Expiration Date on Wax?

Lots of products have "best by" or "sell by" dates on their packaging... But when you think of an expiration date, you're typically thinking about food or other perishable items.

What about candles? Does wax go bad? Does time have an effect on the potency of your candle?

In this blog, we'll describe the ways that a candle might be affected as it ages, as well as explain some simple ways to prolong the life of your candle as long as possible.

Do Candles Expire?

Candles do not expire like something in your refrigerator might go bad... Rather, if not taken care of properly over time (more on that later), candles can degrade in several different ways.

Things that might happen to your candle if stored improperly:

1.) Lose their scent - The first part of a candle to break down is typically the fragrance. Jackpot Candles are made by blending a scented oil (fragrance) with 100% soy wax. Over time, even though your candle may look normal, these fragrances can evaporate or break down, meaning although it still burns, it won't throw a strong scent. 

2.) Lose their color -Have you ever left a decorative candle in the sunlight? Maybe on your fireplace mantle? Over time, you'll start to notice that these candles begin fading, getting dusty, and overall losing their bright, waxy appeal.

Plant-Based Candles

Jackpot Candles is fully committed to using 100% soy wax in our candles. Beyond being an excellent candle fuel, soy wax is all-natural and good for the environment. 

Although it's incredibly rare (and our bet is you won't ever run into this because you'll be burning your Jackpot Candles so often *wink wink*), a soy-based candle could potentially "go bad," simply because it's made of organic material. Although it's in a wax form, soy is still derived from a plant. Same goes for the fragrance oils we use, which are in most cases harvested from organic sources.

We recommend using our candles within two years of the purchase date... We're not sure how you'd resist the jewelry surprise hidden in every Jackpot Candle for even more than a few days though!

How Can You Protect Your Candle?

There are a few easy ways to prolong the length of your candle's life - this is especially important if you've purchased a soy wax candle or it uses natural fragrances (like Jackpot Candles candles). Here are a few methods to keep in mind:

1.) Keep it out of the sun - . The first step is to keep it out of direct sunlight. This is because UV radiation breaks down materials over time, causing colors to fade and scent to dissipate. You may have noticed that objects left outside or near a window will fade over time, and this follows the same principle. If your favorite candle placements expose them to sunlight, move them to a more shady spot once you are finished burning them.

2.) Use your candle's provided cover -Some candles come with a plastic cover or paper slip to keep the surface of your candle from gathering dust. Rather than toss them away, hold onto these covers and replace them when your candle has cooled off. It will keep your candles clean and protected when they are in storage.

3.) Keep your candles in an airtight container - If you keep your candles in something airtight, it can keep them smelling as strongly as possible. As we mentioned in the above section, a lid might suffice... But if not, it's a good idea to invest in something airtight. This is also a great way to keep your candles out of the sunlight - as long as your storage container is opaque!

Other Ways to Savor Your Candle

Beyond keeping it out of the sunlight, there are lots of ways to ensure the long life of a candle. 

The first burn of a candle is paramount to the overall life of a candle. Here are some great tips for the initial burn, and preventing the onset of candle tunneling.

Jackpot candles also utilizes wooden wicks in some of our candles - these are a renewable resource that is not only good for the environment, but also gives off a lovely cracking sound when lit. There are a few tricks to ensuring a successful burn with your wooden wick candle - learn more about them here.