Lighting a match. High-speed footage of a safety match being ignited by dragging it across a striking surface on a matchbox. The head of a match is usually made from paraffin and combustible chemicals, including phosphorous trisulphide, which burns at low temperatures. In a safety match, the oxidising agent and combustible ingredients are kept separate with one on a special striking surface, often on the matchbox, and the other on the match head.