FAQs

What makes them burn different colours?
Faerie Flames candles and lamps use mineral and metal salts to make them burn with different colours. For example, have you ever thrown table salt into a fire? Well, table salt is sodium chloride and that will create orange sparks.

What are the candles made of?
The candles are not made of wax. They are made of special crystals.

What sort of crystals?
They’re similar to salt crystals and things like citric acid crystals which are used as a preservative in food and cosmetics.

How do you make the candles work?
To make the candles burn with a coloured flame just light them with a match like any other candle, but do not trim the wick. After a few minutes the flame will start to burn with a different colour.

Why shouldn’t I trim the wick?
It looks rather long. The colour is released from the crystals only when the wick is hot enough. If you have trimmed the wick, the wick will take longer to reach the right temperature. The excess wick will burn off quite quickly.

Have they got batteries?
They are not battery operated. They work just like a conventional candle.

My candle doesn’t burn with a colour – why is that?
Be patient! Each candle will take 3-5 minutes to reach the optimum temperature. The colour is released from the crystals only when the wick is hot enough. If you have trimmed the wick, the wick will take longer to reach the right temperature. Occasionally draughts may also affect the colour of the flame as draughts may cool the wick. (Draughts will also shorten the burning time of the candle.)

Will the taper candles like Snow Angels drip?
The candles will not normally drip. However, if they do, any drips or splashes can be removed by placing a warm, damp cloth against the drip for 3-5 minutes.

What happens if I spill the candle on my clothes?
Just soak the cloth for 3-5 minutes in water (preferably warm water) and the crystals will dissolve.

What happens if the candle spills on to a table top or surface?
If you do spill a candle don’t worry. Unlike conventional candles though, the ‘wax’ will not peel off. You will find it goes hard. Do not try to chip it off as you may damage the surface beneath it. Simply take a cloth, dampen it in warm water and leave it over the spill for 3-5 minutes. The crystals will dissolve and simply wipe away.

Are they suitable for vegetarians and vegans?
These candles do not contain tallow or any form of animal wax. Neither do they contain paraffin wax from petroleum. So they are suitable for vegetarians and the Hindu festival of Diwali.

Are they environmentally friendly?
There are no known environmental side effects. The crystals do not use petroleum thus depleting mineral resources. They are also water soluble. Some (red, pink and purple) contain tiny amounts of metal salts but the percentage is negligable.

Are the colourflame candles toxic?
The candles are non-toxic. Despite that we still don’t recommend that you eat them though!

Is the colourflame lamp fuel toxic?
The lamp fuel contains strong alcohol (mainly ethanol) which should not be drunk. Red, pink and purple lamp fuels contain a tiny proportion of methanol and this is very toxic. You must keep this out of reach of children and pets. If you do suspect that someone has drunk someone, please get emergency medical attention straightaway.

What if I spill the lamp fuel?
Just mop it up with a wet cloth and rinse it away with plenty of water. Usually any excess fuel can be flushed into the drain with plenty of water. However, do be aware that alcohol can sometimes remove certain paint, varnishes or lacquers so if any fuel is spilled wipe it up straightaway. Do not let any fuel come into contact with any treated surface.

Are the candles safe?
The candles have been tested by independent testing laboratories to both EU, CE and American standards. We also repeat tests annually not just at the product launch. We have safety assessment certificates for the candles.

How long do they burn for?
Tealights burn for up to 60 minutes provided there are no draughts. If there are draughts, they may burn quicker. Eggstraordinary eggs burn for 3 hours. Eight inch long Snow Angels burn for 4 hours. Angel Flames party candles burn for 8 minutes – long enough to sing several verses of “Happy Birthday”!

The tealights don’t last very long do they?
Neither does chocolate! :)

Can I relight my candles?
You can relight your tapers, party candles and lamps. However, the tealights are hard to relight and we recommend you don’t blow them out and try to relight them later as you may be disappointed.
This is because, unlike wax, our crystal fuel is heavy and does not travel up the wick. So when you blow it out there is little fuel left in the wick to catch a flame with.

Are the lamps refillable?
Colourflame Glass Lamps are refillable. A 50ml lamp will generally burn for 4 hours when full before refill. A 250ml refill bottle will provide about 20 hours of burning time.