Ideally, 6% fragrance oil is added to candle wax. You can raise this percentage up to 10% to increase the candle’s scent throw. Soy wax can hold more fragrance oil per ounce than the other types.
Adding fragrance oils to wax is a great way to make scented candles. Fragrance oils are less volatile compared to Essential oils.
Essential oils have a great cold throw but a pitiful hot throw. So, I always add fragrance oils to my candles/wax melts.
In this article, I will explain what fragrance load is and how to calculate it. You’ll learn the ideal measurements to make scented candles.
How much fragrance oil do you add to candle wax?
You can use ‘Fragrance Load’ to calculate the amount of fragrance oil to be added to candle wax. A fragrance load of 7% means that you add 7gm. of oil to 100gm. of wax.
The fragrance load is labeled on the wax flakes’ packet. This is printed on the label to help the manufacturer with candle making.
Different types of waxes can handle different amounts of fragrance oil. So, this ratio of Oil-to-Wax/Fragrance load becomes crucial in candle making.
Let’s see how to calculate Fragrance load. Below is the formula used to calculate Fragrance load.
(oz of wax using) x (% of fragrance oil you want to use) = (oz of fragrance oil needed)
Note: Fragrance load doesn’t refer to the percent of the oil in the candle as a whole.
How much Fragrance oil to add to Soy wax melts?
One can add 10% Fragrance oil to Soy wax. This is a 10% Fragrance load. You can add 6-10% Fragrance oil to Soy wax.
It would be best if you increased the fragrance load based on your requirements. Most people make do with a 6% Fragrance load.
How much Fragrance oil per 100g of soy wax?
You can add 6ml. of Fragrance oil to 100gm. of Soy wax to make candles that release a subtle scent. You can also add 8ml. of oil to increase the scent throw.
People test between 4-8ml. of Fragrance oil per 100gm. of Soy wax. 6ml. is the sweet point if you’re making the very first candle.
How much Fragrance oil per pound of soy wax?
Add 1 oz fragrance oil per pound of Soy wax. This is a rule of thumb, and it comes to around 6.25% Fragrance load.
A Fragrance load of 6-10% is ideal.
Tip: Always measure Fragrance oil in oz. You can be precise by measuring Fragrance oil in ounces as it is used to quantify both weight and volume.
How much Fragrance oil to paraffin wax?
Paraffin votive and pillar waxes usually hold 1 ounce per pound. This comes to around 6.25% Fragrance load. Container paraffin wax can hold up to 1.5 oz per pound of wax.
Reading the wax flakes’ manufacturer label is helpful. Don’t exceed the recommended amount of Fragrance load as wax can’t hold excess oil.
You may increase/decrease the Fragrance load based on your taste. 6% is the minimum recommended by most candle-making experts.
How much fragrance oil to add to an 8 oz candle?
You need to use 0.48oz of Fragrance oil to make an 8oz candle. Using the formula I mentioned above,
(oz of wax using) x (% of fragrance oil you want to use) = (oz of fragrance oil needed)
(8oz) x (6%) = (0.48oz)
How many drops of fragrance oil do you put in a candle?
You need to add 60-100 drops of fragrance oil per pound of wax. You can mix various fragrance oils to create a unique scent.
Add 60 drops if you want a subtle scent. If you want more fragrance out of the candle/wax melt, increase the no. of fragrance drops.
It is better to calculate fragrance oil and wax in ounces for precise results.
How much Fragrance oil for Wax Melts?
Add 0.5oz Fragrance oil per pound of wax for a subtle scent. You can add 1oz per pound of wax for double-scenting. Add 1.5oz per pound of wax for triple-scenting.
Confirm that the wax type you’re using can hold such amounts of fragrance oil. The Fragrance load is mentioned on the wax flakes’ label, add oil accordingly.
Decide how strong you want the scent to be before adding Fragrance oil to the wax. Most waxes don’t hold more than 12% Fragrance oil.
The ideal Fragrance load is 10% according to most candle-makers. The ideal range of Fragrance load is 6-10% as we discussed previously.
Measure your Fragrance oil in ounces to be precise. Measuring Fragrance oil in volume leads to mistakes.
Different Fragrance oils have different densities and this is why it’s always ideal to measure Fragrance oil quantities in oz.
What happens if you put too much Fragrance oil in a Wax Melt?
Adding too much Fragrance oil to wax melts impairs the burn of the melts. You won’t get the desired results from such wax melts.
There’s this myth of adding more Fragrance oil to increase the scent throw. This works only till a certain Fragrance load.
After a particular Fragrance load, it only adversely affects the performance of the wax melts. So, read the wax flakes’ package label and add oil accordingly.
Too much Fragrance oil in a candle leads to sweating.
Why is Soy candle sweating?
You’ll see tiny droplets of Fragrance oil on the top of the Soy candle when you add too much Fragrance oil to the wax.
Some of the oil sits at the bottom of the container/candle. Wipe the oil off using a paper towel until the candle is dry.
How much Fragrance oil to add to Coconut Wax?
You can add 1-1.5oz per pound of Coconut wax. 10% is the maximum Fragrance load of Coconut wax.
Fragrance load is mentioned on the wax flake package. Know the Fragrance load and add Fragrance oil accordingly to prevent poor performance of the candles/wax melts.
Tropical fruit-inspired fragrances like pineapple, coconut cream, mango, and pear go well with Coconut wax melts/candles.
Add Fragrance oil to coconut wax between 175 F and 185 F. This helps keep the candle’s quality intact.
Happy molding 🙂
