Scented Candles and Reed Diffusers: A Buying Guide for Pakistan

Light a Bath & Body Works 3-wick candle in a closed drawing room and within half an hour the whole room smells of it. Burn it for an hour on the first day, with the ceiling fan on, and you get a deep tunnel down the middle and soot on the glass. Most candle problems come from how a candle is burned, and they are easy to avoid.

This guide covers 3-wick vs single-wick candles, how to burn one properly, candle safety with children and load-shedding, and the flame-free options: reed diffusers, gel cans and electric aroma diffusers.

The quick answer, and what we stock

For a large drawing room, a 3-wick candle. For a bedroom, study or bathroom, a single-wick candle or a reed diffuser. If you have small children, or want scent around the clock, skip the flame and use a reed diffuser or an electric diffuser. For the car, a gel can.

These are good starting points from our range, all imported, with our prices:

• Bath & Body Works Champagne Toast 3-Wick Candle 411g, Rs 8,200: champagne, berries and tangerine, the scent that made these candles famous.
• Bath & Body Works Winter 3-Wick Candle 411g, Rs 5,495: cool, fresh and woody, and the lowest-priced 3-wick we carry.
• Bath & Body Works Lavender + Cedarwood Single Wick Candle 198g, Rs 4,995: a calm, herbal scent sized for a bedroom.
• Areon Lux Reed Diffuser Vanilla Black 150ml, Rs 4,499: no flame, no plug, and it keeps working through power cuts.

You can browse every scent on our Scented Candles page, the reed diffusers, gel cans and room sprays under Diffusers & Room Sprays, or the whole Home department. Every order is cash on delivery.

Bath & Body Works 3-wick vs single wick

The 3-wick candles we stock are 411g in a wide glass jar. Three flames melt the whole surface quickly, so the scent fills a large room fast. Our listings give their burn time as roughly 25 to 45 hours, based on Bath & Body Works' own figure.

The single-wick candles are 198g or 227g, depending on the scent, and Rs 4,995 each. One flame gives off less scent, which is what you want in a 10 by 12 bedroom or a guest bathroom, where a 3-wick can be too strong with the door shut.

So choose by room size first. A single wick gets lost in a large drawing room, and a 3-wick feels heavy in a small closed bedroom.

On scent: Champagne Toast and Watermelon Lemonade are bright and fruity, Leaves and Campfire Cocoa suit cold Lahore evenings, and Kitchen Lemon cuts through cooking smells after a tarka.

How to burn a candle properly

The first burn sets the pattern

Put a candle out too early on its first burn and it tends to tunnel. Yankee Candle's own candle care advice says to let the first burn go on until the melted wax reaches the edge of the container. On our 3-wick candles that takes about 1 to 2 hours, so light it when you will be in the room for that long.

Trim the wick every time

The National Candle Association's safety tips say to trim the wick to ¼ inch (about 6mm) before each use, to prevent high flames and soot. Its expert tips add that the wax pool should be kept free of wick trimmings and match ends, which can catch fire.

Four hours, then put it out

Yankee Candle advises against burning a candle for more than 4 hours at a time, to prevent mushrooming wicks and uneven wax pools. Our 3-wick listings say 3 to 4 hours per burn, and our single wicks up to 3 hours. Then let the wax cool completely before trimming and relighting.

Putting it out, and when to stop

Use a snuffer or blow gently. The NCA says not to use water, because it makes hot wax splatter, and not to move a candle while the wax is liquid. It also says to stop burning a candle when ½ inch (about 1cm) of wax is left in the jar.

Candle safety in a Pakistani home

A candle is an open flame. The US National Fire Protection Association says over half of home candle fires started when something that can burn, such as curtains, bedding or furniture, was too close to the candle, and 36% started in the bedroom. Its basic rule is to keep candles at least 12 inches (30cm) from anything that can burn.

• Curtains and dupattas. Curtains swing in a fan's breeze and a dupatta trails when you lean over a table. Keep candles clear of both, on a stable, heat-resistant surface.
• Fans and AC vents. The NCA says to keep candles away from fans, air vents and open windows. A draught makes the flame flare and burn unevenly.
• Children and pets. The London Fire Brigade says to keep candles, matches and lighters out of their reach. In a joint family full of young cousins, that means a high shelf, not the coffee table.
• Never unattended. Put the candle out before you leave the room or go to sleep. The London Fire Brigade applies the same rule to incense sticks, oil burners and diyas, so it covers the bakhoor burner too.

Load-shedding and open flames

When the power goes, it is tempting to light a scented candle for light as well. Use a rechargeable lamp or torch for light instead. In the dark people bump into tables, and a candle lit for light often gets left in an empty room.

The second risk comes when the power returns and the ceiling fan starts again, putting a calm flame in a sudden draught. If you burn a candle during load-shedding, keep it out of the fan's path.

If you like the look of candlelight, the London Fire Brigade suggests flameless LED candles as a safer alternative, and points out that dozing off with one switched on is not a problem. And if clothes ever catch fire, its advice is to stop, drop and roll rather than run.

Reed diffusers: scent with no flame

A reed diffuser is a bottle of scented oil with sticks in it. The oil climbs the reeds and scents the room continuously with no flame or plug, so it keeps going through load-shedding. It is the simplest option for a home with toddlers, as long as the bottle sits out of reach.

Alongside the Areon Lux Vanilla Black above, we stock the 85ml Areon Home Perfume range, such as Areon Spring Bouquet 85ml (Rs 2,999), a bright mixed-flower scent, and Patchouli Lavender Vanilla at the same price. Areon is a Bulgarian brand made in the EU.

To set one up, remove the cap and the inner stopper and put the reeds in. After an hour, flip them so the soaked ends are at the top. Flip them again every few days when you want a stronger scent, but every flip uses up the oil faster.

A room with the fan running all day will use the oil sooner. Keep the bottle out of direct sun and off polished wood, which the oil can mark.

Gel cans for cars and small spaces

Areon's gel cans are the car fresheners many Pakistani drivers already know. Areon Gel Black Crystal 80g (Rs 1,289) is a fresh, woody scent. You open the lid a little for a light scent or fully for a stronger one, and it sits in a cup holder or on a shelf. The smaller 35g Ken can is Rs 853.

Heat uses gel up faster, and a car parked in a Karachi summer gets very hot. Keep the can off the sunny part of the dashboard, and close the lid to make it last.

The Yankee Candle Car Jar Ultimate (Rs 695 to Rs 995, depending on the scent) hangs from the mirror instead, and our listing gives it up to four weeks. Let it hang freely, because the scented gel can mark the dashboard or plastic trim if it rests against them.

Electric aroma diffusers

An ultrasonic diffuser turns water and a few drops of aroma oil into a fine, cool mist. Ours are from Beurer, the German health brand. The Beurer LA 35 (Rs 15,700) is compact, with a fabric cover and a 120ml tank. The Beurer LA 45 (Rs 22,450) has a ceramic body, a wooden lid, a removable 140ml tank, an interval mode and a dimmable light in 9 colours.

Beurer rates both for rooms up to 20 square metres, about 215 square feet, on its LA 35 and LA 45 pages. Both draw 12 watts and switch off when the tank runs dry. They stop during load-shedding unless plugged into your UPS, where 12 watts is a small load.

Use water-soluble aroma oils made for diffusers, 3 to 5 drops per fill. Thick attars can clog the plate. If your tap water is hard, as it is in many Pakistani cities, use filtered water to reduce white residue, and empty and wipe the tank every few days.

What the evidence says about aromatherapy

Scented products are often sold with promises about sleep and stress. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says aromatherapy is sometimes used for insomnia, but little rigorous research has been done, so nobody knows whether it helps. In one study it describes, lemon scent had a positive effect on mood, but neither lemon nor lavender changed stress markers or pain.

So buy a scent because you like how it makes your room smell, not as a treatment. If poor sleep is the real problem, our guide to melatonin for sleep looks at an option with more research behind it. And if strong fragrance bothers anyone at home, choose a lighter scent and keep the room aired.

Candles and diffusers compared

Prices are ours.

Product	Type	Size	Best for	Needs	Price
Bath & Body Works Champagne Toast 3-Wick	Candle, 3 wicks	411g	Drawing room, guests	Flame, supervision	Rs 8,200
Bath & Body Works Winter 3-Wick	Candle, 3 wicks	411g	Large room, trying the range	Flame, supervision	Rs 5,495
Bath & Body Works Lavender + Cedarwood	Candle, single wick	198g	Bedroom, study, gift	Flame, supervision	Rs 4,995
Areon Lux Vanilla Black	Reed diffuser	150ml	Lounge, entrance	Nothing	Rs 4,499
Areon Home Perfume Spring Bouquet	Reed diffuser	85ml	Bedroom, washroom	Nothing	Rs 2,999
Areon Gel Black Crystal	Gel can	80g	Car, wardrobe, small bathroom	Nothing	Rs 1,289
Yankee Candle Car Jar Ultimate	Hanging gel	One jar	Car mirror, wardrobe rail	Nothing	Rs 695 to Rs 995
Beurer LA 35	Ultrasonic diffuser	120ml tank	Rooms up to 20 m²	Power, aroma oil	Rs 15,700
Beurer LA 45	Ultrasonic diffuser	140ml tank	Rooms up to 20 m², on display	Power, aroma oil	Rs 22,450

How to choose by room

• Drawing room or lounge: a 3-wick candle when you have guests, or a 150ml reed diffuser for steady background scent.
• Bedroom: a single wick while you are in the room, then put it out. For overnight scent, a reed diffuser or a Beurer diffuser, never a candle.
• Bathroom or entrance: an 85ml reed diffuser, or a gel can on a shelf.
• Kitchen: Kitchen Lemon 3-wick after cooking, away from the stove.
• Car: an Areon gel can in the cup holder or a Yankee Car Jar on the mirror.
• Home with toddlers or pets: a reed diffuser on a high shelf, or an electric diffuser out of reach.