Advertisement

10 best massage candles for a romantic night in

Massage candles might just be the perfect way to bring some intrigue into the bedroom (iStock/The Independent)
Massage candles might just be the perfect way to bring some intrigue into the bedroom (iStock/The Independent)

Is your romantic life is in need of a little TLC? Honestly, who could blame you. But the good news is, we’ve got an easy place to start. Massage candles might just be the perfect way to bring some intrigue into the bedroom.

They’re physically small and relatively inexpensive to buy, but are sensual and luxurious to experience. All you need to do is draw the curtains, play some romantic music, maybe watch a quick YouTube video about technique, and you’ve got the perfect romantic night in for two.

Pouring hot wax on each other might once have been more pain than pleasure, but lots of brands now make candles specially designed to burn at a gentle, body safe temperature which feels gloriously warm, not stingingly hot.

How we tested

Over the course of a month, we tested these candles on separate days and assessed their scent, the moisturising properties of the oil, the ease of use that the candle’s jar provided and the quality of the wax.

There are a few dodgy internet retailers who will sell massage candles that burn at a temperature that could burn your skin. All of our picks burn around a safe 38C, which is the same as a hot-ish bath. Any candles which burned too hot, or had hard wax, were immediately discarded.

Read more:

We poured the wax from each candle at a variety of heights to check that it was nicely piquant from a short distance, or luxuriously warm from a height. It should go without saying, but be sure to read the instructions before you use a massage candle and, of course, don’t leave it unattended. The presence of a fire engine doesn’t usually improve a romantic night in.

The best massage candles for 2022 are:

  • Best overall – Yesforlov bewitching massage candle: £24.94, Yesforlov.com

  • Best temperature – Lelo flickering touch massage candle: £24.90, Lelo.com

  • Best skincare-focused candle – Oskia rose de mai massage candle: £51, Spacenk.com

  • Best affordable massage candle – My Viv bergamot massage candle: £20, Boots.com

  • Best for subtle design – Neom real luxury intensive skin treatment candle: £35.90, Feelunique.com

  • Best wax alternative – Elemis massage balm: £42, Elemis.com

  • Best for luxury sensuality – Coco de Mer Roseravished candle: £40, Coco-de-mer.com

  • Best for those who like a side order of skincare with their bedroom fun – Oskia London and Alice Temperley Love candle: £58, Oskiaskincare.com

  • Best for people who like their products as natural as possible – Beeutiful massage candle: £18, Beeutiful.co.uk

  • Best for aesthetes – and real luxury – Sun-Day Botanical Body Oil Massage Candle: £75, Sundayoflondon.com

Yesforlov bewitching massage candle

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

It’s probably no surprise that the French make some of the best massage candles around – they’re just better at these things. Yesforlov make versions in two scents, bewitching (sweeter) and titillating (spicier). They both come in pourable jars with ceramic lids and Yesforlov claims that the wax will wash out of your bedsheets – helpful because massage candles are rather less sexy if you have to put an old towel down before you start. It also arrived with a variety of lubricant samples, which was a nice touch.

Buy now £24.94, Yesforlov.com

Lelo flickering touch massage candle

Best: Temperature

Rating: 7/10

When it comes to sex toys, Lelo is well-versed. But, happily, the brand is also clearly very astute when it comes to skincare. The flickering touch candle strikes a perfect balance between sexy and functional. The wax burns at just the right temperature, so it feels safe but sharp when poured close to the skin, or luxuriously warm from higher up.

The scent is rich and sweet without being sickly, and it has a 36 hour burn time. It rivals its more expensive competitors easily. The only thing missing is a spout, which can make handling the wax a little easier, but it’s also perfectly possible to pour without one.

Buy now £24.90, Lelo.com

Oskia rose de mai massage candle

Best: Skincare-focused candle

Rating: 9/10

The Oskia candle is more on the skincare end of the massage candle spectrum, with a clean, classic design and a rich rose smell. But not all massage candles need to be heady in their fragrance or overtly sexy in their design. The pouring spout makes using the candle a doddle, and it’s probably the best body oil of all the products we tried. The scent lasts for hours and really promotes soft, supple skin. Oskia is a perfect choice for anyone who would really like to be spending Valentine’s weekend at a spa.

Buy now £51.00, Spacenk.com

My Viv bergamot massage candle

Best: Affordable massage candle

Rating: 8/10

This My Viv candle is one of the least expensive on the market, but it didn’t disappoint. It’s got a fresh bergamot scent, which is great because there’s a tendency of sex products to assume that everything has to be musky. The wax burns a little hotter than that of the more skincare-orientated candles, which is great if you’re interested in exploring the pleasure/pain continuum. Its makers are keen to state in the instructions that it’s not suitable to be used as a lubricant, which seems like a sensible reminder and applies to all of the candles mentioned here.

Buy now £20.00, Boots.com

Neom real luxury intensive skin treatment candle

Best: For subtle design

Rating: 9/10

Like the Oskia candle (£51, Spacenk.com) the Neom massage candle is branded more for skincare than sex. But, happily, it’s equally great for both. The formula is designed with parched skin in mind, using six nourishing oils, including baobab and jojoba, to give your body a big drink. But it’s still perfect for a couple’s massage. It’s got a pourable spout, making life easy, while the oil is rich and burns on the cooler side. It’s also an innocuous-looking candle that could be displayed in plain sight without embarrassing even the most prudish of visitors.

Buy now £35.90, Feelunique.com

Elemis massage balm

Best: Wax alternative

Rating: 7/10

Admittedly, this isn’t actually a candle. But, if the idea of pouring warm oils on each other is a bit nerve-wracking, this is a lovely way to bring warmth into the massage experience without the risk of pouring wax on your sheets. The scent is light and fresh – more classic than heady – and it comes in a generously sized tube that should see you through several very generous applications.

Buy now £42.00, Elemis.com

Coco de Mer roseravished candle

Best: For luxury sensuality

Rating: 8/10

Coco de Mer are the first and last word in luxury sex and sensuality. The roseravished candle certainly isn’t cheap, but the rose and sandalwood scent is heady and romantic, and the quality of the massage oil is delicious. It comes with a little glass spoon, so if you’re nervous about starting out, you can pour from the spoon rather than directly from the candle. You can also use it to rearrange the wax after usage to keep the level even, which seems to make the candle itself last longer. As with all things Coco, the packaging is elegant enough to sit on your bedside table.

Buy now £40.00, Coco-de-mer.com

Oskia London and Alice Temperley love candle

Best: For those who like a side order of skincare with their bedroom fun

Rating: 8/10

Proving that sensual products can be light and pretty, rather than always having to be black, red and dungeon-esque, is the Love candle. It’s a collaboration between Temperley London and Oskia, who make some of the loveliest skincare on the market. The scent is so pretty that you might well find people asking what perfume you’re wearing, and it’s wonderfully nourishing on the skin. It’s a very feminine scent, so arguably not the most gender neutral of options, but it’s 2022, so who really minds about that? The pourable spout makes using the candle wonderfully easy.

Buy now £58.00, Oskiaskincare.com

Beeutiful massage candle

Best: Natural product

Rating: 7/10

Beeutiful are a small business who’ve perfected the use of bee’s wax in their products. Their candles are used at the Four Seasons Hotel spa in Hampshire. Bee’s wax burns hotter than other types of wax, but they’ve mitigated this by mixing it with coconut oil, jojoba oil and soy wax. It did burn fractionally warmer than some other options, but it was piquant rather than painful and certainly not a negative.

The neroli and vanilla scent is strong and the massage oil that it creates is very thick and very rich. If you have delicate skin you might wish to opt for a lighter option, but anyone wanting their skin refreshed as well as their date night might well enjoy these candles. It’s another of the candles which is potted with a very neat little spout to make pouring it extra easy.

Buy now £18.00, Beeutiful

Sun-Day botanical body oil massage candle

Best: For real luxury

Rating: 10/10

Firstly, this isn’t just a candle but an item of genuine beauty. It doesn’t look bedroom-esque, and it would be a waste to keep it hidden away. It was designed by London based Japanese artist Ikuko Iwamoto, and while it does have a pouring spout, it’s incredibly discrete and just part of the gorgeous design.

Scent wise, it’s probably the sexiest one on the market. Everyone knows that describing what something smells like is incredibly difficult, suffice to say it’s woody, with notes of rose, jasmine and chamomile. It’s a genuinely heady scent – the kind of smell you’d have to ask someone about if you caught a whiff of it on their skin.

It also happens to be rich, warm, yielding wax which leaves skin incredibly soft and nourished. Apparently the wax is hand whipped, and while it’s hard to say how that could possibly make a difference, once you’ve used the candle it’s equally hard not to be a convert. At £75 it was the most expensive candle we tried – by quite some margin. But in this instance the price really does reflect an absolutely beautiful level of quality.

Buy now £75.00, Sunday of London

Massage candles FAQs

Are massage candles good for you?

Massage candles often contain essential oils for aromatherapy benefits, as well as ingredients such as vitamin E, shea butter or coconut oil, which can work to smooth and nourish the skin.

What are massage candles?

Massage candles are usually made from soy wax or beeswax (which melts at around 38C, slightly higher than average body temperature) and are blended with cocoa or shea butter, jojoba oil and essential oils. Unlike regular candles, massage candles are safe to use on the skin after they melt.

They also usually come with a unique pouring spout that makes the oil easy to apply to the skin, leaving it moisturised. Many companies have developed massage candles with aromas that are specifically designed to get you and your partner in the mood.

The verdict: Massage candles

It might be a cliché to pick the French product, but if you’re hoping for a romantic night à deux, the Yesforlov candles are the perfect choice. On the other hand, if you’re a beauty junkie looking for a combination of romance and skincare, the Oskia candle is an absolute dream.

Voucher codes

For the latest discounts on massage candles and other body care offers, try the below links:

To spice things up in the bedroom a little more, why not take a read of our round-up of the best sex toys for couples