{"id":377365,"date":"2026-05-15T15:55:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T13:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/uncategorized\/wet-spots-in-your-soy-candle-causes-and-solutions\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T10:11:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T09:11:49","slug":"wet-spots-in-your-soy-candle-causes-and-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/uncategorized\/wet-spots-in-your-soy-candle-causes-and-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Wet spots in your soy candle: causes and solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You’ve just poured the perfect batch of candles. The top is mirror-smooth, the smell is fantastic and you are proud of the result. But the next morning you look at the side of the glass and see strange stains. It looks like there’s water between the wax and the glass, or the wax is coming off in some places. <\/p>\n\n

This phenomenon is called “wet spots” or adhesion problems. It is one of the most common frustrations for anyone working with soy wax<\/a>. The good news? It doesn’t affect how your candle burns or smells at all. It’s purely cosmetic. Still, as a maker, you obviously want your candles to look as sleek as they smell. Below, we dive into the science behind these stains and look at how to prevent them. <\/p>\n\n

What exactly are wet spots<\/h2>\n\n

Although the name suggests otherwise, these stains have nothing to do with water or moisture. What you see are spots where the wax has come loose from the glass. In the places where the wax is still firmly attached to the wall, the candle appears darker. Where the wax has come loose, there is a microscopic layer of air, making the glass look lighter or silvery. <\/p>\n\n

Actually, this is just physics in action. Soy wax is a natural product that lives and works. It reacts constantly to temperature changes, even after the candle has been cured for a long time. This is in contrast to kerosene, which often remains more stable but has different properties. <\/p>\n\n

The culprit is temperature<\/h2>\n\n

The root cause of wet spots is simple: shrinkage. When you melt candle wax, it expands. As it cools, it shrinks again. Glass is a solid material that does not visibly shrink or expand at these temperatures. <\/p>\n\n

If the wax cools faster than the glass, or if the ambient temperature drops too quickly, the wax will shrink away from the walls of your glass containers<\/a>. This often happens in random places, resulting in those typical stains. Factors such as cooling too quickly, pouring into ice-cold glasses or drafts in your workspace greatly exacerbate this process. <\/p>\n