Making and selling candles is an ideal business idea for budding entrepreneurs. Demand for candle labels is consistent at Flexi Labels, with many of our customers working from the comfort of their homes and building their businesses. We have put together some advice on ordering Candle Labels through our website, noting key labelling regulations for this industry and guidelines on design. This article is a fantastic starting point for any start-up, or business owner looking at new label suppliers. Get stuck in!
What Are CLP Labels For Candles?
The following legal information must be included on your candle product labels. Failure to do so can result in a hefty fine. Please be aware that EU and UK regulation systems are independent, and chemicals must comply with both legislations.
CLP stands for Classification, Labelling & Packaging. CLP labels are essential because they identify the hazardous chemicals and how they can harm you or the environment; outlining all safety information in a clear and internationally acknowledged format. These labels will contain generic safety information, but there are industry-specific requirements for products to align with government guidelines.
Many of our customers will stick CLP labels to the underside/ base of the candle container. By doing this, the essential information is available on the product without compromising the creative choices or design. It also avoids the candle looking cluttered with information while having the peace of mind that your label complies with all the legal requirements.
There is certain key information which is required for CLP labels. This includes;
Name of Fragrance
Name of Scent (if different from the branded name you may have given the candle)
Product Mass/ Volume
Business name
Business Address
Business Contact Number
UFI Number (For products sold in the EU after 1st January 2021. Currently not an enforceable requirement in the UK, but legislation on this is due to be reviewed in 2025)
Batch Number
Recognised Safety Pictograms
Shelf Life (if applicable)
Please note, that it is your responsibility to comply with the relevant guidance on labelling and packaging by Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. Our blog is here for guidance. Your candle oil supplier should offer the information required for CLP labels.
What Do You Put On Labels For Candles?
Now this is the fun bit, where you can let your creativity shine. We love seeing some of the unique and innovative designs our customers create for their branded candle labels.
While there is a lot of information to be included on the labels, the design should be uncluttered and legible. People often treat candles as household decorations, so the look of any label needs to remain aesthetically pleasing and neutral - if you want to cater to a wider target audience. Typically, candles have simplistic and classic designs to avoid any interior design clashes. However, should you have a maximalist brand, make sure your designs match! At Flexi Labels, we have the technology and expertise to offer extra embellishments available for your order. These embellishments include metallic foiling, lamination, Spot UV and white ink.
As a standard, most candle labels contain the brand name, the logo and the scent. You may also want to include additional information or USPs - such as burn time or wax choice - as this will feed into the buyer’s journey and why they may choose your candle over a competitor’s.
Undertaking market research will help you to understand your brand identity and observe how similar candle makers are marketing their products. Although we are not encouraging you to steal or carbon copy any design, seeking inspiration and spotting similarities will help inform your creative choices for the design printed onto the label.
At Flexi Labels we can design your artwork for you! If you’re not particularly artistic, or you don’t have an in-house designer at your business, we have an expert graphic designer working with us who can create your artwork for you for an additional fee. We also have label design software accessible through product pages, where you can create artwork for your branded candle labels free of charge.
For further information on artwork requirements, please visit our article in the help centre.
Finding The Right-Sized Label For Your Candle
You will need to know the dimensions of the candle jar/ container before deciding on the
size of the label you are looking to order.
If you want a label to wrap around the container, then you will need to measure the circumference to determine the dimensions of the label.
There are two ways of doing this;
The first method is to take a long strip of paper or string, wrap it around the body of the container, and mark the point at which the two ends cross. Measure this with a ruler and it will give you the circumference.
Should you not have access to paper, string or our handy digital ruler print-out, measure the radius of the round jar (across the bottom of the jar) and multiply that measurement by 3.141 (Pi). This should give you the circumference.
Some of our most popular candle label sizes include:
50 mm x 50 mm Square Labels on an A4 sheet
75 mm x 75 mm Square Labels on an A4 sheet
49 mm x 73 mm Rectangle Labels on an A4 sheet
75 mm x 50 mm Rectangle Labels on an A4 sheet
51 mm Diameter Round Labels on an A4 Sheet
60mm Diameter Round Labels on an A4 Sheet
Choosing The Right Candle Label Material And Adhesive
For a candle label, you will need to ensure that the chosen material will endure the heat from the flame. You may also want to consider making the label splashproof or waterproof in case drips of the wax or the essential oils used in making the candle splash onto the label. Splashproof labels are plasticised and durable, with strong, long-term application adhesives. Polyester and Polypropylene materials are ideal for Candle Labels that are made to last. They are also heat resistant. Most candle labels are made from plastic or paper.
Many of our customers will choose the Textured White Paper, Permanent Adhesive for the main label in the centre of the jar. This is because the textured effect looks rustic but premium. It can also withstand high temperatures.
If you print your labels with Flexi Labels, lamination is a finishing option on many of our materials. This addition adds a layer of protection and will shield the label from dripping wax or essential oils that can cause stains on the label and even damage the print.
Choosing the correct material and adhesive is especially important when ordering your CLP labels, which contain important legal information. If the wrong material is selected, the labels may become damaged or illegible.
Label Applications
If you are looking to print on these candle labels yourself, you must check your printer
specifications before ordering plain sheets or rolls with us. Ensure that the labels you are ordering are compatible with your printer.
If you are unsure of how to do this, please head to our checklist for ordering roll labels or get in touch with a member of our team for some assistance. Desktop sheet label printers will often have the Media Type 'Labels' in the Advanced Printer Settings if compatible with adhesive papers.
For Roll Label printers, you will need the following information to assess the compatibility of our products: core size, maximum media width, maximum overall roll diameter and what type of printer you have (i.e. Inkjet, Laser, Thermal Direct or Thermal Transfer).
This also applies to our customers who may or may not be printing on the labels themselves but are looking to use a roll applicator to apply labels to products. The roll core size of the labels must be compatible with the roll applicator. We have four different core size options at Flexi Labels: 25.4 mm, 38.1 mm, 44.45 mm and 76.2 mm. Lots of applicators and printers are compatible with our labels, but it’s always good to check before you purchase to avoid any issues once your order has already been cut, wound and delivered to you.
Try Before You Buy!
We’re happy to offer our customers free material samples to trial before purchasing. These samples are perfect for testing the compatibility with your printer (if you are choosing to order plain labels from us) and to see the appearance of the material.
Speaking with our expert team can be very useful in understanding what material can be suitable for your intended use - for instance, a CLP label may have different requirements than a branded label. Furthermore, we have a large customer base and can advise what product combinations worked for previous particular queries or job requirements if you are seeking inspiration.
Our samples are sent untracked and will only take a few days to be delivered. The customer support team are on hand should you have any further queries. Please be aware our samples are not cut to a specific size as we make all of our products bespoke to order. Our sample draws are compiled from surplus sheets from active jobs to reduce waste and repurpose material otherwise unable to be used.
If you require a specific size and material combination for trialling, we recommend ordering the minimum order quantity of 5 sheets. Consider downloading and printing a template 100% from the product page and cutting out the label size as an indication, as a budget-friendly way to test the label size.
Contact us if you have any queries when making an order. We’re happy to help! You can call us at 01733 646 290 or by emailing info@flexilabels.co.uk.
Photos used for this article are from our lovely customers Orchard Candle and Scotts Apothecary.
