What Are Wicks Made Of?

Understanding Wick Materials

It may sound silly to underline, but candle wicks are essential components that facilitate the burning process and provide a steady flame. Without a wick, you don't have a candle. Learning how they are made will help you understand the performance of your candles and what you can do if you encounter issues such as sooting, tunneling, or other problems. 

Materials And Composition

Wicks can be crafted from various materials, each influencing the candle's performance. The most common wicks are made from 100% cotton, providing a clean and consistent burn. A cotton wick announcement on a candle label is not a sign of quality or a measure of luxury; it simply informs you that the wick is made of cotton. If you're familiar with cotton wicks, you can observe the candle's performance throughout its lifecycle and know what to expect. 

In addition to cotton, wicks can also be made from wood or composite materials, such as cotton combined with wood, for an aesthetic appeal and unique burning characteristics. Sometimes, wicks are made of hemp or other natural fibers, while at other times, they have a very slim metal core that helps them stay upright and centered. Usually, less expensive candles are made with metal core wicks; the metal is usually zinc. 

You may find candles with hemp wicks at craft or square markets, where everything is allegedly organic. I have tried them, and they are disastrous for the performance of a luxury candle. They may or may not light; they are flimsy, so they will fall down onto themselves, and they produce soot and smoke like any other wick. Equally, wood wicks don't offer a stable flame over time; the cracking sound they make is reminiscent of a fire burning, but it is actually due to cellulose pockets exploding, which can cause the flame to suddenly spike. I have nothing against hemp or wood wicks. They are just not suitable for my candles. 

When selecting a candle, determine the composition of its wick. The brand will usually explain this on its website, and sometimes, a label or a small booklet may also include some information about the wick. Generally speaking, candle companies will have invested many hours and considerable resources in their testing before launching a product and would have picked the best wick composition for their fragrance range.

The Role Of A Wick In Candle Burning

The wick primarily serves as the conduit for the candle's fuel, the liquid wax. Through the capillarity, the wick absorbs the liquid wax and transports it to the flame. This process directly influences the flame’s stability and size, which are essential for ensuring an even burn.

A well-functioning wick produces a steady flame that allows for optimal melting of the wax around it, thereby producing a strong fragrance diffusion. Contrary to popular myths, the flame does not disperse the fragrance; instead, it melts the wax, allowing the fragrance trapped within to be released by the heat and evaporate, thereby creating the diffusion of the fragrance.

If the wick is too large, it may create a large, flickering flame that burns too quickly. Conversely, a wick that is too small can result in a weak flame and incomplete combustion. I am sure you've experienced both. 

Sometimes, the flame will be significant at the start, and then it may decrease in size. You can always trim the wick by 1/8 inch to achieve a shorter flame if the flame is too tall. Generally speaking, a flame should be around 3/4 to 1 inch tall during the entire lifespan of a candle with a single wick. Multiple wicks inside the same container behave differently than a single-wick candle. 

Cotton, Core, And Braided Wicks

Cotton wicks can be braided, have a core, or be coreless. The varieties do not affect how you enjoy your candle, but the candle maker would have selected the best option based on the fragrance composition, wax type, and vessel type, it's part of their testing and research. It's not like you can walk into a store asking, "Can you show me what candles have braided wicks?" The store manager won't be aware of this detail. Braided wicks are generally stiffer, making them easier to work with. Flat braided wicks, consisting of tightly woven fibers, lie flat during burning and can self-trim as the flame curls in. The braiding or sometimes knitting of the wick is what makes it turn onto itself. A curved wick is not a sign of poor quality; it's a sign of a braided wick eating itself away, avoiding a long flame, waiting for you to go and trim the mushroom off its head. 

Additionally, braided designs help wick stability, making them suitable for both taper and pillar candles. You might also encounter square wicks, which feature four sides for better fuel absorption. These can be effective for larger candles needing a robust burn, providing a steady flame with an even wax melt. 

A cored wick will have an inner core, such as thicker cotton or other fibers, or made of cotton paper. A cored wick is stiffer, which helps prevent it from tilting sideways in molten wax. It's recommended by candle component suppliers, depending on the type of wax and fragrance you plan to use. During the early testing stages, my suppliers recommended wick types and sizes based on the wax I purchased from them and the details I provided about my fragrance compositions. 

Wooden and Specialty Wicks

Wooden wicks have gained popularity due to their unique aesthetic, which appeals to a specific customer segment. When lit, they produce a gentle crackling sound reminiscent of a fireplace, adding a cozy ambiance to any setting. These wicks typically burn slower than their cotton counterparts, thanks to their dense structure. Moreover, wooden wicks can be crafted from various types of wood, somewhat altering the fragrance throw and burn characteristics. 

What Does RHR Luxury Use?

RHR Luxury does not use wooden or hemp wicks; instead, we prefer to use 100% cotton wicks with a cotton core, and the cotton used in our wicks is sourced from recycled materials. Our wicks are twisted in almost all our candles, except for our Ultracore wicks, which are used in our colored, limited-edition candles and are knitted. Ultracore wicks are the latest technology to ensure a fully molten pool. 

Capillary Action And The Melt Pool

A candle wick primarily operates through capillary action, drawing molten wax up from the melt pool to the flame. When the wick is ignited, heat from the flame melts the wax around it, creating a melt pool. This pool not only serves as the fuel source but also regulates the rate of wax consumption. As the liquid wax travels up the wick, it vaporizes and combusts, generating the flame.

The fragrance in the wax is composed of many different materials, which, in turn, are composed of chemical molecules. Whether of natural or synthetic origin, there is always chemistry behind the fragrance composition, which dramatically affects wick performance. 

As I said above, the flame itself does not disperse the fragrance. The flame is there to provide constant heat for the molten wax pool surrounding it. But the wick itself will absorb particles from the fragrance and wax composition, which, over time, may affect how the flame burns. An accumulation of soot will cause a mushroom, a carbonic deposit at the tip of the wick, that, if left unattended, will continue to accumulate and ultimately affect the fragrance, making it smell burnt. This is the reason why candle makers insist on trimming wicks. 

Always look for care and use instructions in the packaging or at the base of a candle. A reputable candle maker will always include standard instructions. I chose to create my care labels tailored to my candles—a product of hundreds of hours of testing. The instructions included are tailored to the expected performance of my candles, and I want you to enjoy them to the fullest. 

RHR