Candle Shelf Life and Storage

TL;DR You have up to 2 years to let your soy candle linger on a shelf, stash it as a future gift, or ship it to a friend for them to enjoy!  Just make sure you store it properly!

For optimum scent throw, soy wax candles should cure 1-2 weeks after being poured before being lit. After that, soy candles have a shelf life of 18 months to 2 years (!!). 

Over time, the dye from different colored accents may bleed as the wax cures, and the candle may be more prone to aesthetic changes like frosting (white spots) or blotting (beads of oil). You may also see those cosmetic quirks appear earlier if the candle is stored at extreme temps (left in direct sunlight or in a cold car overnight), but they will not adversely impact the burn performance.

Beyond 18-24 months (and really, how often do you wait 2 years to burn a scented candle?!) the fragrance throw may weaken and the wax may start to break down. This is a side effect of soy wax being a natural product - it’s just partially hydrogenated soybean oil! You can still burn it, but the scent performance may not be as strong. And you can still use the mug afterwards!