What Kind of Wicks Does Votivo Use?Updated an hour ago
All Votivo candles use cotton or paper wicks that are completely free of lead and zinc.
Why Wick Material Matters
The wick is the heart of a candle. It's what draws the melted wax up to the flame, creating the light and fragrance you enjoy. The type of wick affects everything: how cleanly your candle burns, how evenly the wax melts, and how well the fragrance fills your space.
We use cotton and paper wicks because they're natural materials that burn cleanly and consistently. These wicks are specifically chosen to work with our proprietary soy-blend wax formula for optimal performance.
Lead-Free and Zinc-Free
This might seem obvious, but it's worth stating clearly: Votivo wicks contain absolutely no lead or zinc.
In the past, some candle manufacturers used metal-core wicks (wicks with a thin wire running through the center) to help the wick stand upright in the wax. Some of these metal cores contained lead, which could release harmful particles when burned.
The candle industry has moved away from this practice, and reputable manufacturers no longer use lead wicks. Votivo never has and never will. Our cotton and paper wicks stand up perfectly on their own without any metal reinforcement.
How Cotton and Paper Wicks Work
Cotton wicks are made from braided or twisted cotton fibers. They're soft, flexible, and burn steadily. Cotton is a natural material that creates minimal smoke when trimmed properly.
Paper wicks are made from specially treated paper fibers. They're rigid enough to stand upright in the wax and burn consistently throughout the candle's life.
Both wick types work through capillary action. As the wick burns, it draws liquid wax upward, where the heat vaporizes it. That vapor is what actually burns, creating your candle's flame and releasing fragrance into the air.
Why We Choose Natural Wicks
Natural fiber wicks like cotton and paper offer several advantages:
Clean burning: When trimmed to 1/4 inch and burned properly, they produce minimal soot.
Consistent performance: They maintain a steady flame size throughout the burn.
Optimal fragrance throw: They create the right flame temperature to properly release fragrance from our soy-blend wax.
Safe materials: No metals, no synthetic materials, just natural fibers.
Wick Size Matters Too
It's not just about the material. The wick diameter must be perfectly matched to the candle size. Too small, and the wax won't melt to the edges (hello, tunneling). Too large, and the flame gets too hot, causing smoking and soot.
We extensively test each candle to ensure the wick size is just right for the container diameter and our wax formula. This testing is part of what makes Votivo candles burn so cleanly and evenly.
Caring for Your Wick
Even the best wick needs a little maintenance:
Trim to 1/4 inch before each burn. This is the most important thing you can do for your candle. A trimmed wick creates the ideal flame size and prevents mushrooming (that little ball that forms on the wick tip).
Recenter if needed. After extinguishing your candle and before the wax cools, use tweezers to gently center the wick if it's shifted.
Remove wick trimmings. Don't let trimmed pieces fall into the wax. Fish them out before lighting.
A properly maintained wick means a better burn, better fragrance throw, and a longer-lasting candle.
The Bottom Line
Votivo uses only cotton and paper wicks, free of lead and zinc. Combined with our proprietary soy-blend wax and extensive testing, these natural wicks ensure your candle burns cleanly, safely, and beautifully from first light to last burn.
Quality materials matter. From our in-house fragrances to our tested glassware to our natural wicks, every component of a Votivo candle is chosen for performance and safety.
More questions for us? Call 1.877.7VOTIVO (1.877.786.8486) or send an email to [email protected].