How do you measure fragrance oil for candles?
Candle fragrance has become the most defining characteristic of a candle.
If you want to learn how to make scented candles at home, it’s essential you start with learning the ins and outs of candle fragrance, beginning with the fragrance load.
What is fragrance load?
The fragrance load of a candle correlates to the percentage of fragrance used in candle making. It will determine the scent throw of the candle and the maximum amount of fragrance a candle can hold without causing issues.
Not familiar with these candle making terms?
Brush up on all your candle terminology with our Candle Making Glossary Swipe File and more in the Simple Living Library
Candle Fragrance Frequently Asked Questions:
How much fragrance do you put in a candle?
When it comes to figuring out how much candle fragrance to use, you need to know the fragrance load of your candle wax first. Most candle wax makers will include this on the label and/or in the description of the product. Soy wax, for example, can hold fragrance better than paraffin.
The second step is choosing your desired fragrance load within the capabilities of the candle wax. Store-bought candles have a common fragrance load of 6%. Whereas high quality, handcrafted candles can have a fragrance load up to 12%, depending on the wax blend.
Take, for example, this pure soy wax has a maximum fragrance load of 10%. You could choose to make a fragrance load anywhere between 6 and 10 percent working with this wax.
Once you have these numbers, you can put them to use with a fragrance load calculator and calculate the fragrance load for your homemade candle!
What happens if you put too much fragrance oil in a candle?
Adding too much fragrance to a candle can cause it to self-extinguish or not burn properly. In addition to candle sweating.
What’s the best candle fragrance type?
It’s no surprise essential oils have become incredibly popular for all kinds of things, candle making included. But do they deserve the hype when it comes to scented candles? We share the pros and cons of using essential oil for candle making as well as all candle fragrance types.
How can I make my candles smell stronger?
Follow the steps above and use the candle fragrance load calculator to create the desired strength of your candle scent.
Then, add your fragrance at the correct temperature according to the flashpoint of the fragrance. Make sure to give it a sufficient stir of two minutes to make the candles smell stronger.
Read more tips for making strong-smelling candles.
How long do I need to wait before lighting a homemade candle?
Homemade scented candles need to cure for a minimum of three days for a good scent throw. But a cure time of 1 to 2 weeks is even better for an incredibly strong candle scent!
What temperature do you add fragrance to candle wax?
When you are making candles with natural fragrance oils, this step is easy to figure out because the flashpoint of the oil is listed on the label. (Use my link to get $10 off your first order of natural fragrances from Makesy.)
However, if you are using essential oils to fragrance candles, you won’t likely find a flashpoint listed anywhere. So, to keep the scent from evaporating, a.k.a. burning off, add essential oils at a very low temperature of 120 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Here’s how to use the fragrance load calculator:
- How many candles are you making?
- How many ounces does your candle container or mold hold?
- How many ounces of fragrance are you planning to add to the wax?
- Click Calculate to determine the answer
The calculator will quickly compute the fragrance load percentage. You can adjust the amount of fragrance until you get your desired fragrance load.