5 Tips to Make Your Homemade Candles Smell Stronger (Really Works)


Are your candles’ scent throw just not strong enough? It is challenging to make your candles smell more potent. 

You would not believe the number of tips to enhance candles scent throw.

Try these numerous ways to improve your candle’s scent throw, such as: 

  1. Remember to add your fragrance oil at the correct temperature.
  2. Is your wick right for your candle? 
  3. The wax used alters candles and their strength.  
  4. Types of fragrance oil impact a candle’s scent.
  5. Always let your candles cure. 

Do you know the differences between using beeswax to soy wax can make? What about how your fragrance oil can impact your candle? Keep reading to learn all the tips you need to know. 

Tip # 1. Add Fragrance Oils at the Correct Temperatures to Get the Best Scent Throws 

Adding your scent at the proper temperature can make or break your candle’s smell. If you add your fragrance oil at the wrong temperature, you could wind up with a lousy-smelling candle. 

Every wax has a melt or pour point. Many specify a temperature to add your oil. Check your wax’s packaging for the proper temperature to add your fragrance. 

For example, add your fragrance oil at around 180° to 185° F for a soy and paraffin wax blend candle. For a palm wax candle, add your oil around 200° to 225°F. 

Adding your scent oil at the correct temperature is the crucial part of your candle.

Tip # 2. Ensure a Proper Burning Candle With Suitable Wicks 

Even though your wick is the smallest part of your candle, it is the most important. Your wick can affect your candle in many ways, largely your scent throw. 

The wick fuels your candle’s flame, acting as a fuel pump drawing the liquified wax into the wick. With this fuel, your candle stays aflame. 

Checking your wick each time you light it ensures your candle produces a fragrant, long-lasting scent. With several classes and sizes of wicks, make sure you pick the correctly sized wick for your candle container. 

Countless choices are available for wicks, from cotton to paper.  

Types of wicks to choose from include: 

  • Cotton, such as squared, flat, cored, or CD series wicks. 
  • Wood wicks are great for soy wax candles, holding vast amounts of fragrance. 
  • Paper wicks are ideal for pillar candles.  
  • Hemp wicks are perfect for a slow-burning candle. 
  • Zinc wicks are best in gel or votive candles.

Does Your Wick Need to be longer or Shorter? 

Too long or short of a wick will alter your candle’s scent throw. Each time you light your candle, ensure it is the proper length. 

When the candle is unlit, trim your wick to the ideal length of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Too long of a wick causes too large of a flame, which causes the wax of your candle to melt too fast. This gives the scent less time to evaporate. 

A wick that is too short will “drown.” If your wick is too short, use a lighter or match to melt the wax around the wick. Once melted, gently pull the wick up using tweezers. 

Tip # 3. Waxes Alter Your Candle and its Potency; Find Your Wax 

Various waxes will absorb the fragrance oil better or worse than others. If you’re going for a deft candle with a potent smell, you may want to check out paraffin wax. Parrafin has shown to be one of the easier scented waxes, giving a great scent throw. 

Wax types can alter your candle’s scent by needing a longer curing time or more or less fragrance oil. 

For example, the longer soy wax candles sit, the stronger their potency. Many candlemakers suggest letting your soy wax cure for up to 2 weeks! Whereas a paraffin wax’s recommendation is 24 to 48 hours. 

Waxes also have different melt points, which alters your candle’s scent throw. Waxes that melt at lower temperatures have a softer construction, which releases fragrance easier than a higher melt point. 

Higher melt point candles will have a more “solid net.” They have a tougher time releasing the aroma molecules into the air than looser net candles. This results in a weaker-smelling candle. 

Do your research on your specific wax blend. Many waxes vary in their needs, from curing times to the wax-to-oil ratios. You may need to try different waxes until you find your favorite. Trying many wax and fragrance oil combinations can help you find your favored wax.  

Tip # 4. Your Fragrance Oil’s Quality and How Much You Use Impacts Your Candle’s Scent Throw

How much, what you use, and the quality of your fragrance oil are huge factors in your scent How much, what you use, and the quality of your fragrance oil are huge factors in your scent throw. 

How much fragrance oil you should use varies from wax to wax.

Adding too much can cause your oil to sweat and pool on the top of your candle after curing. You can add too much fragrance to your candle. 

Adding too little fragrance provides a weak scent throw. 

 Many waxes will have on their instructions how much scent they can hold. Read your wax blend’s specific instructions on how much you should use. 

The general fragrance oil-to-wax ratio is one ounce of fragrance to 16 ounces of wax. 

Soy wax carries roughly 8 to 10% of its weight in fragrance oil; any more oil than that can cause issues like improper solidifying or a sweaty candle. 

What is Natural Scenting? 

A common way of scenting a candle is using fragrant fresh or dried herbs like Mint, Basil, or Lavender. 

Bring your wax to the pouring temperature. Keeping your wax at that steady temperature, add your herbs. Let the herbs sit in the wax for 45 minutes. 

Remove the wax from the heat. Clear the herbs from the wax by straining them. You could keep them in your candle. 

Alternatively, you could use essential oils to fragrance your candles. We suggest using 30 to 40 drops of essential oil, depending on your strength preference. 

What is Artificial Scenting?  

Synthetic fragrance oils can contain carcinogens, such as Phthalates or Octoxynols. You can use synthetic scents bought from a manufacturer. Remember when purchasing synthetic oils that they can contain harmful chemicals.

Tip # 5. Let Candles Cure for 3 Days or More for the Best Candles 

A vital part of the candle-making process is letting your candles cure. Many issues arise due to not allowing your candle to cure entirely, mainly weak scent throws.

Let your candles fully cure with their lids on, at room temperature, away from direct heat and sunlight, for at least 3 days. Some candles may take up to several weeks to fully cure. 

Various waxes will have different cure times

For example, a beeswax candle needs up to 1 week to fully cure, whereas a paraffin candle only takes 1 to 2 days! 

Many candle makers state that the longer they let their candles cure, the stronger the scent throw. Do not light your candle immediately after creation. 

Lighting your candle too soon will not impact its burning quality. Although, your scent throw will likely be different from your expectations. Lighting too soon can give a weak scent throw had you waited.

Conclusion

After reading this article, we hope you know everything you must know about how to make your candles smell stronger. Tips such as trimming your wick or the different types of wax and wicks can help the scent throw of your candle. You may need to add more or less fragrance oil or let your candles cure longer. 

If you found this article helpful and an enjoyable reading experience, feel free to share it with your friends and family. We appreciate your love and support. 

Grace Young

I love candles! I have personally tried over 100 brands of candles. The total burn time of these candles is over 5000 hours. I also talk about essential oil diffusers and reed diffusers. Essential oil diffusers and diffusers are also an important part of the scent in my home.

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