How to Burn Stearin Candles: Dryp, Mura and Pure by ferm LIVING

Stearin is the candle material many Scandinavian homes reach for when they want a steady flame and a candle that keeps its shape. Every Dryp, Mura and Pure candle from ferm LIVING is made from pure stearin, so they all reward the same few habits. This guide covers how to burn them well, which holder suits a 2 cm taper, and how to lift stray stearin off brass and linen.

Why stearin behaves differently from paraffin

Stearin is based on stearic acid, a fatty acid separated from natural fats. Its use in candles goes back to the 1820s, when the French chemists Michel Eugène Chevreul and Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac patented a candle made from it, and it soon displaced smoky tallow in the homes that could get it. Compared with paraffin, stearin is harder and melts at a higher temperature. In practice a stearin candle holds its form in a warm room, drips less in still air and burns with a bright, even flame.

The same hardness makes it brittle: a taper forced into a tight socket can crack, and a dropped pillar may chip.

Hardness is also why stearin suits sculptural candles. On the Dryp Pillar Candle H20 cm a vivid colour is hand-dripped over an off-white base, and the drips stay crisp rather than slumping. Because the effect is made by hand, it varies from candle to candle, so no two in a group look quite alike.

The ferm LIVING stearin candles at a glance

The candles fall into two formats: pillars, which stand on a plate or tray, and tapers, which need a holder. All of them carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, the environmental label shared by the Nordic countries.

Before you light: wick, position and surface

• Trim the wick to a maximum of 1 cm before each use. A long wick gives a tall, flickering flame that melts stearin faster than it can burn, which is what sends a drip over the edge. Trim it cold, with sharp scissors.
• Keep the candle away from draughts. An open window, a door that swings, a cooker hood or a fan pulls the flame to one side. The candle then burns lopsided and the melt spills on the downwind side.
• Keep it away from heat. A radiator, a sunny window ledge or the top of a stove softens stearin, and a tall 30 cm taper can start to bow before it is even lit.
• Stand it upright and stable. Pillars need a flat, heat-resistant plate or tray a little wider than their 5 cm diameter. Tapers need a holder that grips them vertically.
• Give each flame space. Candles placed too close together warm each other and burn faster. Keep them clear of curtains and shelves.
• Never leave a candle unattended, and put it out before you leave the room.

Burning pillars and tapers well

A pillar rewards patience on its first burn. On a 5 cm stearin pillar, let the melted pool spread most of the way across the top before you put it out; a very short first burn tends to start a narrow well down the centre that the candle then follows. The Dryp Pillar Candle H30 cm burns for approximately 58 hours and the H20 for approximately 38.

A taper burns cleanly only when it is truly vertical. Any lean sends the melt over the lower lip, and on a hand-dripped candle that adds a drip you did not plan. The slim Dryp Candles – Set of 2 carries the same hand-dripped colour as the pillars and burns for approximately 9 hours per candle. The Mura Candles – Set of 4 take their name from the Japanese word for irregularity: the surface has a gravelled, uneven texture, and each candle burns for approximately 11 hours. The Pure Candles – Set of 4 are the plain everyday option, with the same burn time, in five curated colour blends.

To put a candle out, use a snuffer, or bend the wick into the melted pool with a wick dipper and lift it straight again. Blowing can scatter liquid stearin across the table and leaves a trail of smoke. Straighten the wick while it is still warm.

Choosing a holder for a 2 cm taper

The Dryp, Mura and Pure tapers all measure Ø 2 cm and stand 30 cm tall, so one holder size serves the whole range. Check the inner diameter of the socket before you buy or reuse a holder. The candle should drop in with light pressure and stand without wobbling.

• If the socket is slightly too tight, dip the base of the candle in hot water for a few moments to soften it, then press it in with a gentle twist. Avoid shaving stearin with a knife: it is brittle and can split up the side.
• If the socket is slightly too loose, a small piece of candle adhesive at the bottom holds the taper upright. A candle that leans will drip, whatever else you do.
• Look for depth and weight. A 30 cm taper is tall for its width, so a deep socket and a heavy base stop it from tipping when the table is knocked.
• Catch the drips. A holder with a rim, or a small dish beneath it, keeps any stray stearin off the table and the cloth.

Brass, glass, ceramic and wood holders all work, provided the flame stays well above the socket. Because the tapers share one height, grouping holders of different heights is the simplest way to give a table a varied skyline.

Removing stearin drips from brass and linen

Stearin is easier to remove than paraffin, because it shrinks slightly and turns brittle as it cools. The rule for both materials is the same: do not wipe it while it is soft, or you will spread it into a thin film.

Brass

Let the drip harden completely. Then put the holder in the freezer for a while; the cold makes the stearin contract further, and it usually lifts away in one piece when you press it with a thumb or a wooden cocktail stick. For a thin residue, warm the area briefly with a hairdryer and wipe it with a soft cloth, or wash the holder in warm water with a little mild washing-up liquid and dry it at once. Avoid metal scrapers and scouring pads, which scratch brass, and be gentle with lacquered finishes.

Linen

Let the stearin set, or speed it up with an ice cube in a small bag. Flex the fabric to crack the hardened drip and lift the flakes off with the back of a blunt knife. Then lay kitchen paper above and below the mark and press with a warm iron; the paper absorbs the melted stearin, so move it to a clean area and repeat until no more transfers. Coloured candles such as Dryp may leave a faint pigment mark. Treat it with a stain remover suitable for linen and wash according to the care label before the cloth goes anywhere near a tumble dryer.

A trimmed wick, still air and a holder that fits will prevent most drips in the first place. To find a holder for your tapers or a tray for a pillar, browse the full Candles & Candleholders collection.