Wax Play Safety Guide

This is a safety guide for wax play, written for the use of Collared Foxy candles, although it is a general guide for safe, consensual wax play as well. This is a form of fire play. Despite common assumptions, it is an edge play kink and there are serious risks of fire and burning, and consequences if proper safety precautions are not followed.

Setting Up Your Space

Your environment matters more than you might think!

Room Preparation

  • Choose a space with good lighting so you can clearly see your partner's skin and reactions and good ventilation.
  • Control the temperature. Too cold and your partner will shiver (ruining the experience), too hot and they'll struggle with the added heat
  • Eliminate drafts that could affect candle flames or make temperature regulation difficult
  • Clear out anything flammable within a generous radius
  • Massage tables work well, anywhere where the bottom can lay comfortably and the top isn’t going to hurt their back

Surface Protection

  • Cover everything with non-porous materials. Old sheets work, plastic drop cloths are ok (but flammable and meltable to the skin).
  • Your candle station needs a stable, covered surface that won't catch fire. We use a sturdy table with a silicone mat underneath the candles.
  • Think bigger than you expect. Wax travels and cleanup is easier when you're prepared

Emergency Kit

  • Wet towels (multiple) and a bowl of water nearby with a cool cloth for soothing heated areas
  • Fire blanket (preferably woollen one) and a fire extinguisher
  • Access to running water
  • First aid kit

 

Preparing Your Partner (or Yourself)

Pre-Scene Essentials:

  • Negotiate everything beforehand. Limits, safe words, medical conditions, allergies
  • Long hair gets tied back or covered (trust me, wax removal from hair is miserable)
  • Consider a barrier oil like coconut or sweet almond oil for easier cleanup, but know it may slightly increase heat transfer, flammability and cause wax cracking. (These aren’t really needed for our candles, unless there’s a whole lot of body hair).

Body Preparation:

  • Test a small area first, every time, with every new candle
  • Start with the least sensitive areas. Upper back is usually ideal
  • Avoid broken skin, fresh tattoos, areas already impacted from other play, or anywhere with current injuries, anywhere with crevices for wax to run into (unless that’s your thing)

Temperature and Technique

The Heat Check: Test every candle on your own wrist before using it on your partner. Candles vary, even within the same brand. Your partner's tolerance isn't the same as yours.

Distance and Application:

  • Start high (50+ cm) and work closer based on their feedback
  • Hold the candle at 90 degrees (preferably not inverted as they soot) and drip/pour wax onto the body
  • Watch their reactions constantly. They should be giving you verbal feedback too
  • Areas where wax can pool (lower back, stomach) hold more heat and create higher burn risk
  • You can spread wax with your fingers if it needs cooling, but test the temperature on yourself first

Body Mapping:

  • Safest: Upper and middle back, shoulders
  • More sensitive: Buttocks, breasts, back of legs (expect stronger reactions).
  • High risk: Face, nipples, genitals, anywhere with thin skin or mucous membranes
  • Never: Over broken skin or heavily pooling areas without extreme caution

 

During the Scene

Communication

Clear safe words aren't optional. Your partner needs to tell you immediately if something feels wrong. Heat builds. What feels good can become too much quickly.

Body Hair

Oil the area first, then use a fine plastic comb for removal or a shower scrubby. Metal gets hot and can scratch.

 

Cleanup and Aftercare

Extinguishing

Don't blow out candles near your partner. Hot wax can splatter. Have a plan for safely extinguishing everything before you start cleanup. Damp cotton cloths can extinguish and stop any smoke.

Wax Removal:

  • Let it cool and harden completely before removal. Different waxes will remove differently - our paraffin comes off in casts/sheets when layered, whereas the soy will come off in chunks.
  • Use blunt tools: butter knife, credit card, scraper. Or a sharp one, we don’t judge! Just avoid cutting the skin.
  • Have a rubbish bin nearby. This stuff goes everywhere! They don’t call it the glitter of kink for nothing!

Post-Scene Care:

  • Gentle shower to remove residue if needed
  • Aloe vera for any lingering heat sensation (if needed)
  • Drink plenty of water (temperature play can cause dehydration)
  • Check in with your partner about their experience

 

Recognising and Treating Minor Burns

Immediate Burn Treatment:

  • Cool the area immediately with clean, cool running water for 20 minutes
  • Do not use ice (can cause additional tissue damage)
  • Seek medical attention for burns larger than a 20-cent piece or showing signs of infection

 

Final Thoughts

The biggest mistake people make is treating this casually because it seems "soft" compared to other edge play. Burns are burns, whether they are from hot wax or fire play. Respect the risks, prepare properly, and communicate constantly.

When in doubt, stop. A disappointed partner heals faster than a burned one.