You’re not alone if you’re wondering how much fragrance oil to use in your candles.
As a candle maker, knowing how much fragrance oil to use can make or break your scented candles.
In this article, you’ll learn how to calculate how much fragrance oil you need, no matter how many candles you plan to make.
What is Fragrance Load?
Before you learn how to calculate how much fragrance oil you need, you must know what fragrance load is.
Fragrance load is the percentage of fragrance used relative to the weight of the wax.
Fragrance loads can range from 3% up to 12+%.
When purchasing wax, the supplier will list a maximum fragrance load representing the maximum percentage of fragrance the wax can retain.
The max fragrance load you can use will depend on the wax. Each wax has a max percentage of fragrance it can retain before you start running into problems.
It’s up to you to choose your desired fragrance load for your candle.
Keep in mind that more doesn’t always mean better. The most common fragrance loads are 6%-10%, but this highly depends on your specific candle project.
I recommend you start below the max fragrance load for your wax, test the results, and adjust accordingly.
And don’t forget to cure your candles which can significantly improve the scent of your candles.
How to Calculate the Amount of Fragrance Oil You Need
There are two ways to calculate the amount of fragrance for your candles. First, we’ll cover the most common method, and then we’ll go over a more precise approach that I recommend you learn as a candle maker.
To calculate the amount of fragrance oil, you need to measure the oil by weight (ounces or grams), not volume (fluid ounces).
You can use either ounces or grams for both of these methods.
Method 1 – Calculate Based on Wax Weight
This first method is a common way of calculating how much fragrance you need based on the weight of the wax and works when you don’t need precision for a specific number of candles.
All you need is the fragrance load you desire and the amount of wax you’ll be using.
When measuring, you can choose either ounces or grams. Just be consistent. For reference, 1 pound equals 16 ounces (453.6 grams).
The formula for this method to calculate the amount of fragrance is:
fragrance load multiplied by weight of wax (ounces or grams) = fragrance oil amount
Once you have the total fragrance oil needed, add this amount to the wax.
Although these are accurate numbers, the downside to this method is you do not measure for a specific candle size. When calculating measurements for a particular size, move on to method 2.
If you want to find the decimal of a percentage, divide it by 100. So, if you have a 12% fragrance load and want the decimal, it would be 12/100 = 0.12
Example 1: 6% Fragrance Load
You want a 6% fragrance load, and you have 1 pound (16 ounces) of wax. How much fragrance oil do you need?
For this example, we’ll measure in ounces.
Fragrance load X wax weight = ounces of fragrance oil
0.06 (6% fragrance load) x 16 (16oz of wax) = 0.96 ounces of fragrance oil
The answer is 0.96, or rounding up 1 ounce of fragrance oil is required for a ~6% fragrance load for 1 pound (16 ounces) of wax.
Your blend will be 16oz of wax plus 1oz of fragrance oil, bringing the total blend to 17oz.
Example 2: 10% Fragrance Load
You want a 10% fragrance load, and you have 2 pounds (907 grams) of wax. How much fragrance oil do you need?
For this example, we’ll measure in grams.
Fragrance oil X wax weight = grams of fragrance oil
0.10 (10% fragrance load) x 907 (907 grams of wax) = 90.7 grams of fragrance oil
The answer is 90.7 grams of fragrance oil is required for a 10% fragrance load for 2 pounds (907 grams) of wax.
Your blend will be 907 grams of wax plus 90.7 grams of fragrance oil, bringing the total blend to 997.7 grams.
Method 2 – Based on Candle Size (Recommended)
This method is based on the size of the candle and is suitable for getting precise measurements for a particular candle size.
For example, if we wanted to make a 16oz candle with a 10% fragrance load using the previous method, we would have a total of 17.6oz, which is more than we need for our 16oz candle.
Instead, we need to calculate the fragrance amount based on the candle’s size. This method is excellent for calculating one candle, large batches, and anything in between.
First, you need to know your container’s fill measurement or the total amount that can safely pour into the container. The fill weight is provided by the supplier where you purchased the container.
Remember, you’ll never fill a candle to the very top of a container. Instead, you’ll leave room in the container because you don’t want wax overflowing, among other issues.
If you don’t know the fill weight, weigh an empty container, weigh the container filled with wax, then subtract the two, and the difference will be your fill weight.
Second, choose your fragrance load.
Next, we have two simple formulas where we will plug in the fill weight and fragrance load.
TIP: calculate to have extra wax to cover for mistakes or to repair imperfections in the candles.
The wax formula:
Total weight (fill weight) / 1 + fragrance Load = wax weight
The fragrance formula:
Wax weight X fragrance load = fragrance weight
The wax weight + fragrance weight is the exact amount to fill your container.
Example 1: 9oz container that holds 7oz total
We have a 9oz container that can hold 7oz total weight. We want this candle to have a fragrance load of 8%.
The wax formula:
total weight / 1 + fragrance load = wax weight
7 (7oz total weight) / 1 + .08 (8% fragrance) = wax weight
7 / 1.08 = 6.48oz wax weight
The fragrance formula:
Wax weight X fragrance load = fragrance weight
6.48 X .08 = 0.52oz fragrance oil
This candle will need 6.48oz of wax and 0.52oz of fragrance oil.
Example 2: Container holds 7oz, and you want to make five candles
We have the same container from example 1, but now we want to make five candles with a fragrance load of 10%.
The wax formula:
total weight / 1 + fragrance load = wax weight
35 (7oz x 5 candles = total weight) / 1 + .10 (10% fragrance) = wax weight
35 / 1.10 = 31.82oz wax weight
The fragrance formula:
Wax weight X fragrance load = fragrance weight
31.82 X .10 = 3.18oz fragrance oil
We need 31.82oz of wax and 3.18oz of fragrance oil for five candles.
How Much Fragrance Oil Per Pound of Wax
If you’re unsure where to start and looking for a broad estimate, a fragrance load of 6% is a safe baseline.
A fragrance load of 6% would equal ~1oz of fragrance oil per pound of wax.
What Happens If You Put Too Much Fragrance Oil in a Candle
When making scented candles, the goal is to have a strongly scented candle, but that doesn’t mean you should drown your wax in the fragrance oil.
Adding too much fragrance oil will only lead to problems for your candle.
Too much fragrance can lead to an unpleasant-smelling candle and issues like candle sweating.
Avoid going over the max fragrance load for the wax you’re using. Know that it’s possible to have a strong hot throw with a modest fragrance load of 6% or lower. It all depends on your specific candle project.
Plus, many factors go into a strongly scented candle, like picking the proper wick and curing the candle.
If you are running into problems with candle sweating or want to push the fragrance load limits, you can add vybar, which will help the wax retain more fragrance oil.