Making your own beeswax candles is a great avenue for channeling your creativity. Distinctive shapes and sizes can be formed. Combining different waxes to produce unique blends lets you make candles that burn beautifully and brightly.
The amount of essential oil you add to your beeswax candles depends upon the strength of the scents you are seeking and the amount of wax you are using. As a starting point, add fifteen drops of essential oil for each ounce of beeswax. For a more potent fragrance, increase the number of drops of oil added to the beeswax.
Fragrance oils are also an option to explore to add to your candle making repertoire
Experimenting with a variety of ingredients, including scents, will highlight the artist in you. Making candles for gifts or for your own enjoyment is a fun and challenging activity. Continue reading for information on essential oils and fragrance oils.
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are a natural extraction from plants. This concentrated oil is produced by steaming or pressing components of selected plants. The flowers, stems, roots, fruit, and leaves are all used in the production process. In many plants, their aromatic molecule formation does not effectively lend to the distillation process. The botanical composition of these plants would necessitate an exorbitant amount of plant material to produce plant oils.
Even plants that are used to make essential oils require a significant amount of plant materials. Therefore, quality essential oils tend to be expensive. Several pounds of the botanical materials of one plant species are needed to manufacture one bottle of essential oil. Production of one pound of lavender essential oils requires over two hundred and fifty pounds of lavender flowers.
Before purchasing essential oils, understand that the ingredients could vary. Not all essential oils will be pure. Some are mixed with other materials to lower the cost of production and increase profit. Currently, this is not a regulated industry.

There are some strategies to follow to ensure that you are getting the best quality oil for your money. Read the label carefully. The Latin botanical name of the plant from which the oil is derived should be included. Additionally, the name of the country where the plant was grown should be supplied. The label should also include a list of all other ingredients that have been mixed in with the oil.
Companies have produced quality essential oils for years. Check the validity of the company that is selling the oil. Investigate the reputation of the company. You can search online and read reviews about their reputation. The packaging of the oil is also an important attribute of purchasing a quality product. Only buy oils that are sold in small, dark-colored containers made of glass. Oils that are highly concentrated can erode plastic.
Lastly, if you find essential oils at prices that seem too good to be true, they probably are not pure oils. Some oils are more expensive than others to produce because of the availability of the plant. So, one company’s entire product line will have varying prices. However, when you compare the price of lavender between two different companies, the pricing should be similar.
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Adding Essential Oils to Beeswax Candles
Beeswax has its own natural subtle scent. Some users of beeswax candles are seeking stronger scented candles. One way to create a beeswax candle with a richer scent is to add essential oils to the candle during its creation.
As a starting point, add fifteen drops of essential oil for each ounce of beeswax. For a more potent fragrance, increase the number of drops of oil added to the beeswax. If you want a scent you can detect, remember that essential oils are costly. Your artisan crafted candles could quickly become an expensive hobby.
While you need to add the oil while the wax is melted, you do want to wait for its temperature to reduce some. Use your thermometer to check the heat level of the wax. When the temperature is 180 degrees, you can add your oil. If you add the oil when the temperature is hotter, you risk the oil being damaged by the high heat.
What are Fragrance Oils?
Fragrance oils are another means to add scents to candles. The amount of oil added to the wax would depend upon the waxes or wax blends that you use. All waxes have varying rates of absorption.
These oils provide the same function as essential oils; they provide you with the ability to alter the scents of candles. One key distinction is that fragrance oils are human made oils. So, if you are seeking completely natural candles, this might not be an option for you.
However, fragrance oils can be safely added to candles. This product line was created to be used in candles and products for your body, such as hand lotions. While essential oils are not regulated, fragrance oil production does have governmental oversight. The two groups also publish safety guidelines related to the use of fragrance oils.
Should You Add Essential Oils or Fragrance Oils to Candles?
As with many ingredients and choices for candle making, there are pluses and minuses to many of the materials from which you can choose. Some of the choices will depend upon your philosophies and how natural a candle you are trying to create.
Pure beeswax candles do have their own scent. For some people it is too gentle a fragrance. Many users of candles are accustomed to burning candles that have very strong and powerful scents. Shifting from potent aromas to natural scents might take some time to become accustomed to the change. Beeswax candles will offer a slight honey scent to waft through the air.
Enhancing your beeswax candles with essential oils maintains a natural candle. More and more people are interested in the origins of the product they use and its sustainability. Since essential oils are pure, they can have a very intense scent to them. Many people are positively affected by pleasing aromas; adding essential oils to beeswax candles can provide that welcoming fragrance. Different essential oils and smells can impact people in a variety of ways.

However, there are negative considerations to using essential oils. While essential oils are potent, they do lose some of their potency when burning in a candle. Their scent does not spread as effectively in candles as in other uses of essential oils. You might end up with a more delicate fragrance than you anticipated.
Additionally, as you burn your candle infused with essential oil, over time the temperature from the flame of the candle will lessen the potency of the oil. This can lead to candles that just do not smell quite right. For all the money you spend on essential oils, you might not be pleased with your investment.
While oil is natural, they consume a significant number of natural resources. Hundreds of pounds of plant material are used to produce pounds of oil. So, while essential oils are natural, they are not considered sustainable by many environmentalists. To harvest that many flowers and plants for such a small return consumes other assets. The land, water, and other resources used to grow the flowers and plants offsets the ‘natural’ label for the oils.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between aromatherapy and essential oils?
In the practice of aromatherapy, many people utilize essential oils. Inhaling different scents can have therapeutic benefits. Essential oils can also be applied directly on your skin. Depending upon the needs of each person, the essential oils chosen for therapeutic benefits will differ.
What is scent throw?
Scent throw is the term used to explain the distance from the burning candle that you can still smell its fragrance. If you have a lilac scented candle, the scent throw will describe how far the lilac scent is distributed around the room.
Can you add essential oils to strengthen the scent of premade candles?
It is not recommended to add essential oils to candles after they are made. Infusing essential oils into melted wax around the wick of a candle can cause the oil to ignite. Essential oils, like many other oils, can be combustible.
Does salt slow the rate at which a candle burns?
Yes, sprinkling table salt on a candle will slow down the rate at which it burns. When your candle has been lit long enough for the wax to pool around the wick, blow out the flame. While the wax is still melted, shake regular table salt into the melted wax.
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Please note that the contents of this blog are for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Any action taken based on the information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk. Additionally, all images used in this blog are generated under the CC0 license of Creative Commons, which means they are free to use for any purpose without attribution.

Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Candle Business Fan.
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online candle business resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a candle business owner at a craft fair, farmers market, retail location or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to obtain and retain clients, finding good employees all while trying to stay competitive. That’s why I created Candle Business Boss: I want to help candle business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.