Our Guide To Adding Scent To Paraffin Candles

If you're making your own scented paraffin candles at home for gifts or to save some money purchasing scented candles, figuring out how much scent to add to paraffin candles isn't always easy. 

The amount of fragrance you need to add to a candle can vary according to the wax used and its size, on average people suggest around 6% per pound of wax for the best scent throw.

Down below, we've put together a small informative guide which will take you through why fragrance load is important, how to calculate it, tips for getting a stronger scent throw.

Why Is Fragrance Load Important When Making Candles? 

Before we get into how to calculate your fragrance load for your paraffin wax-scented candle, let's start with why fragrance load is so important.

Often, finding the optimal scent throw for your scented candle is a trial and error game, too little fragrance per pound then your candle will not smell strong enough, too much then it could cause the paraffin waxes to curdle or not burn properly. 

Measuring the candle itself and fragrance is important when making candles, you will find on average they can take around 5%-10% of their weight in fragrance, but this can be even higher depending on the types of waxes and if they are blended.

How To Calculate Fragrance Load 

If you are struggling to figure out how much fragrance you need to add to your candle, follow these steps below to get a strong scent throw.

• Understand your candle capacity - The candle vessel capacity refers to the amount of wax your candle has and the size of the candle container. If you want a 200g net candle this will be your starting point.
• Decide on the candles throw capacity - You can either have 6% of your candle as your fragrance load of 10%, bear in mind this will give an extra strong throw.
• Calculate candle wax - If you now know your candle should be 200g and the fragrance load is 10% you can calculate the capacity divided by the fragrance load percentage plus 1. This will tell you the amount of candle wax to use.
• Calculate fragrance load - To find out the amount of fragrance you need in grams you can now do the calculation of the container capacity minus the amount of wax in grams.

How To Get A Stronger Scent Throw From Your Paraffin Candle?

If you find your candle scent throw after making it too weak, there are plenty of ways to improve the scent throw next time around. 

We've listed some tips below.

• Consider the kind of wax used - Depending on the kind of wax used, some fragrances will not blend well with the wax you have chosen, paraffin wax tends to hold scent very well while soy wax can be a bit more difficult.
• Check the notes and brand - Some fragrances have very soft notes while others can be overpowering depending on the mix inside of the fragrance oil. Some brands of fragrance oil also use more or less solvent depending on how they are made.
• Make sure you're adding fragrance at the right temperature - Adding amounts of fragrance at the wrong temperature when making a candle can interfere with how the candle fragrance smells. Adding fragrance bottles at around 180° - 185 is the perfect temperature, not hot or cold.
• Use the right wick - You need your burn pool to be around 1/4 of an inch deep so the wick should not be too big otherwise it can burn off the type of fragrance and too small will give a bad scent throw.
• Let the candle cure - Allowing your candle to cure for enough time is key to avoiding a poor scent throw. Paraffin candles should cure for around two days while soy wax needs to be cured for about two weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adding Scent To Paraffin Candles

Can you add essential oils to paraffin wax?

Essential oils can be added to paraffin wax just like fragrance oil however you might need to use more of it.

Does paraffin hold scent better?

Paraffin wax does hold scent better in comparison to other type of wax options, it does, however, release chemicals when burned.

How can I make homemade candles smell stronger?

To make homemade candles smell stronger, you need to get the first burn right, till the wax melt covers the entire container, also keep the wick trimmed, the lid on the candle when not in use and allow the candle to burn for long enough to diffuse the fragrance.

What happens if you put too many ounces of fragrance in a candle?

If you put a high amount of fragrance oil in your candle by accident it can lead to the candle burning unevenly or too fast. We have a guide here if you suspect your finished candles are burning too quickly.

Last Words 

To conclude, the amount of fragrance oil ratio you add to your candle depends on the size of the candle and the type of wax you are using.

To understand how much fragrance amounts you should be putting in candles you need to consider the candle size, weight and percent of fragrance you want. Also consider how strong you need the scent throw to be, more fragrance oil, better scent throw.