Adding salt to candle wax?
Huh?
I’ve seen salt in candles going around online and was curious if this works or is just another internet myth.
Below we’ll cover why salt is being added to candles, if it works, and what to avoid when adding salt to candles.
Why Are People Adding Salt to Candle Wax?
The main reasons I’ve found online why people are adding salt to their candles is because it supposedly extends the candle’s burn time and makes the candle brighter.
But does it actually work, and are there any downsides?
Let’s find out…
What Happens If You Add Salt to Candle Wax?
I used two tealight candles to test the theory that salt will make a candle burn longer.
After the candle had formed a melt pool, I added a pinch of regular table salt to the tealight on the right.
I then took photos of the tealights over the lifespan of the candles. The pictures below are displayed in chronological order, with the regular tealight on the left and the salted tealight on the right.
Does Salt Make Candles Burn Longer?
From my basic test, it does appear that salt will make a candle last longer.
The salt appeared to slow down the rate at which the candle wax melted.
At the end of the test, the salted tealight candle burned for 24 minutes longer than the regular tealight.
Does Salt Cause Candles to Burn Brighter?
From the naked eye, salt didn’t appear to cause a brighter flame.
But.
From the test, salt has an impact on the wick.
Look at the photo below and pay attention to the wick.
You’ll notice the salted tealight has a long and stiff wick while the regular tealight has a curved and smaller wick.
This longer wick could potentially cause performance issues in larger candles.
Tealights have a short burn time, but for larger candles, a stiff wick could eliminate the self-extinguishing curl of some wicks, leaving you with a long wick and potentially a larger flame.
A larger flame can be brighter, but a flame that is too large for the candle to handle can have the opposite effect and produce a flame that is unstable, not as bright, and too hot for the candle.
If you look at the picture below, you can tell the regular tealight has a more uniform flame with the shape we expect from candles, while the salted tealight has a larger flame.
The wick of the salted tealight is much larger than the regular tealight.
If using salt on candles, stay on top of trimming the wick to avoid heavy carbon buildup leading to popping sounds, soot, and an undesirable candle burn.
Does Salt Dissolve in Wax?
Salt does not dissolve in wax.
Even if you try to stir the salt in the wax, it will not dissolve.
Is Salt Flammable?
A regular table or Himalayan salt is not flammable.
Although virtually anything will catch fire if hot enough, salt has a melting point of around 1,474°F (801°C) and would have to far exceed that before igniting.
Can You Add Himalayan Salt to Candles?
Himalayan should give similar results to table salt.
The difference with Himalayan is that it typically comes in larger chunks, so grind it down to a fine form before using it.
How to Add Salt to Your Candles
If you’re interested in testing salt in your candles, I’d recommend simply sprinkling a pinch onto the candle’s surface.
Wait until the candle has formed a melt pool (melted a top layer of wax) before you add the salt.
Try to avoid direct contact with the wick.
Wick Treatment
When making your own wicks, you can treat the wicks with salt to increase rigidity.
This is typically done with raw untreated cotton string or yarn wicks.
When wicks are treated with salt, the salt is first dissolved in hot water, and then the wick is treated by soaking in the salt water. You can test how long to soak the wick, but I’d start with no longer than one hour.
Let the wicks completely dry (at least overnight) before using them in a candle.
What to Avoid When Adding Salt to Candles
For candle makers, you may have read about adding salt to the wax before you pour your candles.
Since salt does not dissolve in wax, I’ve seen suggestions to dissolve the salt in water and then add the salt water to the hot wax.
But there is a considerable safety risk with this method.
Water and hot wax don’t mix, and it is not something I recommend you attempt.
Mixing water into hot wax can be a significant fire risk.
This fire risk is why you never use water to put out a wax fire.