TEA LIGHTS IN 100% STEARIN
Swedish people use more than 300 million tea lights every year. Therefore, it is important to choose the right candle for health and the environment.
Below you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about tea lights.
MATERIALS
What materials are used in Liljeholmens tealights and where are they made?
Liljeholmens tealights are made in Oskarshamn, Sweden, from stearin based only on the renewable raw material tallow. Liljeholmens candles do not contain stearin based on palm oil or palm fats.
You can buy tealights made of different materials - stearin, paraffin, palm oil, and more. What is the difference, and which candle should I choose?
Liljeholmens tealights are made from 100% stearin based solely on the renewable raw material tallow. The tallow is exclusively a residual product that, in this way, gets a second use as a raw material for the production of stearin.
Some tealights of other brands are made of 100% stearin based on palm oil. Palm oil is a controversial product that is resource-efficient, but has gained a bad reputation due to the clearing of rainforests to replace palm oil plantations. If in doubt, ask the manufacturer what the candle contains.
Candles can also be made from paraffin wax, which is a residual oil product - unlike stearin, it is a fossil and finite resource. A paraffin candle, on the other hand, can burn more evenly and is not as sensitive to temperature changes as a candle made of stearin can be. A paraffin candle is therefore more suitable than a candle in an outdoor lantern.
CANDLE LEFT IN THE CUP
Why is there sometimes stearin left in the cup when the tealight has burnt out?
The burning time of Liljeholmens candles has been carefully tested by our quality department, but the burning time may still differ slightly from the time stated on the packaging. This may be due to the following factors:
• Candles made of stearin may burn more slowly if the room is cold or if they are placed outside in a lantern during the winter. This is usually because the stearin in the cup does not heat up enough to allow all the stearin in the candle to become hot and liquid - the result can be that the candle only burns down the center of the cup.
• A tealight holder made of metal or thicker glass and a plate made of stone or other compact material can cause the heat from the candle to be dissipated and therefore burn more poorly and with a lower flame. It is best to try out different types of lanterns, tealight holders, and placements of the tealight to get the best possible conditions for the candle to burn well and safely.
• All tealights - whatever brand - are designed to be lit only once and then allowed to burn out. Lighting and extinguishing a tealight several times may result in a shorter burning time than specified. If you do this, you should make sure that all the stearin has heated up completely, i.e., is liquid, before you extinguish the candle, a pit may form in the middle of the candle or the wick may be affected in such a way that the flame becomes small and thin.
• A candle should always be placed on a flat and non-tilted surface. If a tealight is placed on an inclined surface, this can cause the candle to burn unevenly and the stearin does not have time to become hot and liquid during the burning time. There is also a risk that it will be too hot in one part of the cup and that the candle will burn with a higher and stronger flame than normal.
• You should always use a holder or heater with adequate ventilation for your tealights.
• It is best to try out different types of lanterns and positions of the tealight under supervision to get the best possible conditions for the candle to burn well and safely.
RECYCLING
How should I sort the packaging and the tealight cup once the candle has burnt out?
The cup of the Liljeholmens's tealights is made of aluminum and to recycle aluminum is energy efficient. It is important to sort the aluminium cup and the metal holder for the wick correctly after the tealight has burned out. Separate the cup from the metal holder for the wick and leave both the parts in the metal sorting at your recycling center.
The packaging containing the tea lights is sorted as paper packaging at the recycling station.
WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER WHEN USING TEA LIGHTS?
- Do not leave candles unattended. A good rule is that the person who lit the candles is responsible for them - and puts them out!
- Never leave children or animals alone with candles.
- Always use candle holders. A tealight should be placed in a holder or heater with adequate ventilation.
- Make sure that the candle stands freely, steadily and completely upright both on the base and in the candleholder.
- Think about where you place the candle, so that, for example, a curtain cannot be fluttered by wind or drafts, or that the candle is placed above a combustible material such as a sofa, TV or other electrical appliances.
- Do not place a candle in a draft.
- Do not place candles too close together - at least 7 cm should be left between two lit candles.
- Never blow out the candle - extinguish it by covering it with a candle extinguisher. Never extinguish a candle with liquid!
- Remember not to move your tea light when it is burning. There is a risk that the growth support holding the wick in place in the center of the holder will move, and this can cause the candle to get too hot and the flame to get higher. In this case, extinguish the candle by covering it with a pot lid; for example, do not try to blow out the candle.
- If you have to move the candle, extinguish it first, wait until the stearin has solidified, and then move the candle.
- Always keep the candle free of matches or other debris to avoid the candle flaring up.
Did you not find an answer to your question here? Contact us (info@liljeholmens.se), and we will answer you as soon as possible!