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Glossary

Every term used in The Maker's Codex, with cross-references and, where relevant, the standard that defines it. Search updates instantly.

48 of 48 entries

A

Annealed glass#annealed-glass: Standard soda-lime container glass that has been cooled slowly to relieve internal stress. Safe for candle use up to modest thermal gradients.
AOV#aov: Average Order Value. Total revenue divided by number of orders. Direct-to-consumer profitability scales more with AOV than with unit price.

B

Borosilicate glass#borosilicate: Low-expansion glass tolerant of larger thermal gradients than soda-lime. Rarely used for candle vessels because of cost.
Burn rate#burn-rate: Mass of wax consumed per hour, usually reported in g/h. Governs wick-selection decisions and label burn-time claims.

C

CLP#clp: Classification, Labelling and Packaging regulation. Sets the hazard-pictogram, signal-word, and H/P-statement rules that appear on candle base labels in the UK and EU.
COGS#cogs: Cost of Goods Sold. The direct, per-unit cost of producing a finished candle: wax, wick, fragrance, dye, vessel, label, primary packaging, and pro-rated overhead.
Cold throw#cold-throw: The scent a cured candle releases before it is lit. Governed by fragrance load, wax anchoring, and cure time.
Congealing point#congealing-point: The temperature at which molten wax begins to solidify. Reported on every wax TDS.
Container wax#container-wax: Wax formulated with a low melting point and soft crystal structure for use in a fixed vessel, not free-standing pillars.
Cored wick#cored-wick: A wick with a rigid inner core (paper, cotton, or historically zinc). Modern cored wicks are zinc-free and lead-free. Lead-cored wicks have been banned in the US since 2003.
Cure#cure: The period after pouring in which wax crystalises and fragrance anchors into the matrix. Typical cure: 7–14 days for soy, 24–48 h for paraffin.

F

Fee stack#fee-stack: The total per-order cost of listing, referral, payment processing, offsite ads, tax reserve and fulfilment on a given sales channel. Compared across channels in the marketplace fee-stack matrix.
Flashpoint#flashpoint: The lowest temperature at which a fragrance oil's vapours ignite. Fragrance should be added below its flashpoint to avoid volatile loss.
Frosting#frosting: White surface crystals that appear on soy wax as it cools. A hallmark of natural soy, not a defect.

H

Hazard statement#hazard-statement: The H-code text on a CLP/GHS label describing the nature of the hazard, for example "H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction." Taken directly from the fragrance SDS.
Headspace#headspace: The vertical gap between the top of the cured wax and the vessel rim. A minimum of 12 mm keeps the flame clear of the lip during a full melt pool.
Hot throw#hot-throw: The scent a candle releases while burning. Governed by melt-pool temperature, fragrance flashpoint, wick draw, and vessel geometry.

I

IFRA Category 12#ifra-category-12: The IFRA usage-level category that applies to scented candles. Maximum permitted fragrance load per material is set in the 51st Amendment tables.

K

Keystone markup#keystone-markup: The retail-trade convention of pricing at roughly cost times two for wholesale and cost times four for retail. Enables independent shops to buy at wholesale and still compete with the maker's own site.

L

Line sheet#line-sheet: A one-page wholesale document listing each SKU with a photo, wholesale price, RRP, MOQ, and lead time. The core sales tool for boutique wholesale.

M

Melt pool#melt-pool: The liquid layer of wax around the flame. A candle reaches a 'full melt pool' when the pool extends to the vessel wall.
Memory ring#memory-ring: The ring of unmelted wax left after a first burn shorter than the full-melt-pool time. Every subsequent burn respects that ring.
MOQ#moq: Minimum Order Quantity. The smallest wholesale order a supplier will accept, usually stated per SKU on a line sheet.
Mushrooming#mushrooming: A carbon ball that forms on the wick tip when the wick is oversized for the fragrance/wax combination. Trim to 6 mm before every burn.

P

PCN#pcn: Poison Centre Notification. Mandatory submission of hazardous-mixture formulations to national poison centres before placing on market.
Pictogram#pictogram: A CLP/GHS red-framed diamond symbol (flame, exclamation mark, etc.) printed at a minimum of 10 mm per side on retail packaging where the classification triggers it.
Pillar wax#pillar-wax: Hard, high-shrink wax formulated to release from a mould and stand without a container.
Pour temperature#pour-temperature: The wax temperature at which you pour into vessels. Specified by the wax manufacturer's technical data sheet, typically 55–75°C for container blends.
Precautionary statement#precautionary-statement: The P-code text on a CLP/GHS label describing recommended precautions, for example "P210 Keep away from heat." Paired with each hazard statement per SDS.
Public liability insurance#public-liability-insurance: Third-party cover for injury or property damage arising from your product. Effectively mandatory for craft-fair stalls and any retail placement, and priced from around £60 to £120 per year in the UK for small candle makers.

Q

QRA#qra: Quantitative Risk Assessment. The dermal-exposure methodology behind IFRA category limits.

R

RRP#rrp: Recommended Retail Price. The label price on a direct-to-consumer channel before promotional discounting.

S

Safe-fill line#safe-fill-line: The maximum fill height that keeps the melt pool below the vessel rim during a full four-hour burn. Depends on wick size, wax, and vessel geometry.
SDS#sds: Safety Data Sheet. A 16-section technical document supplied by the fragrance/wax manufacturer; the source of truth for flashpoint, allergens, and CLP classification.
Signal word#signal-word: The CLP/GHS-mandated hazard cue printed on a label: "Warning" for lower-severity and "Danger" for higher-severity classifications.
Sinkhole#sinkhole: A cavity that forms around the wick as wax contracts during cooling. Fix with a heat-gun pass or a low-temperature second pour.
Stoneware#stoneware: Vitrified ceramic fired above 1200°C. Low water absorption makes it safe for candle service; unglazed interiors can wick fragrance oil and require sealing.

T

Taper vessel#taper-vessel: A vessel whose inner diameter narrows toward the rim. Concentrates heat at the shoulder and raises the risk of rim scorching relative to a straight-sided jar.
Tempered glass#tempered-glass: Soda-lime glass strengthened by controlled heating and rapid cooling. Tolerates a wider thermal gradient than annealed glass but shatters into small cubes on failure.
Thermal shock#thermal-shock: Vessel cracking caused by a steep temperature gradient across the glass wall. Governed by ISO 7086 test methods.
Tunnelling#tunnelling: A wick burns down the centre of the candle without melting the outer wax. Caused by undersized wicks or a first burn shorter than the full-melt-pool time.

U

UFI#ufi: Unique Formula Identifier. A 16-character code that ties a candle recipe to a national Poison Centre Notification (PCN).

V

VAT threshold#vat-threshold: The rolling 12-month UK turnover level above which a business must register for VAT (currently £90,000). Crossing the threshold changes pricing, invoicing, and margin maths.

W

Wall adhesion#wall-adhesion: The degree to which cured wax bonds to the inner face of the vessel. Poor adhesion produces wet spots; excessive adhesion resists refill and take-back cleaning.
Wet spot#wet-spot: A patch where wax pulls away from the vessel wall during contraction. Cosmetic, not structural, in soy container blends.
Wick series#wick-series: A family of wicks sharing a construction (e.g. CD, HTP, LX, ECO, RRD). Sizes within a series scale predictably for a given wax and vessel diameter.
Wick tab#wick-tab: The metal base clip that anchors a wick to the vessel bottom and limits burn-down to the tab height (typically 3–6 mm).
Wooden wick#wooden-wick: A flat, cross, or booster-stack wooden wick that burns with a horizontal flame. Requires wider vessels and longer cure than braided cotton.

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