Natural Candle Buying & Care Guide NZ

A natural candle is made from plant-based wax, such as soy wax or coconut wax, rather than paraffin, which comes from petroleum. When it is scented only with essential oil, it contains no synthetic fragrance oil. At Lavender Backyard Garden®, our candles are hand-poured in Waikato, New Zealand, using lavender essential oil steam-distilled on-site from our spray-free fields.

Essential oil candles are scented with pure plant extracts — in our case, lavender essential oil steam-distilled directly on our Waikato farm. Fragrance oil candles use synthetic compounds that mimic natural scents but may contain phthalates or other artificial chemicals. For those who prefer natural home fragrance without synthetic additives, essential oil candles are the cleaner option.

Tunnelling happens when a candle burns down the centre without melting the wax to the edges. To prevent it, allow your candle to burn long enough on the first use for the entire surface to liquefy — this sets the wax memory. For a standard-sized candle this typically takes one to two hours. Always trim the wick to approximately 5mm before relighting.

A general guide is no more than three to four hours per burn session to protect the wax pool from overheating. Extinguish the flame and allow the candle to cool completely before relighting. For the first burn, always allow the full surface to melt to the edges before extinguishing — this prevents tunnelling on all future burns.

Soy candles scented with pure essential oil produce less soot and no petroleum byproducts compared to paraffin candles. However, some essential oils can be irritating to cats and dogs in high concentrations. Always burn candles in well-ventilated rooms, keep them out of reach of children and animals, and never leave a burning candle unattended. Consult your vet if you have specific concerns about your pets.

Once 5 to 10mm of wax is left, blow the candle out and let the jar cool. Put the jar in the freezer for an hour so the remaining wax shrinks and lifts out easily, then wash the jar in warm soapy water. Our candle jars can then be reused for storage or as small plant pots.

Lighter, fresher scents such as lavender with rosemary or eucalyptus work well in home offices and spaces where mental clarity is valued. Warmer, softer lavender scents are ideal for bedrooms and living areas. Avoid very strong scents in small enclosed spaces. Our Focus Candle with lavender and rosemary is designed for work and focus spaces; our Votive Soy Candle is suited to relaxation and winding down.

Lavender Backyard Garden® is a Waikato-based lavender farm that produces and sells natural lavender candles online, with delivery across New Zealand. Our candles are hand-poured in small batches using essential oil from our own spray-free Lavandula × intermedia 'Super' lavender fields, harvested each New Zealand summer.

Our 60ml soy wax votive candles, including the lavender votive and the lavender and rosemary focus candle, burn for up to 12 hours. Our 100ml coconut wax candles, including the classic lavender, musky lavender and patchouli, wild lavender and vetiver, and luxury celebration candles, burn for up to 25 hours. Burning for three to four hours at a time and trimming the wick to about 5mm helps you get the full burn time.

For a special occasion, our Luxury Celebration Lavender Coconut Candle comes in a white glass jar and burns for up to 25 hours. For a bigger gift, our lavender candle gift set pairs two 100ml coconut candles in a box with a mini lavender bundle and a bookmark. Our 60ml soy votive is an easy add-on to any gift. All are hand-poured on our Waikato farm and delivered across New Zealand.