If we’ve ever spoken about loose incense warming, chances are I’ve said to you, “Don’t forget to trim your tealight wick!”. It sounds simple, but it’s really a crucial step in getting the most out of your ceramic incense holder. And because we’re talking candle wicks, the principle applies to all candles— whether jarred, column or taper. A little care in trimming your wick will ensure that you set yourself up for the cleanest and most fragrant olfactory experience possible.
I love to think of our incense holder as a little stove. Someone once commented that the holder was a “herb BBQ” and while I think the comment was meant to be facetious, the individual was really quite correct. There is a heat source, the candle, and there is a little pan where you can place items to “cook”. Like a stove, you have the ability to control the temperature. The length of the candle wick will control how much heat the incense on the stove receives. If you use a new tealight candle and light it without trimming the wick— you’ve just set your stove on high temperature. The wick is the medium for transporting the fuel (the wax), so with a long wick, you’re giving the candle more fuel. At high, you can expect a bit of smoke and more delicate plant material like lavender and rose will begin to burn.
By trimming your candle wick before each usage you’re turning down the heat on your little incense stove. I always aim for a 1/8” - 1/4” inch wick. By keeping your wick short, you’ll receive minimal smoke (if any) and experience a longer lasting, sustainable fragrance. It’s just one small step, but it’s the single most important thing you can do for a cleaner and more enjoyable incense experience.
Happy incense warming!