on again
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Set your wax warmer on a stable heat resistance surface and out of the reach of children and pets
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Never add water to hot wax
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Do not ingest the wax melts, they may look and smell good but they are not edible!
- Ensure your tea light burner is not in places near drafts or flammable objects (such as curtains), but in a well-ventilated area.
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Never leave a lit wax melt warmer unattended
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Never move a lit or hot wax warmer
- If using a candle lit wax warmer use 4 hour burn unscented tea lights only, to avoid your burner getting too hot.
- If using an electrical wax warmer use for a maximum of 4 hours to avoid the burner getting too hot
Be careful when choosing wax burners/warmers, 10-12cm height is recommended between the base and the bottom of the wax holder to ensure that there is at least 6.5cm space above the flame. The warmer should also be well ventilated.
If you opt to use tea lights choose vegetable wax tea lights with a cotton wick. The majority of cheap tea lights found in shops are made with paraffin wax which release potentially dangerous chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and phthalates.
CHANGING YOUR WAX MELTS
Once you can no longer smell your fragrance or just want to try out a new one you can remove the old wax and keep it for later or dispose of it if there is no more fragrance.
To remove the wax wait until it is completely cool and pry the wax out with a small spoon or spatula. If this is proving too difficult you can warm the wax for a few seconds only so that it will not be too hot but just enough to loosen it around the edges. Turn off the warmer and then pry it out.
