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Colorado Candle Co.

Do Candles Expire? How Long a Candle Keeps Its Scent

A candle doesn't go off like food, and an older one is still fine to burn by the care label. What fades is the fragrance, slowly, and how you store a candle decides how fast.

Updated

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Shown: Vanilla Bean, 9 oz amber jar, $20

The short answer

No. Wax and wicks don't spoil, so a candle has no use-by date. What changes is the fragrance: the oils slowly evaporate from the surface of the wax and oxidize. CandleScience, a large supplier of candle wax and fragrance, says most fragrance oils last about one year, so a scented candle smells closest to new in its first year or so.

How to tell a candle is past its best

  • The scent is faint when you lift the lid, and it fills the room less once lit.
  • It smells different: flat, stale or slightly sour, which is what oxidized fragrance smells like.
  • The wax has yellowed or discolored, usually after time in sunlight.

White, crystal-like patches on soy wax are frosting, not age. It's cosmetic; here's what frosting is.

Is an old candle safe to burn?

If it looks and burns normally, yes. Treat it like a new one: trim the wick to ¼ inch, burn it for no more than four hours at a time, and keep it in sight. An older candle may smell weaker, but age alone isn't a reason to throw it out.

How to store candles so they last

  • Keep the lid on. Our 4 oz amber jars and 9 oz amber jars come with a black lid; put it back once the wax has cooled. It slows the fragrance escaping and keeps dust off.
  • Keep them cool and out of the sun. Heat speeds up evaporation, and sunlight breaks down fragrance and can discolor wax. CandleScience gives 65–85°F as the ideal range for fragrance oils; ordinary room temperature is fine.
  • Not in a hot car. A parked car in summer gets hot enough to soften soy wax.
  • Unlidded jars in a cupboard. Our 11 oz glass tumbler and 16 oz glass jar have no lid, so keep spares in a cupboard or a box until you light them.

How long a candle lasts once you light it

Shelf life and burn time are different questions. For hours of burning by size, from about 25–30 hours for a 4 oz amber jar to about 60–80 hours for a 16 oz glass jar, see how long candles last.

Ours arrive fresh

Every candle is made to order and ships within 2–5 business days of your order, so it hasn't been sitting in a warehouse. Shop the candles.

Source: CandleScience, how long do fragrance oils last.

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