Bath and Body Works Candle Explodes in Woman’s Face

AMELIA EDELMAN

JULY 30, 2017, 4:00 PM

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES.

A Texas woman ended up in the emergency room this week after a lit Bath & Body Works candle exploded in her face when she tried to blow it out, NBC reports. This is not the news we wanted to hear about our favorite ’90s-flashback-scents brand.

The woman’s husband, Cody Brawley, posted on Facebook that his wife Ashley became concerned when she smelled something burning in their living room; the candle had been lit for three and a half hours, according to the couple’s Nest camera. Ashley ran in to discover that the candle had developed a six-inch flame, which she tried to extinguish by blowing on it.

“That didn’t work,” Cody wrote. “The candle made a huge flame from just trying to blow it out. The flame engulfed her face and hot wax splashed all over her face. It burnt her face and hair. She has 1st and 2nd degree burns.”

Cody’s post included a photo of poor Ashley, her face in bandages, recovering in the hospital. He added that although she was okay in the end, he wanted to post about the incident in case anyone else was using the same candle.

“I would’ve never imagine[d] in a million years that I would walk in and it would be in flames,” Ashley told NBC. “I’ll never use a candle again. Ever. I mean, it scared me.”

The couple explained that the explosion occurred despite following all of the candle’s written instructions, such as keeping the wick trimmed. Bath & Body Works told NBC that the candle met all government and industry standards.

“We are very sorry that this happened and are taking this situation extremely seriously,” the brand said in a statement. “The safety of our customers is our number one priority, and we are actively working to learn more details from the customer.

Below is the (warning: terrifying) home surveillance video that Cody posted of the incident.

Correction by a reader:  The candle didn’t explode. When she blew on it, she blew too hard and the wax flew into her face.  http://www.safety-video-bmsh.com/

Here are simple rules to follow to avoid this kind of thing: 1- if a candle has been lit, and you are re-lighting it, make sure to pinch the excess wick off before lighting it. 2- don’t blow it out, cover it with something to deprive the flame of oxygen instead. Was it left unattended? The only way I’ll have candles is if I’m in the living room watching TV and the candle is on the coffee table so I can keep a constant eye on it. Candles are in the top few causes of house fires, they’re really not something you should have lit while you’re wandering around the house. A candle shouldn’t do that. However, I have noticed in my own home that when my ceiling fan is on, it changes the way my candles burn whether the candle is in the same room with the fan or an adjacent room. They seem to burn faster and hotter with the fan on, which makes sense.  Had this happen to me with a citronella garden candle in 1998 when i picked it up to move it – when I moved it the flame contacted the melted wax pool sending molten wax splashing over my arm – put me in the ER too and 3rd degree burn to my arm and 1st to face and chest, arm took months to heal and left a scar the size of my hand still there today. Add to that candles are a major cause of house fires, my wife wont have them in the house.