CANDLE FAQs

  • How should I take care of my candles?

  • How can I minimize sooting?

    • Minor sooting is unfortunately unavoidable with certain fragrance oils

    • That being said- first things first- visit the candle care page to learn more how to optimize the burns

    • Sooting usually results from 1) burning the candle for too long (> 4 hours) and 2) not trimming the burnt ends of the wicks off before the next burn

    • If you’ve addressed 1 and 2, and are still experiencing significant sooting, please contact us

  • Why are your candles expensive?

    • Each candle vessel is hand thrown with stoneware clay on a pottery wheel. It then needs to be dried, trimmed, dried some more, fired in a kiln, glazed, and then fired again. Only high quality wax and fragrance oils are used. Each scent combination undergoes several months of wick and fragrance oil testing to ensure safety and performance. Yes, the candles are more expensive than what can be found at the big box stores- but hopefully you will agree that the craftsmanship, quality, and reusable nature make them worth it!

  • What type of wax do you use?

    • The wax is a blend of coconut and soy wax. It also contains a minimal amount of food-grade paraffin. It is vegan, non-toxic, paraben-free, phthalate-free, and burns cleanly.

  • How do you make the candle vessels?

    • The vessels are handmade from stoneware clay on a pottery wheel. They then go through a process which includes glazing, two kiln firings, and for some vessels, carving, altering, or application of underglaze patterns

  • How do you come up with the scents?

    • I started making candles because I am extremely picky about scents; particularly very strong or sweet ones. I wanted to make candles that would be light, delicate and sophisticated. After over eighteen months of testing, I’m proud to have developed a range of candles that spans from citrus to herbal, spicy to soft

  • Are the candles “all natural”?

    • Anyone selling you an “all natural candle” is full of baloney- sorry for being so blunt! Only synthetic fragrance oils are robust enough to stand up to the high temps involved in blending and pouring coconut/soy candles- natural essential oils will not. We only use fragrance oils which are high quality, phthalate-free and Prop. 65 compliant.

  • How do I clean my vessel after use?

    • The two most effective methods are the freezing method and the boiling water method.

    • The freezing method: freeze the candle overnight. use a blunt instrument (ex. butter knife) to pry the frozen blocks of wax away from the bottom of the vessel. the wick can be removed if it doesn’t come out with the wax. this method works best for vessels which have a larger amount residual wax in the bottom.

    • The boiling water method: when there is minimal wax left in the vessel, fill it with boiling water- this will melt the residual wax. let the vessel and water cool to room temperature, and the wax will float to the top and harden. discard the wax, being mindful of your plumbing. the wick and sticker can then be removed.

    • After either method used, the vessel should be cleaned and then run through the dishwasher

  • What should I do with my empty vessel?

    • Refills! Candles can be refilled as many times as you like. Contact us to discuss options.

    • Empty vessels can also be used to hold desk items (pens, paperclips), for bathroom storage (cotton balls, Q-tips), or for kitchen countertop storage

  • Will you do custom orders?

    • Yes, with some caveats! We can do custom orders, as well as mix up the scent/vessel combinations. Please keep in mind that ceramics in general have a long lead time, and this is a one woman show….and the woman in question has a very busy day job. Please contact hblceramics@gmail.com for inquiries.

  • How do I purchase an HBL Ceramics candle?

    • new candle releases and in person sales events will be announced via email. Sign up for the email list to be notified of new candles. local customers can purchase at any time of year with pick-up in Davis, CA. Shipping is possible, but the costs will be added to the purchase.

CERAMIC FAQs

  • How do you make your ceramics?

    • HBL Ceramics pieces are predominantly thrown on a pottery wheel. Some pieces are then altered, carved, or embellished with underglaze transfers. Handbuilding is occasionally used for larger or less symmetric pieces. As with all handmade ceramics, subtle variations in size and color, as well as small imperfections are expected and enhance the beauty and individuality of each item.

  • What type of clay do you use?

    • I use high fire stoneware clay, fired to over 2500 degrees Fahrenheit in an electric kiln. We use six different types of clays to achieve different finishes and looks for pieces.

  • How durable are the ceramics?

    • Ceramics are made from high fire stoneware clay and are extremely durable for everyday, normal life use. They do not need to be treated as precious, but all ceramics are breakable. All pieces are watertight, unless otherwise noted.

  • Are your ceramics dishwasher and microwave safe?

    • Ceramics are both dishwasher and microwave safe, although handwashing your items will result in a longer life.

  • How do you address the carbon issue?

    • Making ceramics has a relatively high carbon footprint due to things like the mining and transportation of materials, energy used to fire pieces, and the high studio water and resource usage.

    • Strategies I use to help mitigate this in my studio:

      • Reclaiming and reusing as much clay and water as I possibly can

      • Minimizing the number and frequency of kiln firings

      • Recycling and upcycling packaging and storage materials

      • Creating a refill option for ceramic candles