Last updated: September 1, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains what information CandleBrain (“CandleBrain,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects through candlebrain.com (the “Site”), why we collect it, and the rights you have over it. We’ve written this to reflect exactly what our Site’s code actually does, not generic boilerplate.
Who We Are
CandleBrain operates candlebrain.com, a free resource site for candle makers (calculators, a supplier directory, a dictionary, and a community blend library). You can reach us at askcandlebrain@gmail.com.
Information We Collect
Information you give us directly
If you use our “Suggest / Report an Issue” form to suggest a new library link, dictionary term, or supplier, report a problem with an existing entry, or submit a scent/wax blend recipe, we collect:
- Your name (optional)
- Your email address (optional — only used if we have a question about your submission)
- The message, recipe, or details you typed
- Which entry your submission relates to, and any URL you provide
This information is stored as a pending item until an administrator reviews it, then remains in our records indefinitely for our own reference unless we delete it. If you’d like a past submission deleted, contact us at the email above with enough detail (name, email used, or approximate date/content) for us to locate it.
Information collected automatically
Our hosting provider automatically logs standard server data (IP address, browser type, pages requested, timestamps) for security and troubleshooting, as essentially every website host does.
Separately, a few specific features use your IP address in a privacy-protective way — it is combined with a private key we control and passed through a one-way hash before storage, so the original IP address is never retained and cannot be recovered from what we store:
- Spam prevention on our public submission form — a temporary, hashed rate limit that auto-expires within 10 minutes.
- Voting (thumbs up/down on suppliers and library links) — a per-entry hashed value that prevents the same visitor from voting twice on the same entry and lets you see your own prior vote. It cannot be used to identify you or to see what else you’ve voted on.
Because these values are hashed, there is nothing for us to look up or delete in response to an individual request — there is no way to reverse a hash back into an IP address or connect it to your identity.
Cookies
We use a cookie consent banner that lets you choose which categories of cookies to allow: strictly necessary, functional, analytics, and marketing. Strictly necessary cookies (e.g., remembering your cookie choice itself, and standard WordPress security cookies) are always active because the Site cannot function without them. All other categories are off until you opt in, and you can change your choice at any time through the cookie preferences link in our footer.
Third-Party Services We Use
We keep third-party data sharing to a minimum. The services below may receive limited data as described:
- Google Analytics (only if you consent via the cookie banner) — collects anonymized-where-possible usage statistics (pages visited, general location, device type) to help us understand how the Site is used. See Google’s Privacy Policy.
- Google Fonts — our site’s typefaces are loaded from Google’s font servers, which as a technical necessity of loading a web font receives your IP address and browser information for that request. Google’s font delivery does not use cookies or track you across sites. See Google’s Privacy Policy.
- Akismet (spam filtering, if/when comments are enabled) — limited comment data is sent to Automattic’s Akismet service to classify spam. See Automattic’s Privacy Policy.
- Gravatar — if you comment, a hash of your email address may be checked against Gravatar to display a profile picture, per Automattic’s Privacy Policy.
- Our email delivery provider — used only to send transactional email (e.g., notifying us of a new submission), never for marketing.
We do not sell or rent your personal information to anyone, for any purpose, ever.
How We Use Information
We use the information described above to: operate and improve the Site; review and respond to submissions; prevent spam and abuse; understand aggregate usage patterns; and comply with legal obligations.
Data Retention
Submission data (name/email/message) is retained until we delete it, which we do periodically and always upon a verified deletion request. Hashed rate-limiting data auto-expires within 10 minutes. Hashed voting data is retained as long as the underlying entry exists, since it exists specifically to prevent duplicate votes on that entry.
Your Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the rights described below. To exercise any of them, contact us at askcandlebrain@gmail.com. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law, and may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
If you are in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom (GDPR / UK GDPR)
You have the right to access, correct, delete, or export your personal data; to object to or restrict certain processing; and to withdraw consent at any time (e.g., via the cookie banner) without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal. Our lawful bases for processing are: your consent (cookies, optional email on a submission), our legitimate interests (spam prevention, security, aggregate analytics), and, where relevant, compliance with a legal obligation. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
If you are a California resident (CCPA / CPRA)
You have the right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose; to request deletion; to request correction; and to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. We do not sell or share your personal information as those terms are defined by California law, and we do not use “sensitive personal information” for any purpose requiring an opt-out. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.
If you are a resident of another U.S. state with a privacy law
A number of states (including Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, and others) have their own consumer privacy laws. While the specifics vary, they generally provide rights similar to those above: access, correction, deletion, data portability, and opt-out of targeted advertising or profiling. We honor these rights for residents of any state that grants them — contact us and we’ll handle your request under whichever law applies to you.
If you are located elsewhere (e.g., Canada, Australia, or another country)
Many countries — including Canada (PIPEDA), Australia (the Privacy Act), and others — have their own data protection frameworks. We apply the same practical rights described above (access, correction, deletion, and an explanation of how your data is used) to all visitors regardless of location, even where local law does not strictly require it of a small operation like ours.
Children’s Privacy
This Site is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Data Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the information we hold, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), spam/abuse protections on public forms, and security monitoring on our hosting platform. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
International Data Transfers
Our Site and the third-party services we use (see above) may process data in the United States or other countries outside your own. Where required, those providers maintain their own legal safeguards for international transfers (e.g., Google’s and Automattic’s standard contractual clauses).
Do Not Track
Our Site does not currently respond to browser “Do Not Track” signals, as there is no accepted industry standard for how to do so. Your cookie preferences (see above) remain the effective control over analytics/marketing data collection.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Contact Us
Questions about this Privacy Policy or your data? Email us at askcandlebrain@gmail.com.