Frequently asked questions

About our products

What wax do you use?

We use a variety of waxes in our candles and melts, including soy/vegetable and vegetable /paraffin blends. Because of the high vegetable content our waxes haves a character of their own that can lead to changes in appearance over time or after burning, but these won't affect performance and we think of this as part of its character. Our waxes are more difficult to work with - it takes more time to perfect each new candle that we develop, which of course also increases our production costs, but we feel the end result is worth this extra investment. Our vessels are easy to clean and reuse as our wax is water soluble - something that is important to us given that we promote reuse and offer a refill service. Our handmade candles are not only of exceptional quality, they are also a more sustainable and therefore eco friendly product.



What is curing?

Vegetable based wax candles need a week or so to 'cure' before they should be burned. While burning before this time won't do any harm you won't get the full fragrance impact from your candle. For any made to order candles we will include a small card advising you of the recommended 'cured by' date where applicable.



How long will my candle keep for?

We recommend that when not in use our candles are stored in a damp-free location and not exposed to excessively high or low temperatures or strong sunlight, and that they are best used within 12 months of purchase to ensure optimal performance and fragrance.



How long will my reed diffuser last for?

How long a reed diffuser lasts does depend on where it is placed and environmental factors like temperature and drafts. The number of reeds you use will also affect how quickly it is used up. We supply 7 reeds but recommend you use the minimum number needed to give you a satisfactory level of fragrance. Provided our reed diffusers aren't placed in strong sunlight/next to a heat source or draft, our reed diffusers will normally last an average of 3 months, and often a good deal longer! Inverting the reeds every couple of weeks can refresh the fragrance although gloves should be worn when handling the reeds and care should be taken not to spill the contents.



What are essential oils?

Unlike fragrance oils which are synthetic perfumes, essential oils are compounds extracted from plants, often obtained by steam distillation. They are highly concentrated and are known for their wide ranging therapeutic benefits. Most scented candles use synthetic fragrance oils. Candles which use essential oils are also known as aromatherapy candles as the oils have aromatherapeutic benefits when burned.



I've heard that scented candles give off unsafe chemicals, is that true?

There have been lots of studies and articles in recent years suggesting there may be health concerns associated with burning scented candles, although many of these have not been proven scientifically. The reality is that all scented products (including perfumes, household cleaners, air fresheners etc) release a small amount of particulate matter into the air, but candles produce this in such small quantities this would be far less than those encountered on a short walk outside. We personally think that small pleasures matter in life and as lovers of candles making our products as eco-friendly as possible allows us to enjoy candles responsibly without guilt. The bottom line is that candles which are well made, by reputable companies, and which are properly wicked and contain high quality ingredients, are unlikely to cause any harm when used on a regular basis, unless users have issues with severe asthma, allergies or other breathing difficulties. As with all things in life, it is about moderation: limiting burning times to around 4 hours at a time and ensuring your home is well ventilated will significantly reduce any impact.



How long is it safe to burn a candle for?

It is recommended that you burn candles for a maximum of 4 hours at a time. We recommended our smaller amber jar candles are burned for a maximum of 2-3 hours at at time. With scented candles any pets should have the opportunity to leave the room in case their sensitive noses are not keen on the scent.



How do I know your products are safe?

Safety is our number one priority. We comply with all relevant legislation including European CLP safety labelling requirements and follow best practice recommended by the British Federation of Candle makers. All of our candles are tested thoroughly prior to selling, we will provide instructions to our customers on safe use of our products and we will never use risky embeds such as glitter, botanicals or crystals in our candles. All of our containers are specifically for candles and for safety reasons we will only offer a refill service on our tins and not glassware, which may have invisible faults from a customer's previous use.



Why can't I smell my reed diffuser yet?

Our reed diffusers usually take a couple of days to soak into the reeds when first used. Some fragrances are heavier than others and so take a little longer to do this. If you still can't smell your diffuser as strongly as you would like after the first few days we recommend changing the position. Some positions simply don't have as good an air flow as others and so the scent cannot diffuse into the room as successfully. Reed diffusers provide a subtle background fragrance and are most effective in smaller spaces.



Why do your melts come in those little crinkly bags?

These are glassine bags and they are fully recyclable, biodegradable and compostable. Glassine is a type of paper that is made air, water and grease resistant through a non-chemical process. It is important that wax melts are stored correctly to ensure their fragrance doesn't leach out and diminish - something that would occur if melts were stored in anything made of paper, fabric or plastic. We recommended that you continue to store your melts at home in our bags to preserve their scent, or otherwise transfer to an airtight tin.



What makes the little green candle company eco-friendly?

For us being eco-friendly is about so much more than simply the wax we use or having recylable packaging. To us it means: - Our reduce and reuse philosophy. Our packaging is not only always fully recyclable or biodegradable, but also reusable and minimal. No unnecessary presentation packaging; no glitter or dyes; refill options for our candles and diffusers. - Using ethically sourced ingredients which are vegan and cruelty free; - Offering excellent value 'bundles' to encourage less frequent postal orders; - Making local doorstep deliveries on foot or in our zero emissions vehicle; - Being aware of, and proactively trying to reduce, our environmental impact in all that we do. At the same time, we will always be upfront about what you are getting from us, and why, with no meaningless, misleading or nonsense claims - for example about 'non-toxic' or '100% natural' waxes. Check out our blog section if you'd like to know more.



I can buy candles that are much cheaper than yours. What's the difference?

Hundreds of hours of testing, combined with the very best candle fragrances money can buy plus several years of experience! Most folks don't realise how difficult it is to make a beautifully scented and well burning candle. There are so many variables with every single fragrance, wax and container combination - trial and error is part of the process. In terms of ingredients, like most things in life, you do get what you pay for - we only use the very best and we test test test to find the perfect recipe. Good candles aren't created quickly - or cheaply. But we will always offer our products at the best value prices we possibly can. Which is why our products are often much cheaper than other similar premium products.



Why do your tin candle refills have a two week turn around from receipt of returned vessels?

Our refills are made to order as part of a larger batch of candles. Offering refills is an important part of our reduce waste philosophy but we also want to make sure they are made in as efficient a way as possible. This means avoiding individual pours which are not only unfeasible as a business but are also wasteful of the energy that goes into making candles (e.g. melting the wax etc).



Why do I have to wait two weeks for delivery of my Jesmonite piece?

As each of our Jesmonite accessories are individually handmade to order we advise to allow approximately a two week turn around to receive your order.



Store/Order Queries

What is your delivery charge?

We offer free delivery for orders of £30 or more. We are also able to offer free delivery to the following postcodes: NE25, NE26, NE30 - please select the relevant delivery option when checking out. For orders under £30 our standard delivery charge is £3.95. Please allow up to 7 working days for delivery. This is because some of our items are made to order. For this reason we do not currently offer a next day delivery option.



Can I collect my order?

We regret that collection of orders is not possible as we are a small home based business, however we offer free local doorstep delivery on all orders to NE25, NE26 and NE30 postcodes. It is occassionally possible for local customers to collect orders, for example if we are due to sell at local markets. Please contact us before placing your order if you are interested in this option.



What is your return policy?

In accordance with distance selling requirements, customers have a right to cancel their order within 14 days of receipt of their goods. A full refund will be issued provided the full order is returned undamaged within 14 days of cancellation. Customers must bear the cost of returning the goods. For further information please read our full Terms & Conditions available at the foot of the page.



Which payment methods do you accept?

We accept credit and debit card payments as well as via Paypal. Our checkout process is secured with Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption. TLS is the industry standard used to protect online transactions with customers. Additionally we only use payment gateways that offer the highest level of security protection.



The item I want is out of stock or not available in the quantity I would like

As a small business we keep our stock levels low but replenish regularly. If something you are looking for is currently out of stock on our website, just email or message us with the details and we will let you know as soon as it is back in stock. Similarly if you want to buy larger quantities of an item than is currently available, just contact us and we can organise this for you no problem.



About us

What makes the little green candle company eco-friendly?

For us being eco-friendly is about so much more than simply the wax we use or having recylable packaging. To us it means: - Our reduce and reuse philosophy. Our packaging is not only always fully recyclable or biodegradable, but also reusable and minimal. No unnecessary presentation packaging; no glitter or dyes; refill options for our candles and diffusers. - Using ethically sourced ingredients which are vegan and cruelty free; - Offering excellent value 'bundles' to encourage less frequent postal orders; - Making local doorstep deliveries on foot or in our zero emissions vehicle; - Being aware of, and proactively trying to reduce, our environmental impact in all that we do. At the same time, we will always be upfront about what you are getting from us, and why, with no meaningless, misleadnig or nonsense claims - for example about 'non-toxic' or '100% natural' waxes. Check out our blogs section if you'd like to know more.



How do I know your products are safe?

Safety is our number one priority. We comply with all relevant legislation including European CLP safety labelling requirements and follow best practice recommended by the British Federation of Candle makers. All of our candles are tested thoroughly prior to selling, we will provide instructions to our customers on safe use of our products and we will never use risky embeds such as glitter, botanicals or crystals in our candles. All of our containers are specifically for candles and for safety reasons we will only offer a refill service on our tins and not glassware, which may have invisible faults from a customer's previous use.



Candle Care

How long is it safe to burn a candle for?

It is recommended that you burn candles for a maximum of 4 hours at a time. We recommended our smaller amber jar candles are burned for a maximum of 2-3 hours at at time. With scented candles any pets should have the opportunity to leave the room in case their sensitive noses are not keen on the scent.



My candle has a lid - should I put this on when not using my candle?

Yes, absolutely! Once your candle is fully extinguished, pop the lid back on it to keep it clean and free from dust. It will also help preserve the life of your candle. Most of our candles come with lids for this very reason.



Why does my candle's wick have a black build up on it after burning?

In the candle world we refer to this build up of carbon as mushrooms. They should never be enormous but a small amount of 'mushrooming' is normal with certain fragrances. However it is important that after every burn, once your candle has cooled and before relighting it, you trim your wick back to around 0.5cm long. You should do this every time, regardless of whether any mushrooming has developed or not. It is really important since it will ensure your flame doesn't get too high, and will stop a very large mushroom developing, which can lead to debris falling into your wax. You can use special wick trimmers for this but scissors are also fine.



Why does my candle still have some wax left on the side of the container after a few burns?

This could be for a number of reasons. Tunelling is where a lot of unmelted wax remains around the sides of the container as the candle burns down. Tunelling can happen if too small a wick has been used, but it can also happen if a candle is lit for short bursts rather than longer burns of 2-4 hours. Wax has a 'memory' when it solidifies and then remelts, so it is important that the first couple of burns in particular are longer burns (up to a maximum of 4 hours) which will allow the melted wax pool to extend towards the sides of the container. With container candles it is balancing act between ensuring there is a good melt pool with a decent scent 'throw', but avoiding too big a melt pool and everything becoming too hot as the candle burns down nearer to the bottom. It is often no bad thing if there is a little wax remaining on the sides near the start of a candle, and this 'hang up' of wax will usually melt and disappear later on in the candle's life as it burns lower down and things get hotter. In the case of our tins in particular you will often find there is some wax on the sides until the candle burns lower down - this is deliberate to ensure the best overall burn over the life of the candle. Another reason a candle might burn unevenly could be due to the curling of the wick. Some wicks are 'self-trimming'. These wicks actually curl slightly to one side, which means that the flame burns slightly off centre so there ends up being more unmelted wax on one side of the container. As above, this isn't usually a problem as long as the right size of wick has been used, since any 'hang up' of wax on one side will gradually disappear as the candle gets near to the bottom and things get a bit hotter.



How do I know your products are safe?

Safety is our number one priority. We comply with all relevant legislation including European CLP safety labelling requirements and follow best practice recommended by the British Federation of Candle makers. All of our candles are tested thoroughly prior to selling, we will provide instructions to our customers on safe use of our products and we will never use risky embeds such as glitter, botanicals or crystals in our candles. All of our containers are specifically for candles and for safety reasons we will only offer a refill service on our tins and not glassware, which may have invisible faults from a customer's previous use.