The candle fragrance load calculator determines exactly how much fragrance oil to add to your candle wax. Enter wax type, wax weight, and target fragrance percentage to get precise measurements.
Calculate Fragrance Load
How to Calculate Candle Fragrance Load
Always add fragrance oil at the correct wax temperature — typically 10-15°F below the pour temperature. For soy wax (pour temp 120-130°F), add fragrance at 140°F and stir thoroughly for 2 minutes. Adding fragrance too hot causes evaporation; too cold causes seizing and uneven mixing.
Testing Your Fragrance Load
Start with 6-8% for soy wax and adjust based on test burns. Make small test batches (100-200g) before scaling up. Test hot throw by burning the candle after a 2-week cure. If throw is weak, increase fragrance load in 1% increments. If fragrance seeps or pools, reduce by 1-2%.
FAQ
How much fragrance oil do I add to candle wax?
Fragrance load varies by wax type: soy wax holds 6-10%, paraffin 6-12%, coconut wax up to 12%, beeswax 3-6%. The standard starting point is 6% by weight. To calculate: weight of wax × fragrance percentage = fragrance weight. For 100g of soy wax at 8%: 100g × 0.08 = 8g fragrance oil.
What fragrance load is best for soy candles?
Soy wax typically performs best at 6-10% fragrance load. Going above 10% risks 'seeping' (fragrance oil pooling on top of cooled wax) and poor scent throw. The sweet spot is 8% for most soy blends — enough throw without seeping issues.
How do I measure fragrance oil for candles?
Always measure by weight (grams or ounces) on a kitchen scale, not by volume. Fragrance oils have varying densities, making volume measurements inaccurate. A jeweler's or kitchen scale accurate to 0.1g is ideal for candle making.
What is cold throw vs hot throw?
Cold throw is the fragrance you smell from an unlit candle. Hot throw is the fragrance released when the candle burns. Soy candles typically have excellent cold throw but may need 2-3 weeks curing for optimal hot throw. Paraffin wax generally has stronger hot throw from the first burn.
Is this candle calculator free?
Yes, completely free with no signup required.