Question: what is a white candle made out of

title: Candle
text: As the mass of solid fuel is melted and consumed , the candle becomes shorter . Portions of the wick that are not emitting vaporized fuel are consumed in the flame . The incineration of the wick limits the exposed length of the wick , thus maintaining a constant burning temperature and rate of fuel consumption . Some wicks require regular trimming with scissors ( or a specialized wick trimmer ) , usually to about one - quarter inch ( ~ 0.7 cm ) , to promote slower , steady burning , and also to prevent smoking . In early times , the wick needed to be trimmed quite frequently . Special candle - scissors , referred to as `` snuffers '' were produced for this purpose in the 20th century and were often combined with an extinguisher . In modern candles , the wick is constructed so that it curves over as it burns . This ensures that the end of the wick gets oxygen and is then consumed by fire -- a self - trimming wick .