The warm gentle scent of beeswax candles adds radiance to every room. Sometimes, a deeper and richer fragrance would add more substance and relaxation to your home. Finding fragrances and the best ratio of fragrances to complement the natural honey scent will create candles that you will treasure.
Determining the fragrance load for beeswax candles will depend on the type of fragrance you are seeking. In general use about twenty-five to thirty drops of oil for one ounce (28g) of wax. You can increase the amount of oil until you have the scent level you desire.
Beeswax is a natural wax to commence your candle making exploration. There are steps to follow to keep your candles natural yet emitting a variety of scents to enrich the beauty of the seasons and for your enjoyment. Continue reading for information and suggestions.
Fragrance Load for Beeswax Candles
To begin our exploration of fragrances, the first step is explaining some terms used in candle making.
- Scent throw or candle throw is the term used to describe how effectively the scent of the candle permeates its space. Some candles’ scents welcome you as soon as you enter your home; those have a strong scent throw. Other candles you need to pick up and sniff to appreciate its scent, which is a weak scent or candle throw.
- Fragrance load or scent load is the maximum amount of oil that candle wax can absorb or be loaded with. If too much oil is added, syneresis or fragrance bleed will happen. If this occurs, the liquid or oil begins to separate from the solid or wax.
- Fragrance content or scent content refers to the ratio of oil to the amount of candle wax. If you create candles with five percent fragrance, a 50g candle would be comprised of 2.5g of fragrance oil.
- Fragrance oils are manufactured synthetic oils. These highly concentrated oils are created in laboratories with a mixture of natural elements and fabricated components.
- Essential oils originate from natural plant materials. They are referred to as essential because the parts of the plants used to create these oils contain the essence of the plant’s scents.
When making your scented beeswax candles, you need to begin with quality beeswax. If you purchase your wax from a local beekeeper, you may need to filter it for any impurities that are part of the natural production of the wax.
Select high quality wicks. For the fragrance to be emitted, you need a wick that burns at a high heat to match the heat level of the beeswax.
The strength of the scent you are seeking from your candles will determine the amount of oil you add to the wax. It is always advisable to experiment first. Make some small votive candles and vary the amount of oil you add to the wax. Be sure to label your experiments!
Beeswax can be more expensive than other waxes. You do not want to create a large batch of candles with too strong a scent. Nor do you want to waste the money you spent on expensive oils either. Remember different fragrance or essential oils have varying potencies of their aromas.
Before adding the oils to your melted wax, let it cool. When the wax is about 180 degrees Fahrenheit, you can add the oil. If you add the oil when the wax is hotter than 180, the scent of the oil will be ruined. If your candles do not emit a strong scent, consider waiting until the temperature of the wax is lower than 180. You do not want the oil to burn off due to the heat of the wax.
Use about twenty-five to thirty drops of oil for one ounce (28g) of wax. You can increase the amount of oil until you have the scent level you desire. Another option to create a stronger smelling beeswax candle is to add coconut oil to the beeswax. Adding a small amount of coconut oil will boost the scent from the fragrance oil you added to the beeswax.
Another way to calculate the amount of oil to add to a larger batch of candles is by weight. Use a precise scale. Put your candle wax on the scale. Once you have the weight of the batch of wax, multiply by 0.10 or ten percent. That is usually the maximum amount of fragrance oil that should be added. Start your experiments with a six percent ratio.
Different waxes, blends of waxes, fragrance or essential oils, and your olfactory wishes will alter the amount of oil you add.
Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils
Frequently used interchangeably, essential oils and fragrance oils are both used in the production of scented candles. Essential oils are isolated from different plants and plant parts. When they are labeled 100% oil, there should not be anything else added to the oil. Fragrance oils are not derived from plants; they are synthetic compounds. Both can be effectively used in candles.
The two oils differ on their costs, methods of production, and how long they hold their scents. Since fragrance oils are manufactured to create scents, they contain a more intense scent. The manufacturing process can be very precise in obtaining a powerful concentration of fragrance. Essential oils do not have additives that can enhance their natural scent; therefore, they will often require the addition of more oil into the candle to match the scent from fragrance oils.
The shelf life or how long each oil retains its original scent differs because so many factors impact it. However, once the scent has been added to the candle or to the wax, both oils create scented candles with a similar longevity.
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Different Scents to Explore
Beeswax candles will have their own honey-sweet scent. This scent does not complement all other scents that can be added to candles. Some scents will complement the beeswax; other scents will counteract the sweetness and produce an undesirable result.
Along with experimenting in small batches with the percent of oil to add to your wax, you should try different combinations of essential oils or fragrance oils. You can mix different scents together to create your own.
Start thinking about flavors and smells that you associate with honey. Earthy scents might come to mind first. Then think about using honey in your baking and cooking. Think through some of the spices that you would use with honey in cookies or granola. Honey is also such a refreshing flavor. So different fruits would be a good starting point.
Whether or not you use fragrance oils or essential oils is your own preference. In addition to which is more natural, you need to consider costs and availability. Once you are ready to start selecting options for infusing additional layers of scent in your beeswax candles, do not select overpowering aromas. You do not want to hide the scent of the honey.
Earthy scents to consider would be cloves, sandalwood, tea tree, and rose, which would be great starting points. Adding depth of smells to the homeyness of honey, consider vanilla, nutmeg, almond, or carrot seed. Getting that freshness and outdoor scent, think about citrus flavors. Add orange, lemon, lemongrass, lime, or eucalyptus to your beeswax.
If you know where your beeswax is from and what flowers and plants the bees visited, using those flavors will enhance the work already done by the bees.
Related Questions
Do beeswax candles purify the air?
Yes, beeswax candles do have air purifying qualities to them. When lit, beeswax candles release negative ions. As negative ions are released into the air around the candle, the ions attach to toxins in the air. This defuses the pollutants.
What does hot throw mean?
Hot throw is a term used to discuss the candle’s scent when it is lit. The longer you keep your candles ignited; the stronger the scent that will travel throughout the room it is in.
What does cold throw mean?
Cold throw is the term connected with the intensity of a candle’s scent when it is not burning. When you are shopping and pick up a candle to check its fragrance, this is the cold throw of a candle.
What affects the scent throw of a candle?
Four key components impact the scent throw of candles. Wicks control the candle’s temperature, which changes the scent throw. The melting point of the wax is another factor. The concentration of and amount of fragrance added is the third element. Lastly the size of the container changes the scent throw.
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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.