A Himalayan salt candle holder is a chunk of natural rock salt with a hollow cut into the top for a tealight. Lit, the salt glows a warm pink or amber from the inside; unlit, it is simply an attractive piece of stone. Using one could not be simpler, but salt behaves differently from glass or ceramic, and knowing how it reacts to damp and heat is the difference between a holder that lasts for years and one that ends up sitting in a puddle on the windowsill.
The short answer
Put a tealight, still in its metal cup, into the hollow and light it on a dry, heat-proof surface. Keep the holder away from steam and damp, because salt draws moisture from the air and can turn wet and crumbly. Clean it with a dry or barely damp cloth, never under the tap, and store it wrapped somewhere dry when it is not in use.
What a salt candle holder actually is
Each holder is cut from rock salt and shaped into a block, a bowl or a rough natural form. Because it is natural rock, no two are alike. Colour runs from pale pink through deep orange to smoky grey, and you will see cracks, veins, cloudy patches and the odd darker inclusion. These are part of the stone, not damage. That is also why the weights we give, such as 600 to 800g, are a range: the piece you receive will be within it, but its exact shape will be its own.
Salt is translucent rather than transparent, so light from inside scatters through the crystal. That is why a single tealight is enough to make the whole piece glow, and why thinner, paler pieces glow more brightly than dense, dark ones.
How to use one
- Use a standard tealight in its metal cup. The cup keeps liquid wax off the salt and stops the flame sitting directly against it. Never pour in loose wax or use a tealight that has been taken out of its cup.
- Stand it on a heat-proof surface. A slate coaster or ceramic tile also protects wooden furniture from salty residue.
- Check the fit. The hollows are cut by hand, so a tealight may sit slightly proud or slightly loose. That is fine as long as it sits level and the flame is clear of the rim.
- Keep it in sight. As with any candle, never leave it burning unattended, and keep it away from curtains, children and pets.
- Let it cool before handling. Salt holds heat. After a tealight has burned for a few hours, give the holder a while before you move it or swap the tealight.
A standard tealight burns for roughly four hours.
Damp is the main thing to watch
Salt is hygroscopic, which means it pulls water vapour out of the air. In a dry, heated room this hardly matters. In a steamy room or a cold, damp spot, the surface can become tacky, then wet, and over time a small pool of brine can form underneath. Left like that for weeks, the salt softens and starts to lose its shape.
- Avoid bathrooms and kitchens, especially near the kettle, hob or shower.
- Avoid cold windowsills in winter, where condensation gathers on the glass and runs down.
- Keep it indoors. Not outside, and not in a conservatory or porch that turns damp overnight.
- Use it regularly. A lit tealight warms the salt slightly and helps it stay dry, so a holder that is used often tends to stay in better condition than one left on a shelf all year.
If a holder does get wet, wipe off the moisture, stand it somewhere warm and dry (not directly on a radiator) and light a tealight in it for an hour or two. A slightly rough or white, crusty surface after drying is normal and can be buffed off with a dry cloth.
Cleaning and storage
Dust settles on salt like anything else. Wipe the holder with a dry cloth, or a cloth wrung out until it is barely damp, then dry it straight away with a towel. Never put it under the tap, in a bowl of water or in the dishwasher: water dissolves salt, and you will lose the very surface you are trying to clean. If wax ever gets onto the salt, let it set hard and lift it off.
If you are packing the holder away for the summer, wrap it in paper or a plastic bag to keep the air off it and store it in a dry cupboard indoors, not a garage, shed or loft.
Common questions
Why is my salt candle holder wet?
It has absorbed moisture from the air. This happens in humid rooms and in cold spots where condensation forms. Dry it off, move it somewhere drier and light a tealight in it to warm it through.
Can I put a candle straight into the salt without a cup?
No. Always use a tealight in its metal cup. Loose wax soaks into cracks in the salt and is hard to remove, and the cup keeps the flame where it should be.
Can I use an LED tealight?
Yes. A battery tealight gives a gentler glow without heat, which is useful where a real flame is not practical. Without the warmth of a flame the salt will not dry itself out, though, so damp spots are still best avoided.
Will the holder get smaller over time?
In a dry room, hardly at all. Salt only dissolves when it gets wet, so a holder that is kept dry and wiped rather than washed will hold its shape for years.
Mine does not look like the photo. Is that normal?
Yes. Natural rock salt varies from piece to piece in colour, clarity and veining, so the holder you receive will be similar to the photo but never identical.
Choosing a salt candle holder
Our Crystal Rock Himalayan salt candle holder (£8.45) is a rough natural chunk of pale crystal salt weighing 600 to 800g. The grey salt candle holder (£7.45) is the same idea in a cooler, smoky stone that suits grey, white and black rooms. For a mantelpiece or the middle of a table, the natural salt candle holder with two holes (£13.95) takes a pair of tealights in warm orange salt, for a brighter glow from a single piece.
Salt holders look best grouped in odd numbers with a little difference in height, or mixed with other low lights. A coloured glass holder such as the royal blue flip holder (£6.95), which takes a tealight one way up and a dinner candle the other, sits well beside the paler salt. If you like the glow of a tealight but also want fragrance, a speckled pebble wax burner (£6.95) runs on the same tealights. For more small gifts, browse gifts under £20, and for ideas on arranging a group of candles, see our guide to styling a mantelpiece or gifts for candle lovers. Delivery is free in the UK on orders over £40.
