Candle warning label: the text, symbols and rules to follow

What a candle warning label needs

A candle warning label is the fire safety warning printed on a candle or its packaging. In the US the wording and layout come from ASTM F2058, the Standard Specification for Candle Fire Safety Labeling. It covers fire safety information to be placed on candle units of sale, and it requirements that retailers and distributors shall follow. The CPSC lists it as a voluntary standard, and petition CP 04-1, which asked for Mandatory Fire Standards for Candles and Candle Accessories, was denied September 2014. The National Candle Association still says every candle should carry the warning, and that A missing label may mean the candle doesn’t meet safety standards.

The warning is one part of a full candle label. Federal packaging law and CPSC rules add other lines. The table lists each part, the rule behind it and whether it is required by law.

Rules vary by state and city, and some states add their own labeling or chemical disclosure rules. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Candle safety labels under ASTM F2058

ASTM F2058 allows two formats. The text-only warning consists of the safety alert symbol followed immediately by the signal word “WARNING” in uppercase boldface letters, followed by the safety instructions. The text-and-pictogram warning consists of the safety alert symbol followed immediately by the pictograms, which show the same rules as small drawings.

Whichever format you use, the warning must be placed on the unit of sale and shall be visible to the consumer at the point of sale. It shall not be covered, obstructed, or removed by the manufacturer, distributor or retailer. A warning printed under a price sticker, inside a closed gift box or on the bottom of a jar that sits in a sealed sleeve does not meet that test.

The National Candle Association, which has worked on candle standards since 1997, summarises the core of the warning as three rules. It also publishes the three pictograms as downloadable files and notes that these graphic icons are becoming standard worldwide.

• Burn Within Sight: never leave a burning candle unattended.
• Keep Away from Combustibles: keep the flame away from anything that can catch fire.
• Keep Away from Children: keep the candle out of reach of children and pets.

The full wording and layout details are in the standard itself, and copies can be purchased and downloaded from ASTM. If a buyer asks you to show compliance, work from the current version, ASTM F2058-07(2021), rather than from a copy.

Candle warning label text you can adapt

Most candle makers print a short block of warning text on the jar label or a bottom sticker. The example below follows the text-only format and adds burning instructions from the National Candle Association's safety tips. It is a starting point to check against the standard, not certified wording.

Example warning text for a container candle:

• WARNING (after the safety alert symbol, a triangle with an exclamation mark). To prevent fire and serious injury:
• Burn candle within sight. Never leave a burning candle unattended.
• Keep away from things that catch fire. Keep the candle at least 12 inches away from curtains, bedding and books.
• Keep away from children and pets.
• Trim the wick to ¼ inch before each use.
• Burn on a stable, heat-resistant surface, away from drafts.
• Keep burning candles at least 3 inches apart.
• Stop burning when ½ inch of wax remains. The container can get hot.

On small labels and candle warning stickers, one option is to keep the WARNING line and the three core rules, and move the burning tips to a card or the product page. Tealights and pillars without a jar can carry the warning on the box or a hang tag, since the standard asks for it on the unit of sale.

Candle label requirements under FTC packaging rules

The FTC's rules under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act cover consumer commodities, defined in part as products customarily produced or distributed for sale through retail sales agencies for use by individuals. A candle sold in shops for home use fits that description, so these candle label requirements are law.

The front of the label, called the principal display panel, must carry a specification of the identity of the commodity: a plain name such as "Scented soy candle". On a round jar, the principal display panel is 40 percent of the circumference.

The label must also state the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor. The address includes street address, city, state, and zip code, although the street address may be omitted if it is listed in a readily accessible, widely published, and publicly available resource, such as a public directory or website. If someone else makes the candle for you, the name needs a phrase that reveals the connection such person has with such commodity, for example "Made for" or "Distributed by".

Net quantity for a candle is stated in terms of weight or mass if the commodity is solid, semi-solid, or viscous, and it must be in both avoirdupois pound and ounce and SI metric kilograms, grams, or milligrams. The rule gives “Net Wt 15 oz (425 g)” as a correct format. The statement goes on the principal display panel, within the bottom 30 percent of the area of the label panel, and its minimum letter height of the net quantity depends on the size of the front panel.

A plain mailer box does not need these lines when the containers bear no printed matter about the product, but the candle's own package does.

CPSC rules for candles: lead wicks and hazardous substances

The CPSC bans lead in candle wicks above a set level. Metal-cored wicks, and candles that use them, must not contain lead in the metal core above 0.06% by weight. The rule covers products made or imported on or after October 15, 2003.

Bulk shipments of metal-cored wicks and of candles with them must carry the statement “Conforms to 16 CFR 1500.17(a)(13)” on the outer shipping carton. The CPSC says the label does not need to be on the retail packaging itself. Makers and importers of these candles must also certify compliance with a General Certificate of Compliance (GCC). There is no certification requirement for candlewicks that use nonmetal cores.

Separately, candles that contain a hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act must bear cautionary labeling. That labeling includes signal words; affirmative statements of the principal hazard(s), the name of the hazardous ingredient, precautions, “Keep Out of the Reach of Children” or its practical equivalent and first aid where needed. The signal word is “DANGER” on substances which are extremely flammable, corrosive, or highly toxic, and “WARNING” or “CAUTION” on all other hazardous substances. The safety data sheets for your wax and fragrance oils are the place to start checking whether that applies.

Wax melt and reed diffuser warning labels

ASTM F2058 covers fire safety information to be placed on candle units of sale. A wax melt has no wick and is heated in a warmer, so the candle warning wording does not fit it as written. The FTC packaging rules still apply: a wax melt label needs the identity, the maker's name and place of business, and a net weight in terms of weight or mass if the commodity is solid, semi-solid, or viscous. You can add plain instructions for use with a warmer, such as never leaving a warmer on unattended and keeping it away from children and pets. If you also sell warmers, check ASTM F2601-18, the standard for candle accessories such as candle rings, candle burners, candle holders.

Reed diffuser oil is a liquid, so its net quantity is stated in terms of fluid measure if the commodity is liquid, for example “Net 12 fl oz (354 mL)”. Diffuser oils are liquid fragrance blends, so check the safety data sheet for each oil against the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. If the safety data sheet shows a hazard, reed diffuser warning labels need the full FHSA content: a signal word, a hazard statement such as “Flammable,” “Combustible,” “Vapor Harmful,”, precautions, first aid and “Keep Out of the Reach of Children” or its practical equivalent. CPSC says the information must bear the following information in English.

How to make a candle label, step by step

These steps put the warning and the required lines on one label. Check each line against the rules above before you print.

1. Write the front panel

   Put the product name and a plain statement of identity, such as "Soy wax candle", on the side buyers see first, with the net weight in both avoirdupois pound and ounce and SI metric kilograms, grams, or milligrams placed within the bottom 30 percent of the area of the label panel.

2. Add your name and address

   State the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor. Use "Made for" or "Distributed by" if another business pours the candles for you.

3. Add the fire safety warning

   Use the safety alert symbol followed immediately by the signal word “WARNING” in uppercase boldface letters, then the three rules, or the safety alert symbol and the NCA pictograms. Place it where buyers can see it before they buy.

4. Check the wick and ingredients

   Confirm with your wick supplier whether the wicks have a metal core. Read the fragrance oil safety data sheet to see whether hazard labeling applies.

5. Print on durable stock

   Choose a label material that holds up to heat and oil from the wax, so the warning stays legible for the life of the candle.

Where Nation fits

Questions about candle warning labels