Palm Wax Candle Spiced Pear (cream/green) bartlett pear, cinnamon

There is concern over black soot deposition and indoor candle air pollution. Homeowners have begun to complain about the "dark film" around electrical outlets, computer screens, curtains, and the like.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission met with the National Candle Association to discourage the use of lead-cored wicks. To our knowledge, very few American manufacturers ever used lead wicks, although some, until recently, used zinc core wicks. The issue of exposure to lead (or other metals) from burning candles seems to be related to the steep increase in imports of candles from Asia. These low-cost candles typically consist of low-grade paraffin (containing impurities) and metal core wicks.

Black soot can be a problem, especially with candles made of inferior waxes and fragrances. All candles emit soot. The amount of soot a candle releases depends on the quality of the fuel (wax and fragrance) and the way in which the fuel is burnt.

Therefore, to create the cleanest burning candle, the following criteria have to be met:

• Top grade "fuel". The waxes and fragrances used should burn up entirely and evenly.
• A finely tuned "carburetor". The wick should be carefully calibrated for each type of candle.
• Control of the "airflow" around the flame. The flame needs a sufficient and continuous supply of fresh air (oxygen).

O UR WICKS are made of top grade cotton, braided and treated to burn most efficiently. We have never used lead or zinc in any of our wick materials. Most of our wicks have a tiny paper core, which prevents the wick from collapsing into the liquid wax. Each wick is designed for our specific was blend, fragrance concentrations, and jar size. If the wick is too small, it will not consume the fuel as fast as it is melted. Conversely, if the wick is too thick, it will cause the flame to smoke. We also found that better results are achieved with multiple small wicks as opposed to a single thick wick. All our wicks come from the most respected wick manufacturer in the world: a German company that has produced quality wicks for generations, while staying on the leading edge of wick technology. Failure to keep the wick trimmed to 1/4" at all times will cause any candle to smoke.

OUR SPECIAL WIDE MOUTHED JARS were chosen to regulate the airflow around the wick and to insure that nearly all the wax in the jar actually burns up. Excessive wax left on the sides can interfere with the airflow. When the neck of a jar is too narrow, the fresh air is sucked into the jar in gusts, causing the flame to flare up and belch smoke. In many cases by the time the jar candle is consumed, the whole neck of the jar is black with soot, which indicates that a lot of soot has been released into the room.