Candles for a spa or salon: jars or small pillars?

For a spa or salon, a candle in a jar or vessel is the best choice if you want to light it every day. Small pillar candles are best as decor, lit now and then. Many spas use both: vessel candles where they burn, and small pillars where they look pretty.

Why jar and vessel candles work best

• The flame sits inside the vessel, out of the way of towels, robes and hands.
• The melted wax stays in the vessel, so nothing drips onto a shelf or a treatment bed.
• The wax melts across the whole top, so the scent fills the room.
• They look neat on a reception desk, a shelf or a basin counter.

Our vessel candles are the Ribbed Vessel, the Faceted Vessel and the Fluted Tumbler. You can see them together on our vessel candles page. They are poured from pure soy wax, with a cotton or wooden wick, into vessels we hand-cast in eco resin. When the candle is finished, the vessel can stay on as a holder for cotton pads or brushes.

We also pour soy candles in glass jars with a cork lid. They are not in the online shop yet, so ask us if you would like them.

Why small pillars are better as decor

Small candles like the Waffle Heart, the Fluted Pillar and the Ribbed Pillar look lovely in a group on a shelf, a tray or a windowsill. You can spread them across several rooms.

When you light one, it needs a heat-safe plate under it, and its shape slowly melts away as it burns. So they are best as decor that you light for a special moment, not for hours every day. They are moulded candles, made from a natural blend of soy wax, beeswax and a touch of coconut wax, with a cotton wick. We never use paraffin.

Which scent for a spa?

• French Lavender is soft and calming, a classic for treatment rooms.
• Coconut & Lime is bright and clean, good for a reception area.
• Sandalwood & Bergamot is warm and woody, good for evenings or a grooming room.

Use one scent per room, so scents do not mix. In a small treatment room, a small candle is enough. Massage oils have their own scent, so choose one that goes with them. The scents we have in stock show on each product page.

How to keep candles safe in a spa or salon

• Never leave a candle burning in an empty room.
• Keep candles away from towels, robes, curtains and hair.
• Keep flames well away from hairspray, nail polish remover and other sprays. Many of them catch fire easily.
• Place candles where clients cannot knock them, not right next to a treatment bed or a basin chair.
• Trim the wick to about 5 mm before you light it.
• Stop burning a jar or vessel candle when about 1 cm of wax is left at the bottom.

There are more tips in our candle care instructions.

A dish for rings and earrings

Clients take off rings, earrings and watches before a facial, a massage or a manicure. A small trinket dish on the counter keeps them in one place and in sight. Ours are hand-cast in eco resin, like our Heart Dish.

Buying candles for your spa or salon

For a few pieces, order online. Name labels are R10 per candle, so each candle can carry your spa or salon name. For 20 or more pieces, send us an enquiry and we will send you a quote. Company logos can be printed on labels, priced on your quote. Plan on about 1 to 3 weeks for our standard colours. We courier across South Africa, or you can collect in Midrand.