Soy Candle Fragrance Throw
Fragrance throw is the name given to the release of scent from a candle and is classified as cold throw and hot throw.
Achieving the perfect fragrance throw is part of the holy grail of candle-making. In this blog we share our years of experience in the soy candle industry to help you in your pursuit of the perfect fragrance throw!
Cold throw is the release of fragrance when the candle is at room temperature, unlit, and therefore the wax is solid. Hot throw is the release of fragrance when the candle is burning. Most people have experienced the difference between cold throw and hot throw – mainly in terms of strength, but also sometimes in terms of the character of the scent. We believe that great cold and hot throw are essential to a good product – you need a good cold throw, especially when your candles are on display unlit, and you need the candle to perform equally well when burning to keep your customers coming back for more!
The science behind fragrance throw is essentially the same for cold and hot throw, but the conditions of a lit and unlit candle are different, and like anything, different conditions can lead to different results. The fragrance in the candle has to evaporate for us to smell it. The molecules that make up the fragrance evaporate into the air and make their way to our noses where the complicated system of receptors and nerves sends a signal to the brain, which we interpret as the smell. Put simply, the more fragrance molecules that evaporate from the candle and end up in our nose, the stronger the sensation of the smell. It follows, therefore, that when the candle is warmer, more molecules will evaporate and end up triggering the smell – this is why we usually see a stronger hot throw.
There are other things at work too. Every fragrance is made up of lots of different chemicals, each of which contribute something to the overall scent, called notes. We divide a fragrance into top notes, middle notes and base notes.
Top notes are the ones that we smell immediately, and the reason for this is because the molecules that make up these parts of the scent usually have a low evaporation point – this means they evaporate quickly and easily – so they make their way to the nose first, and at lower temperatures (cold throw and early stages of burning) there’s usually more of the top notes that have evaporated into the air so these notes are dominant. Usually it’s light, sweet, fruity scents that are in this category.
Mid notes are a little heavier – they take a little longer to evaporate and so they come out next.
Then we have the heavier base notes – think woody, musky notes that underpin the fragrance and form the lasting scent character. These notes may not be detectable straight away.
What can you do to improve the candle fragrance throw?
The makeup of the candle and the way it’s made can have a big impact on fragrance throw.
The Fragrance
All of our fragrances are designed and tested to work optimally with our waxes. Be careful when you buy fragrance because not all fragrances are created equal, they may share the same beautiful sounding name but cheaper fragrances are cheaper for a reason. They are often ‘watered down’ versions…meaning they contain more base oil and less actual fragrance notes. Cheaper fragrances usually contain phthalates, a rather nasty little chemical which you don’t really want in your natural soy candle!
If you want to have the best shot at obtaining optimal fragrance throw, start with high quality fragrance oils that are phthlate free and designed for use in soy candles.
Fragrance load. It’s very important to pay attention to the recommended fragrance load for each wax type, fragrance load simply means how much fragrance you can “load” into the wax. The chemistry of the waxes means that they will hold a particular level of fragrance oil best. Overloading a wax with a higher fragrance percentage than recommended can actually make the fragrance throw worse as the wax cannot hold all the oil which can lead to the sooting, leaching and burning issues mentioned earlier. We recommend using between 6% and 10% fragrance with most soy waxes.
You can find out more about how to calculate fragrance load and ingredients here.
The Wick
It’s very important to make sure that the right size and style of wick are used, to get a good melt pool on the candle. When the wax is warm and liquid, the fragrance can evaporate easily from it, making the surrounding air full of fragrance molecules and giving a strong hot throw.
If your candle burns with a small melt pool that doesn’t reach the edge of the container, you’re not getting the most out of the fragrance and you need to increase the thickness of your wick. Be careful not to use too thick a wick though – the fragrance throw comes from evaporating the fragrance oil from the wax, not burning it – so you need a wick that gives you a steady burning flame that melts the wax but not so big that you start to see sooting. If your wick is too thick, the fragrance will be drawn up the flame and be destroyed before it can evaporate.
The Wax
The wax itself can have an impact. The chemistry of wax is a huge topic of its own but in short, it can be a good analogy to think of wax as a little bit like a sponge, or a net. When you add fragrance to wax, the fragrance disperses throughout the wax like water in a sponge. It remains “trapped” in the wax, but it can come out quite easily. Different types of wax are like different types of sponge – some allow the fragrance to come out very easily and others keep it locked inside. As a candle maker, you need to find the right balance – if the sponge (the wax) is too tight, no fragrance can escape and the fragrance throw will be weak. If the sponge is too loose, the fragrance escapes too easily and you can suffer from leaching (where the fragrance leaks out of the wax and pools on the surface), problems with burning, soot, and sometimes if the fragrances leaks out, it can all evaporate too quickly and when it comes to burning it or smelling it a few weeks later, the scent is weaker.
The melting point of the wax can impact the fragrance throw – a wax that melts at a lower temperature usually has a “looser net” and so releases the fragrance a little easier. Be sure to test your candles fully to make sure that you find the right balance of melting point.
The candle making process
Once you’ve selected your ingredients, the candle making process is mostly about managing temperature – you have to find the balance when it comes to wax temperature when you are adding fragrance. You need to ensure that the wax is fully melted so that when you add and mix the fragrance, it disperses evenly throughout the wax. The closer the wax is to its congealing point, the more difficult it is for the fragrances to spread evenly. However, don’t heat it too high because if you add fragrance to very hot wax, some of the top notes can burn off during the processing and evaporate away, leaving you with a weaker fragrance once the candle is made. We recommend adding fragrance to wax when it’s heated to about 10-15 degrees above its melting point. So, if your wax melts at 52 degrees, heat the wax to about 62-67 degrees before adding. This is a good temperature to store and pour at too. You should make sure that you mix the fragrance thoroughly to get it dispersed evenly throughout the wax before pouring too – otherwise you could end up with pockets of fragrance instead of a nice even distribution, or the fragrance could all “sink” to the bottom of the jug so the first few candles you pour might contain much less fragrance than the last ones. If you’re storing fragranced wax whilst it’s heated up and melted, be sure to cover the jug or container so that the fragrance doesn’t evaporate. Turn the temperature down to keep the evaporation rate as low as possible.
In summary
When you put it all together, there are a lot of factors at play that affect the fragrance throw. The type of wax, the makeup of the various fragrance notes, the thickness of the wick, the temperature at which you add fragrance and pour the wax. These are all variables that you need to consider and unfortunately there is no one magic recipe that covers all of the variables.
Following the tips above should help you get the most out of your candle and fragrance. Our advice is to keep good notes and continue to fine tune your candle recipes’ during your candle making journey.
Feel free to leave a comment or question below with your experiences in achieving the perfect candle scent throw.
Hi Brian
Flashpoint to add Essential Oil to soy wax.
I have made a blend of various essential oils and caculated an average of all the flashpoints = 115-130. So if I were to add at 180f it would likely burn off the fragrance and significantly affect the hot scent throw.
Based on my blend flashpoint should I add the fragrance at 130f and stir for 2mins. Which means the pour temperature will likely be around 120-125f.
But there seems to be conflicting data saying if the fragrance is not added at 180f it is then not hot enough to bind with the wax.
I am really getting confused and before I put it to the test I would love to gain your feedback.
Thanks.
Hi Susan,
Unlike Fragrance Oils, Essential oils differ widely in flash points and can actually be dangerous in candles unless fully tested.
Fragrance oils are typically have a flashpoint of over 220 Celcius and very safe for candles. We recommend adding fragrance to soy wax at between 75 and 80C but this does vary by wax type/grade. If your oils are likely to be damaged at this temp’ then they probably should not be used in a soy candle. Can I ask why the preference for essential oil? Thanks, Brian.
Hi Brian sorry for my late reply. Although I am open to using FO’s I also want to make up a couple of EO blends one which includes Lemongrass – but a great hot scent throw seems to elude me. So I wonder if you could recommend a couple of oils that would enhance and achieve!just that!
I am also experimenting using essential oils in soy instead of fragrance oils for a purer candle. The hot scent throw is what I am trying to improve also. I am researching about flash point and different carrier oils too. Following this post hope we can figure it out.
Citrus eo and lemongrass dont give a very good hot throw. Ive tried that. Plus with eo’s you need a good 10% to give a good hot throw. The higher the flash points the better hot throw it gives. Fragrance oils better for candles and more economical.
Thanks for your input Sindhu. Be very careful with Citrus EO’s especially Orange Oil. It has a low flash point and can be flammable, not what you want in a candle! We really don’t recommend them for candles at all.
You have said in this comment that you recommend adding FO at around 75 – 80°c however in the literature it states 10-15°c above your wax melt point? I am using Ecosoya Q210 and it’s melt point is 46.1,that means I should add the FO between 56.1-61°c. I am using FO with a flash point of around 72°c and my wax can be poured as low as 62.8°c. what should I do? Thank you.
Hi Kristy, sorry I did not pick up on this comment earlier…it was hiding from me! The blog is intended as a ‘rule of thumb’ and most of the container waxes will work within these temps’. However, you are also correct and it is worth taking note of the guidelines for each type of wax. Many waxes can be poured much lower than the manufacturer states, and yes you can add fragrance at lower temp’s too. Just don’t add them higher than 80 C. As always, your own testing is the key. You should try the lower temps’ and let us know what works for you. Thanks for your comment. Brian.
Hi Brian, I made soy wax tarts with Golden Wax 494 and 6% oil for one pound of wax. The cold throw is awesome but the hot throw is not very strong. I added the fo at 185f and poured at 145f. Do I need to increase the amount of fo or change the temperature when adding the fo?
Hi Lisa, I would start by reducing your add fragrance temp, it is a bit on the high side and could be damaging some of the notes. 6% is also at the low end of the FL for this wax….adding more will not hurt. If you need to try 10% and see what the difference is like. Good luck:)
Just a quick one, I’ve started having a go at candles and I wonder if you could help.
I’ve made a few soy wax candles a couple of days ago and I’ve just checked on them and used a heat gun to smooth out the top.. would the smell that comes off that be an indicator of heat throw? If it is then it would just save me wasting wax/oil if it’s the same as burning it so just thought I’d check?
Also the more research I do the more confused I get… a lot of sites say to add FO at 185f for binding but then others say you should do it when it’s at cooling/pouring temp because it gives a lot less time to burn off whilst it’s cooling?
Thank you
Hi Rhianna, thanks for the questions. I would not recommend the heat gun as an indicator of fragrance throw….you need the heat from the wick and the convection of the wax pool to get a true idea.
There are many opinions on the correct temp’ to add fragrance and often it depends on the brand of wax. 185F is slightly on the high side. You can take all the advice on board but nothing beats your own testing.
I hope that helps and I wish you well on your candle making journey. Brian.
I know this is super old but did you find something that worked Jesse?
Making soy container candles. My throw is hit or miss. Tried adding, vybar, tried 10% FO, tried adding 5% coconut wax, wicked up, wicked down. Using Natures C3 wax.
The ones with good cold throw have no hot throw, the ones with no cold throw have good hot throw!~
Frustrated!!!!!!
Hi there, we don’t stock the C3 here so I can’t really comment on that. What I can say is that the quality of your fragrance, combined with the wick you choose, will have the biggest impact. Remember that not all fragrances are created equally….some have great hot throw but no cold, others are the opposite. My advice to you is to remove the Vibar and the coconut wax and attempt to make a candle with just wax and fragrance. First try a different wax, if that doesn’t work try a different fragrance supplier. Keep good notes….Best of luck.
Hi Brian, I am having the same problem. My candles are taking 4 hours of burning before I can smell the fragrance. Could this be due to the second pour that I do? Cold throw is amazing. Hot throw very subtle. Please help!!!
Hi there, the reference to the second pour gives us a clue. Make a candle without the second pour and test it….that will confirm if this is indeed the issue. And if it is, what are you doing differently in the top pour? Are you using exactly the same ratios and temps’?
Hi I’m using eco cb advanced soy wax . I made a batch last night adding fragrance oil at 70degreea the scent throw isn’t so strong . I’m wondering should I add it at 85degrees then remove from heat then stir?
Just a bit confused
Hi there, please let us know what other ingredients you are using. Scent throw is enhanced by a number of factors, not just the the wax. What fragrance are you using, wick size etc. It pays to experiment until you get it right. And remember that every fragrance will vary, what works for one will be different for another.
Hi Brian.
I have been making candles for 2 years now and have been using essential oils and C3 soy wax as I don’t like fragrance and chemicals. Before I launched my business I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect before launching. Last September I started to sell my candles at local fayres and they were a big hit. Then out of the blue I re- ordered another batch of essential oils and more C3 wax, it started with the wax. The wax felt brittle and when I tested it my oils didn’t have any throw what’s so ever and the wax burnt very quickly? I then tried several other soy waxes including golden soy and eco soy. Again no throw and the wax wasn’t as good as C3? I then looked at the essential oils separately and noticed that they were weaker when I opened the container bottles. I always store my oils in a cold dark container and my citrus oils always in a fridge. I recently sourced out other essential oil companies and have started to re-test and go back to basics. I used the same recipes as before but I just cant get the aroma the same? I have a cold throw but no hot throw, I’m getting worried now as I have invested thousands of pounds into my business. Again I practiced for a long time before financially committing and when I bulk ordered this is what has happened. I have 4 different blends using top notes of citrus oils, middle notes and woody base notes, any advice please? Also I melt my C3 at a temp max of 76 degrees C and cool down to 68 degrees c before adding the essential oils and then cool down to 60 degrees c before pouring into the glasses. Sorry for the long email.
Thanks
Paula
Hi Paula, I can understand your frustration. Here at Candle Creations we don’t stock C3 wax so I can’t comment on that sorry. What I can say is that we, on the whole, achieve great scent throw with all of our soy waxes. Essential Oils are tricky in candles and one of the main reasons we recommend using fragrance oils instead of essentials is because our FO’s are far more consistent. This is the trade off between EO’s and FO’s…apart from the fact that EO’s can be ten times the price! My advice is to contact your supplier of C3 wax and talk to them about the issues you are having with thier wax…..and if you are going to continue with EO’s you need to test every new batch of oil before proceeding to make a full batch of candles for sale. You will probably find that your fragrance load, and wick size, will require fine tuning each time. I hope that helps. Regards, Brian.
Hi Paula
Did you solve it?
Does adding color take away from the hot or cold scent throw?
Hi there, great question! Short answer…it depends. A candle is a system of ingredients, so when you add a new ingredient…the system will be affected in some way. There are so many variables involved in achieving hot and cold throw but what you need to do is test, test, test. Make a candle that has no color but gives the hot and cold throw you are happy with and then add color. What is the difference, is there any? If yes, then you need to fine tune the fragrance load and possibly wick size to compensate for the color. I hope that helps. Kind Regards, Brian.
Hi! I hVe been making candles for three years and use Golden wax464 and am having basically all the same issues as everyone above. I mostly use a blend of candle sciene brand fragrance and essential oils, use 3% in grams of vybar, i add fragrance around 170F and stir for about 2 minutes, then pour probably around 160F. I also live in los angeles which has goofy weather when drying. Some candles have a good hot throw only, some a good cold throw but zero hot; sometimes the same wick will be used on the same candle size and fragrance volume but wont have an even burn pool like my other candles; some of my candles dry with this weird white crust on top after i heat gun and add toppings and it happens after this. Idk what gives but Id love some advice! Thank you!
Hi Jesse, thanks for sharing. Sounds like you have a lot going on in your candles…..a ‘blend’ of fragrance and essentials, plus additives makes it tough to get right. If I were you I would pare things right back. First make a GW464 candle with nothing else…when you are happy with the wick and the way the candle is burning, start adding one ingredient at a time and test…..you will start to get an understanding of how each component effects the others.
With the cold v hot throw, often an over sized wick will kill your hot throw because a lot of the fragrance will just end up being destroyed in the flame.
A well made candle is a system of many components, a lot of fine tuning is required and often it is not just one component causing the problem. Keep testing and keep good notes.
Let us know how you get on.
Brian.
This is such good advice. Helped me massively. Thank you
I had really wanted to use only essential oils when I first started but had difficulties to. The stronger scented essential oils do provide a better scent….but to much EO and I get a bit of soot burning. I’m still self learning at the moment.
Ive just ordered some scents from CC so I am looking forward to seeing how good they are.
My expertise is in cold process soap making so this has been helpful.
I’d like the Ecoya candle scents and would like my candles to be comparable.
I am a little confused with all the waxes. What is the best quality soy wax to buy from CC?
Hi Paula, here at Candle Creations we sell both type of oils. EO’s are great for use in body products because of their therapeutic attributes but they can be unpredictable in candles and it’s often very difficult to match the correct wick for them. Also some EO’s have low flash points making them dangerous if you are not careful in your candle testing! Plus, EO’s can cost up to four times the price of FO’s yet in terms of providing amazing scent throw in your home they do not deliver four times the benefit. For these reasons we highly recommend that Fragrance Oils (FO’s) are used for making candles and soaps and that Essential Oils (EO’s) are best used for soaps, lotions, creams and other body products.
For soy wax they are all excellent quality, the two best sellers for container candles are GW464 and S16. I hope that helps. Brian.
Hi there I have a quick question
In the article you recommend adding FO at 10-15c above melting point. Which means for the GW464 I should add FO at around 64c.
But under ‘Specification’ when purchasing GW464 the recommended fragrance temp is 75-82c.
At what temperature should I add the FO for the best scent throw?
Hi there, the recommendation of 10 – 15C above melting point is your minimum starting point and is a guideline. With GW464 our testing suggests adding between 75C and 82C will give good results. If you go higher than 82C you approach a zone where fragrance can be damaged. There are many variables and your own testing is always required. I hope that helps, Brian.
I’ve tested lots of different waxes and tested at all different temps, pour etc. I always read the SDS sheet of waxes regardless of what recommendations the supplier provides on the website. I’ve used 4120, 494, 464, ecosoya melt, Natures rapeseed and coconut, RCX, HPM, ecococo, M12 and A27. Most % I use is 7-8%
I found that heating to 85-93c helps burn off some of the additives that can cause the fatty smell after the fragrance wears off in your finished product. You can sometimes smell this when the melting the wax too, especially coconut and rapeseed! Don’t exceed 93c
Adding FO at hotter temps ( from 75-80c unless the SDS sheet states otherwise) helps the fragrance disperse better and more evenly, stirring continuously for at least 2 mins and while pouring. Harder soy waxes like 494 and R&C need to be heated at higher temps, and if you notice that 494 starts to congeal around 68c after you’ve added the fragrance, so it is much better to heat, add FO and pour higher.
I found that over stirring does not cause more frosting, or pouring at lower temps like most people advice. I pour anywhere between 65-70c. This works for me and I let all waxes cure for a minimum of 4 days before testing and a minimum of 14 days before I sell. They are stored in a PET5 plastic container in a dark cupboard and I have excellent cold and hot throw. If your not getting either, and 20g cube doesn’t last for at least 8 hours, its 100% POOR fragrance oil
Thanks for your input Sian, great that you have worked out your own methods to achieve the best results for your situation. The over riding message here is check the quality of your ingredients and test, test, test to find what works for you. Brian.
I made up several candles that have a great cold throw but a very low hot throw. I can smell the candle when lit if I get my nose close to it. The pool around the wick is good and my wick is burning great, no smoke. Can I fix the low hot throw now that these are made or do I throw away these 5 4oz candles 🙁 help!
Hi there, it is hard to fix the hot throw after the candle is made. However, you might be able to remove the wax from the jars, remelt to the pouring temp, and try testing a slightly smaller wick. It could be that too much melted wax is hitting the flame before your fragrance can be released…Best of luck.
Hi, this is a very interesting chat. I wonder if anyone can help me? I am making candles using essential oil blends and eco soya wax. The cold throw is beautiful but when lit the scent changes and very strong and almost acidic. I am close to giving up as spent a fortune on wax and oils trying to get this right, however, the stubborn side of me wants to continue and get this right. I wonder if anyone has any suggestions??
Hi Tamsyn, it is always difficult to achieve the perfect hot throw with essential oils. The thickness of the oils, and the flash points differ a lot from fragrance oils. Your only option is to keep testing different thicknesses of wick…I would also test out some other soy waxes that might play better with your oils. Hope that helps, Brian.
Hi, I’ve been trying soy wax and a mix of soy and paraffin with FO.
Tried to pour FO and pour the wax at different temperatures, but still have no great hot scent throw. I made my candles cure for 24h or a week, but still only cold scent throw and a very weak hot scent throw. I thought it was the soy wax so I started making new candles with soy and paraffin but still the same. Any recommendations? Thank you!
Hi Vanessa, try experimenting with different size (thickness) of wicks. It could be that your fragrance is hitting the flame too quickly if the wick is oversized. The melt pool should be about 1CM deep at all times.
I have been trying to blend soy and paraffin candles and using essential oils. My main problem is that the wicks are not staying lit and they are melting evenly at the top. I have been trying for a week and have a huge festival coming up to selll I am so stressed about this ! I have been using different wicks, hemp, balsa wood, and zinc, and none would stay lit and I’ve been using multiple wicks. im so lost for the solution any advice would be greatly appreciated! I started with 70% soy 30% paraffin, now I’ve switched to 60/40 and it is still not working 🙁
Hi Jamie, I feel your pain! The candle is a complete system and the wick is a key component, however the way it performs depends a lot on what other ingredients are in the system.
You need to get back to basics, decide on the blend you want to use and then make a candle that burns well with just wax, no fragrance or color, and make a note of the wick.
Next start adding your essential oil, small % at a time and test, test, test, adjusting the wick size until you get it right.
Remember that EO’s are very difficult to work with in a candle, which is why we always recommend using fragrance oils. Also I don’t use paraffin, only ever 100% Soy.
But with lots of testing, patience, and perseverance you will get there with your blend…Stick at it and do share how you go so others can learn too.
Brian.
Hi there. Is it best to use a Bain Marie type principle for melting soy wax?
Or could I use a preserving cooker,just melting wax directly inside this, Ive been told u can burn the wax by this method,but if it’s thermostatically controlled ie 50/60/70 degrees centigrade how would burning happen? Thanks
Hi Michael, we recommend the double boiler method or a water jacketed commercial melter for larger quantities of soy wax. However, if your unit is thermostatically controlled and you are confidant that the temp’ can be held within a tight range then by all means try it. You’ll need to ensure that you are getting good convection in your pot otherwise the temperature will vary from the bottom to the top.
Hi,
I have a question regarding hot fragrance throw.
Assume I have two identical soy wax candles. If I were able to melt all the wax in one of the candles in a short period of time (20 minutes) would the fragrance throw be stronger compared to the other candle with a small wax pool?
It’s my understanding that soy wax takes a longer time to melt compared to paraffin wax. I’m thinking this may be a good solution for improving fragrance throw of soy wax candles.
Hi there, that’s an interesting question.
The only way to get one of the candles to burn so much quicker than the other would be to supersize the wick but that would mean that most of the fragrance will be drawn into the flame and destroyed, you won’t smell it.
Optimal fragrance throw requires a careful balance of fragrance load (the amount you add) and wick thickness (the rate of burn) so that the optimal heat and convection is generated to release the fragrance before it goes to the flame.
I hope that helps to answer your question. Brian.
Hi Brian,
I am making candles using soy wax and fragrance oil.
The flashpoint of FO is 60 C, is it too low to use? The melting point of soy wax is 42-48 C. What is the best temperature to mix and then pour it?
I use glass jar, should I heat it before pouring?
After pouring should I cover the jar?
How much time does it take to cool the candle and ready to use?
And one more question (sorry:) Why can’t be the wax evenly in the jar (I see big spots on that)
Many thanks for your help in advance!
Hi Anne, I’m going to go ahead and refer you straight to our candle making tutorial as it covers pretty much all of your questions. Also check out the trouble shooting guide in our knowledge section. If you have any more questions do let us know. Brian.
Hi
Should i be adding the fragrance to the wax above or below the flash point, my teacher told me to heat up the wax to 60 max, and how would i know if i’ve mix the fragrance and wax well enough?
Hi there, it depends what wax you are using but generally you heat the wax to between 75C and 82C then add your fragrance and stir for a good 2 minutes.
Hi Brian.
I’ve been making candles for 5 years now, done a lot of tests in the process to get better. Currently i’m working on a formula for a much more stronger cold and hot throw. I recently started piecing 464, parasoy with FO together and fragrance is quite average but i want it stronger. I’m torn between continuing with fine tuning the formula or changing to a coconut soy mix as i want a healthier and much stronger option to serve to my clients.Also whats your take on using perfume oils(fine fragrance)in candles, they seem stronger. What would you advice please?
Thank you!
Hi Kay, thanks for the information and good on you for experimenting with different options. I would go with your gut instinct, if you like the idea of the more natural cocosoy then go for it and start developing your recipe’ around that. Remember that fragrance throw is not determined by the wax alone; there are many factors at play…the wick…the fragrance load….and of course the fragrance itself. Choose good quality oils but personally I would not recommend fine fragrances or perfumes…your oils should be formulated for candles to ensure safety and consistency. As always, keep creating and testing. I hope that helps and I wish you luck on your journey.
Hi,
I have recently purchased KeraSoy Container Wax. I have read many things online stating that 185F is the optimum temperature to add to FO to ensure it binds completely. However, KeraSoy’s pouring point is 50C and it says the FO should be added immediately prior to pouring. What would you recommend doing? Adding the FO at high temperature and then pour at 50C or add the FO just before pouring at around 55C?
Thanks
Hi Isabelle, in my opinion…based on advice from our fragrance manufacturers….185F is a little on the high side. I wouldn’t be topping 180F. Having said that, my advice to you is to first follow the temp guidelines recommended by the wax manufacturer. See how that works for you. Then try some other temp’s so you can see and smell the difference. Remember to keep good notes in your journal. I hope that helps, Brian:)
Hello,
I hope my question doesn’t sound stupid but if I have multiple essential oils at different flash points that i’d like to add to 464 soy wax or any soy wax in general, is it best to add them separately according to their flash points? So for example, with sweet orange EO (flashpoint – 50C), cinnamon leaf (flashpoint 80C) and Vanilla (flashpoint 80C) should I add the cinnamon leaf and vanilla Essential Oils together once the wax reaches roughly 75C-80C then wait till it cools to 50C before adding in the Sweet Orange essential oil? Or would I have to mix the oils all together and add it at the lowest flashpoint of them all (50C)
Hi Hannah, not a stupid question at all, in fact we get asked about EO’s at every candle class we run. To be honest we don’t recommend using EO’s in a candle at all, they are just too inconsistent and can cause all sorts of issues (safety being just one). Flashpoint is a complex topic that is too difficult to answer fully here so watch out for my upcoming blog, I will post a link here soon. For now all I can say is be careful using EO’s and always test, test, test in a safe and monitored environment. Thanks again for the question, Brian.
Hi Brian .
Im using 464 soy wax for melts and Candle tins .. my trainer told me to use 3-4 mls of FO per 100 gms of wax . This rule is bcz we are in qeensland, australia .
And was told to add color at 60-65 deg and add FO at 80-85 deg ..
Just wondering is everything mentioned above correct??
I have no issues though.
Thanks
Regards
Naiya
Hello Naiya, thanks for getting in touch. The FO load sounds light to me…we recommend between 6 and 10%. 100G of wax will melt t about 120mls….10% is 12ml FO.
Temps are bit on the high side at 85C, I would not go above 82. There is a handy tutorial here https://www.candlecreations.co.nz/knowledge/candle-making-tutorials/how-to-make-soy-melts/
Have fun:)
hi
thanks for replying, a slight confusion here . So 6 % -10 % per 100 gm of soy wax??? right?
And secondly as you recommended not above 82 deg , does that mean melting of wax shouldn’t go above 82 or adding of FO should not be above 82 ????
And Thirdly i was told that higher percentage of Fo is added only in cold climate areas not for the climate like queensland which is hot & humid,!so thats why it is 4ml / 100’gm .
Please solve my queries and rectify me .
thanks
Hello Naiya, please have a good read of our knowledge section, all of the answers you seek can be found there:)
https://www.candlecreations.co.nz/knowledge/candle-making-tutorials/
Hi Brian.
My name is Luiza, I’m from Brazil. I’m studying the essencial oil candle business and I would like to know if you have some answer about the fixation of the essencial oils on candles.After many tests I have now a grate candle, burning ok, but the hot throw almost disappeared after 1 month. The candle was sealed and protected from light. Do you know of any vegetable oil that would intensify the fixation of scent or another natural way to do it?
Thank you.
Hi Luiza, thanks for getting in touch, I’m glad to know we have readers from Brazil. My advice around essential oils is always the same; we do not recommend them for use in candles because they can be very inconsistent, they are very expensive to burn in a candle, and not so environmentally friendly as one may think. They can also be dangerous in certain situations due to variable flash points.
Having said all of that, if you insist to EO’s of course you can but you need to test extensively. In your case it is difficult for me to offer specific advice as I have no idea of your recipe. My best advice is to reach out to your local wax supplier for advice on their best wax for use with EO’s and to experiment with fragrance load and wick sizing. You may well find a noticeable improvement to hot throw by altering the wick. Sorry I can’t be more specific but I hope this help in some way. Brian.
Hello, I. An see that I am not the only one with troubles making soy candles. I have been testing creating scented candles. And I was very happy and proud because when I finish the making the small of the candles were delightful. But when I light them up the smell disappear and just smells like little wood burning, I use wood wicks. The scent goes and just comes back when I turn it off and cools a little.
Hi Camila, sorry to hear you are having problems with your hot throw. This can be due to the wick selection, the fragrance quality and load (%), the wax type. You need to test variations of all of these until you get it right. Often a good cold throw but poor hot throw is caused by an incorrectly sized wick….that would be where I would start. Keep good notes, and good luck!
Hi, a question for you. I use your AO5 wax and love it. I combine with the CDN wick and again excellent combination and works predictably well with most of the fragrence oils I use at 9% EXCEPT vanilla and I have tried Candle Creations vanilla FO along with other vanillas available here in NZ but just no luck with wicking. Where I would normally have no issues with CDN 18 in the vessels I use, the vanilla at 9% will drown the wick. Same with CDN 16 and CDN 20. Is it as simple as dropping the % to 8% or have you any other tips.
Hi Fiona, thanks for the feedback on the A05. You are right, it is as simple as dropping the fragrance load so as not to overwhelm the wick with this heavy fragrance. If the load does not produce the desired scent throw then you should go back to the 9 or 10% and test a thicker wick until you get the optimal burn. If you have no success with the CDN range, you might find this fragrance plays better with the ACS. Usually though, a slight reduction in fragrance load is the key. I hope that helps, Brian.