Is There A Difference In Burn Time Between Scented & Unscented Candles?

If you have a mix of scented candles and unscented candles at home, you have noticed that your scented candles sometimes burn longer than your unscented ones. 

Scented candles in fact can burn faster than unscented candles which are typically down to the fact most scented candles are made with paraffin wax, but this can also be influenced by the candle manufacturers design and wick size. 

We've composed a short guide below which will discuss why scented candles and unscented candles have different burning times.

Why Does Paraffin Wax Burn Faster? 

Scented candles made with paraffin wax burn up to 30-50% faster than beeswax candles and soy quality candle types, this is because soy candles have a lower melting point than paraffin wax candles. 

This relates to scented and unscented candles as most scented candles are often made with paraffin since the hot and cold throw is stronger than when natural wax has fragrance so therefore scented candles burn quicker usually than unscented unless they are made with soy wax.

We've listed the different melting points of candle wax down below. 

• Palm wax - 134F.
• Paraffin wax - 129F.
• Paraffin and soy blend - 127F. 
• Coconut wax - 124F. 
• Soy wax - 115F.

How To Calculate Your Candles Burn Time 

If you want to know how long a specific candle will take to burn, you can easily calculate its burn time by seeing its diameter, for one inch of candle diameter it will take an hour of burning time in total. 

On average, small candles whether scented or unscented take 7-9 hours to burn with a small wick, when they are paired with a larger wick this becomes 5-7 hours. Moreover, we have explained deeply which candle wax type burns the longest in our article.

Other Factors Affecting Scent Candles Burn Time 

Not only does the wax that your candle is made with affect burning time, but so does two other important factors, the size of the candle container and the wick in the candle as well as how the candle is cared for.

We've gone into further detail below.

• The wick - A larger wick in your candle will burn much faster than a smaller wick, a smaller wick will have a slower burn but can also result in a tunnelling candle so you have to ensure it's trimmed to the right size.
• Candle container - A candle size container of 12 ounces will burn for eight hours while smaller candles of under 12 ounces around seven hours in total.
• Candle care - An underestimated factor as to why some candles burn faster than others is how they are cared for. People who trim their candlewick often and don't burn for periods longer than 3 hours will have a slower burn time on their candles, meaning they last longer.

Last Words

Overall, there is no certain evidence that scented candles burn faster than unscented, but it could be down to the fact most scented candles are made with paraffin wax for a better strength of scent, which has a faster melting point. 

To choose a scented candle that takes longer to burn we suggest opting for a soy wax candle that has natural fragrances and ensures your taking care of it by trimming the wick and burning it for the right amount of time.

Check out here What Type Of Candle Wax Burns The Longest?