How Luxury Hand Poured Candles Are Made, and What You Are Paying For

A luxury candle costs more because of what goes into it and how carefully it is made. The difference lies in the wax blend and the quality and amount of fragrance, plus a wick matched to each scent. Hand finishing, curing time and burn testing add to it too. Some of the price is also the name on the label.

Pick up a £60 candle and a £6 candle, and in the jar they can look almost the same, so what does the extra money buy? We make candles ourselves, so we wanted to answer that honestly. Below you will see inside a famous candle workshop and learn which parts are worth paying for. Then we show you how to judge any candle before you buy.

Inside one of the world's oldest candle makers

Trudon is often called the oldest candle maker still working. It was founded in Paris in 1643 and supplied candles to the royal court at Versailles. A Business Insider film took cameras inside its workshop, and it shows where the money goes.

• Wicks are straightened by hand: one worker pinches and straightens about 3,000 wicks in two and a half hours. A crooked wick burns unevenly.
• The biggest candles are filled by hand: five large wicks are fixed to the base of the jar before the wax goes in.
• Every candle gets a second pour: wax shrinks as it cools and leaves gaps at the edges. Workers wait for it to set, then pour again to fill them.
• Fragrance goes in at the last moment: the wax melts overnight, and the scent is added in the morning, just before pouring.
• Each scent gets its own wick: the lab picks the wick size for each fragrance, based on how that scent's formula burns.
• Candles are test burned all day: a lab burns them in scent chambers, checks the smell from time to time, and checks how well they burn.

At the time of filming, a large five wick candle cost $660, and a smaller one cost $52. The film noted that the smaller candle was over three times the price of a mass market candle of a similar size.

What makes a candle luxury?

Price alone does not make a candle luxury, but the seven things below do.

1. The wax

Wax holds the scent and controls how cleanly and evenly the candle burns. Cheaper candles often use plain paraffin, which comes from petroleum, but luxury makers tend to use plant based waxes or careful blends. Trudon, for example, told the film crew it now uses mostly vegetable based wax with some paraffin.

No single wax is "best", because soy, rapeseed, coconut and paraffin all burn differently. A good maker picks the blend that carries their fragrance well and burns cleanly. Read our guide to soy, paraffin and coconut wax for the differences.

2. The fragrance

This is where most of the cost sits. Good fragrance oils are layered, with top, heart and base notes that change as the candle burns. Cheap fragrance often smells flat or sharp, and it can fade after the first few burns. A luxury candle should smell good cold in the jar, and even better when you light it.

3. The wick

The wick is the engine of the candle. If it is too small, the candle tunnels down the middle and wastes wax, and if it is too large, it smokes and leaves soot on the jar. Each fragrance burns a little differently, so good makers test and pick a wick for each scent. They do not use one wick for the whole range.

4. Hand finishing

Straight, centred wicks and a smooth, level top all come from care at the pouring stage. Topping up with a second pour stops gaps and sinkholes, and these steps take time, which costs money.

5. Curing

Most makers leave a candle to rest after pouring before it goes on sale. This lets the wax and the fragrance bind together, which helps the scent carry when you light it. Rushed candles often smell weaker.

6. Burn testing

A well made candle has been burned many times before it reaches you. Makers check that it melts to the edge, does not smoke, and gives off an even scent. That testing is invisible, but you notice when it is missing.

7. The vessel

A heavy glass, ceramic or metal vessel is part of the price, and it should be thick enough to take the heat safely. Many people reuse a good jar long after the candle has gone.

What are you not paying for?

Be honest with yourself about the rest of the price, because some of it has nothing to do with how the candle burns.

• The name: a famous brand costs more whether or not the candle is better.
• Heavy packaging: it is nice to open, but it does nothing once you light the candle.
• Loose claims: words such as "clean", "natural" or "non toxic" have no legal meaning on a candle label. Look instead for what the maker actually states, such as the wax, the weight and the burn time.

How do you judge a candle before you buy?

1. Check the weight and burn time: divide the price by the stated burn hours to get a cost per hour. Our guide to the best luxury scented candles in the UK compares brands this way.
2. Look for the wax type: a good maker always tells you what the candle is made from.
3. Read the scent notes: when a label lists top, heart and base notes, it shows that thought went into the fragrance.
4. Look at the wick: it should sit straight and centred in the middle of the wax.
5. Check where it is made: small batch, handmade candles cost more to make, and that is a fair part of the price.
6. Read the care card: clear burn instructions show that the maker has taken the time to test the candle.

How do you get your money's worth?

Even the best candle can be wasted by how it is burned, so these habits help protect what you paid for.

• Burn it to the edge the first time: wax has a memory, so if you blow it out early on the first burn, it will tunnel from then on. Allow about an hour for every 2.5cm (one inch) across the jar.
• Trim the wick to about 5mm before every burn, because a long wick smokes.
• Burn for up to 4 hours at a time.
• Keep it out of draughts: a flickering flame burns unevenly and smokes.
• Use a snuffer or wick dipper: blowing a candle out fills the room with smoke and spoils the scent.
• Stop when about 1cm of wax is left: burning any lower than that can overheat the jar.

Always stay in the room while a candle burns, and keep it away from children and pets. Having problems? See our fixes for candle tunnelling, flickering and smoking.

How are IVNA London candles made?

We make IVNA London, so we have a stake in this. Our candles and reed diffusers are handmade in England by skilled candle makers in the Essex countryside. Our candles are vegan, with no palm oil, and they are made to EN 15426, EN 15493 and BS EN 15494.

Each candle comes in the same scent as one of our reed diffusers, so a room can smell the same day and night. Our 30cl candle in a green glass tumbler burns for around 40 hours. Our 760g three wick candle in matt black glass burns for around 80 hours.

• Kew Morning. Mandarin, bergamot and vetiver give a fresh citrus scent for kitchens, hallways and mornings.
• Belgravia Linen. Earl Grey, cucumber and white musk give a clean tea and soft floral scent for living rooms and guest bathrooms.
• Mayfair Library. Vanilla, tonka and cedarwood give warm vanilla woods for living rooms, studies and evenings.
• Hampstead Spa. Lemongrass, pine and cedar give a green herbal spa scent for bathrooms and bedrooms.

Quick answers

Why are luxury candles so expensive?

Better fragrance and a wax blend chosen for the scent cost more. So do wicks matched to each fragrance, hand finishing, curing and testing, and part of the price is also the brand name.

Are expensive candles worth it?

They can be, if the scent carries well and the candle burns evenly to the end. Judge a candle on cost per burn hour and how well it scents a room, not on price alone.

What is the oldest candle maker?

Trudon, founded in Paris in 1643, is often called the oldest candle maker still in business.

How do I make a luxury candle last longer?

Burn it to the edge on the first use and trim the wick to about 5mm each time. Keep it out of draughts and burn it for up to 4 hours at a time.

Find your candle

At IVNA London every scent comes as a candle (£42) and a reed diffuser (£58). Browse our luxury scented candles, handmade in England, and match one to its luxury reed diffuser. That way a room smells the same day and night. For a gift, our candle Home Sets let you mix any 3 candles for £115 or 5 for £180.

You can find more answers in our FAQs.

Related guides

• Best Luxury Scented Candles UK
• Soy vs Paraffin vs Coconut Wax Candles
• Which Candles Have the Strongest Scent?
• Why Does My Candle Tunnel, Flicker or Smoke? 8 Fixes
• How to Pair a Candle and Reed Diffuser in One Home

Sources: Business Insider, Why This Luxury Candle Costs $660 | So Expensive. Cire Trudon, Wikipedia. Trudon is a trade mark of its owner. IVNA London is not linked to it.