Candle Making Safety Tips

Many of these candle making safety tips are common sense. Even so, please read them every time you begin a new candle making project to ensure you have these important safety guidelines fresh in your mind. You will be working with very hot wax. Following these candle making safety tips will help avoid fires, burns, and mess.

Some of these tips are very easy to follow, while others are not so convenient. Remember that candle making is rather time-consuming. It is important that you plan your other activities accordingly.


These candle making safety tips apply to methods that involve working with hot wax. For a no melt method you and your kids can safely enjoy together, see bees wax candles and beeswax taper candles. For another no melt method, see how to make a candle using granulated candle wax.


Candle making is not an appropriate activity for small children.

• Candle making involves working with hot wax. It also often includes using fragrances and essential oils that may be irritants and even toxic substances. These activities are not appropriate for young children.
• If you plan to have your older children help you make candles, be sure to review these candle making safety tips with them before you begin and to supervise them at all times during the process.
• Keep small children and pets away from your work area from the time you start setting up until you have finished your project, cleaned up, and put all your supplies away.
• Always store your candle supplies well out of reach of children and pets.

Do not use water on a candle wax fire!

• Never use water to put out a wax fire. Treat a wax fire the same as a grease fire.
• Switch off the heat source. Use a traditional fire extinguisher or suffocate the fire with a saucepan lid, fire blanket, table salt, or baking soda.

First aid: Have a large bucket (or sink) nearby filled with cool water.

• Remember – this water is NOT to be used to put out a wax fire! It is for you to use if you get hot wax on your skin. If you do get wax on your skin, submerge the affected area in the water immediately and leave it there until the wax has cooled. Then if the burn is a small and minor one, just peel off the wax.
• For more serious burns (second or third degree burns with blistering or charring), submerge the affected area in the water but leave the wax on, then call a doctor or go to the hospital.

Never leave melting wax unattended.

• All other activities simply must be put on hold while you are melting your wax. Do not leave melting wax unattended for any reason, even briefly. In a twinkling, a fire could break out or your child or pet could topple over the pot of molten wax!
• Gather all the materials and equipment you will need for your project before you begin heating the wax to avoid having to leave the wax unattended while you look for them.

Wear protective clothing when working with hot wax.

• Protect yourself from burns by wearing a long-sleeved shirt (without billowy sleeves or big cuffs), a heavy apron, long pants, shoes with closed toes, socks, and gloves (oven gloves or form-fitting gardening gloves).

Remove flammable materials from your work area.

• This includes even your kitchen curtains if they are near your heat source. Take them down until you have completed your project.

Never melt wax over direct heat.

• Always use a double boiler or a wax melter. Do not put wax in a pot on direct heat. It is too difficult to control the heat and the flash point may be exceeded. Unlike water that bubbles when it starts to boil, wax just gets increasingly hotter until without warning it starts to smoke. This will not happen if you are heating your wax properly using a double boiler.
• Do not allow the water in your double boiler to boil dry.

Never set your burners at maximum heat.

• If you are using your kitchen stove, start at the low setting and work your way up until the desired temperature is reached. You probably will never need to go higher than low or perhaps one setting above low to reach the desired melting point temperatures when using a double boiler.

Never fill the pot to the top.

• Never fill your pot all the way to the top with candle wax.

Keep an eye on temperature of wax.

• Candle wax is flammable. Always watch the temperature of your wax.
• Paraffin wax begins to smoke and may ignite if it reaches a temperature higher than 212° F (100° C).

Do not pour wax down drain.

• Pour your left over wax into an empty milk carton or jar. Do not pour it down the drain. It is bad for the environment. It also will clog your sink and coat your pipes with a flammable material.
• Also, do not pour the water from your double boiler down the drain. This water almost certainly will have at least a little melted wax in it.

Wipe up spilled fragrances and essential oils promptly and avoid their contact with your skin.

• Be careful when measuring fragrances and essential oils. Some cause irritation to the skin or some may even eat through plastics. Wipe up drips immediately. Wash your hands immediately if you get these substances on your skin.