When Michael quit his job as a massage therapist and found himself “beach bumming” along the Florida coast he never thought he’d wind up co-owning a sensual wax play business. 

One of those evenings, Michael Jordan, 48, was sharing whiskey and cigars in honour of their late dad with his brother Tim, 40, and the other half of their business, ‘HugeWick Candles‘, discussing what he loved most about his previous job, realising it was both the skincare and candles that would be in the massage rooms.

Soon after that idea, Michael explains through lots of market testing, noticing a lack of quality wax play candles, especially ones that were engaging to women.  

“Being in the spa industry, I’m surrounded by women all the time and I noticed there’s a whole different world of products that aren’t really speaking to women or being fun or playful I decided that we could connect the two between the wax play world and the healthy, nurturing and medicinal part of massage and then for those using them the intimacy can flow,” he says. 

“In that industry, you’re a giver, you’re a caretaker. You’re helping people take care of themselves. Self-care is so important so really wax play is another extension of this especially in taking time out for yourself and your partner/partners to reconnect and forget about daily stress.” 

With self care and intimacy in mind, they tested over 50 recipes of wax blends and scents to bring the best immersive sensory experience whilst remaining skin-safe, now using a soy-wax base due to its low-melting point. 

“It’s the connection with your partner that I feel is way more stimulating.”

Michal Jordan, founder of hugewick candles

The pair also incorporated their backgrounds in aromatherapy to their candle ranges, offering different scents from their “Honey Do Me!” drip candle containing a cucumber and melon scent to their “Mai Tai you up” candle, incorporating Caribbean rum, amongst other bestsellers. 

Using different scents can help to set the mood, alleviate stress, and produce different emotional responses. Infact a 2013 study published on Frontiers stated that some smells can arouse emotion, can lead to the recall of emotional memories and even odours can even influence mental and physical reactions.  

“People will like different aromas each day as it really has to do what your body’s craving. It’s really all about creating an atmosphere, creating an environment. and the mind has such a strong connection to aroma, so we use that to kind of help people get out of their head that they’re in,” Michael says. 

“You’ve got the visual image of wax being dripped, or massaged in which is beautiful, the crackle of the candle plus the physical intimacy. We’re so touch-deprived nowadays, so not only does it engage all five senses, but you also have the psychological aspect of trusting your partner. The only thing we don’t recommend is taste, but I’m sure people can figure out ways to incorporate taste into their sessions.”

On their mission for accessible, playful new forms of wax play, the brothers have also come up with ‘flameless wax candles’ which consist of microwavable wax in a squeeze pouch for convenience, bringing intimacy to anywhere. 

Not only can it be sensorially stimulating but wax play can deepen or even help to initiate intimate conversations.

He explains it’s a surprising element that people don’t expect that wax candles can serve to re-connect people after a busy day. 

“If you’re really taking the time out to connect with your partner and spending that time together, the mental aspect and connection is one but also communication is intensified especially when you’re focusing on your partner and really spending time with them, not distracted,” he explains. 

“People would probably assume the psychological aspect of hot wax being dripped on you and the ‘danger’ and the flame and then the scraping of whatever tool you use is the best part and yes that’s definitely a big part of it but for me and others, it’s the connection with your partner that I feel is way more stimulating.”

Heightened communication is something that Michele, 54, the founder of ‘TooHotCandles’, also emphasises as one of the more connecting benefits. 

And its not just for those using wax play 2013 study published in Sage Journals found that communication on the whole during sexual activity was positively associated with sexual satisfaction, so engaging with the candles may build on conversation even more.

“Introducing something like wax play can also bring couples closer together. It encourages communication, trust, and shared exploration, which can deepen both emotional and physical connection,” she explains.

“Not only does it strengthen that bond between people but wax play offers a mix of warmth, sensation, and anticipation that can be incredibly engaging. Heightening the senses amplifies everything else that’s happening. When your focus narrows to sensation, even small experiences feel more intense. That can make intimacy feel more connected, more intentional, and more exciting.”

Building on communication allows anyone exploring to offer space and time to both themselves and who they are using them with. 

“There’s also the anticipation of each drop, which heightens awareness and presence in the moment. That kind of layered sensory experience can deepen connection and make intimacy feel more immersive. It encourages people to slow down, tune in, and explore sensation in a more mindful way, which is something many people are looking for,” she adds. 

Wax play candles can have an even kinkier side, being popular amongst the BDSM, the bondage, discipline and sado-masochism, community.

Michele, a user of wax candles herself, has been in the BDSM lifestyle for 38 years, alongside her husband and expresses that she personally prefers a ‘bite’ when using wax play.  

Infact, she designed her ‘bite’ candle range, after noticing most body safe options on the market often had a slightly too low melting point to offer the intensity she, and others, enjoy in temperature play. 

She also explains her candles also take a triskillion shape, a three armed swirl, which means users can use them without having to wait for wax to ‘pool’ whilst the candle ‘wings’ offer continuous drips to maintain the immersive experience. 

“Most people who enjoy wax play also enjoy other elements of BDSM, so having a candle that offers a bit of a “bite” or “sting” without the risk of burning or blistering is really appealing. It allows people to explore that sharper, more intense sensation in a controlled and body-safe way,” she says. 

“For many, it’s a great alternative to impact play. It delivers a similar kind of sting, but in a different format, which adds variety and opens up more ways to play For others, it may be the mental aspect: the buildup, the surrender, or the control dynamic depending on the roles involved.”

Michele explains that it’s effective for those looking for a little extra kick as it offers the slight pain sensation. This may be appealing to some as pain and pleasure have overlapping brain networks and when coupled with arousal, which releases endorphins, it can be a pleasurable experience.

However Michele still emphasises the importance of using skin-safe candles, that cool and harden quickly and cause no damage in people’s play.  

The artistic and creative element of the candles, Michele adds, are further mentally stimulating, now creating some of her products with UV reactive dyes that leave a fluorescent glow.  

Wax play to some can even become a total art form, where some use paintbrushes to recreate classical paintings and even making drawings in cooled wax and filling them with different colours.

“Wax play has a strong artistic component. The way the wax falls, the layering of colours, and the way it hardens on the body can create really striking visual patterns. Some people approach it almost like body art, using different drip techniques or colour combinationsto create something unique,” she says.  

“Using fluorescent candles and UV black lights can create a whole “vibe” and take your wax play to the next level. It really can become a form of expression and adds to that creative flexibility. That combination of technique, color, and movement turns wax play into something that’s not just felt, but visually and creatively experienced as well.”

Application is another artistic appeal, by either letting it drip from the flame, or using tools such as silicone brushes and pipettes for precise designs. 

Michele emphasises the many pleasures and joys for wax play, and recommends it as a more approachable way into trying new kinks, or even BDSM, as you can test it on the inside of forearms with no risk of burning when using the correct candles especially as BDSM community may be growing, with a 2017 study published on Pubmed found the Belgian population had a high interest in BDSM-related activities where 46.8% of the sample had performed at least one BDSM-related activity and 22% indicated having had fantasies about it.

“A lot of couples may feel nervous about incorporating other BDSM elements into their activities, but wax play tends to feel less intimidating. Because of that, many people see it as a way to gently explore and ease into that world,” she says. 

“If you’re curious, try it, you never really know if you’ll enjoy something until you experience it. Wax play is actually very approachable, and it’s easy to start experimenting in a safe way.”