I have recently bought a wax warmer to use in place of burning candles. Before long, I noticed my wax melts have not been holding their fragrance very long. Wanting to make the most of my wax melts, I set out to find a solution.
There are a few reasons why wax melts are not emitting a scent. Light bulb wattage and the amount of wax in the warmer could affect the strength of your scent. The lower the wattage and amount of wax, the weaker the scent you will smell.
Depending on the size of the room, you will want to make sure you have the right light bulb wattage and wax amount to fill the room. The time you use the wax melts for can also play a factor in the strength of the scent.
Using a Wax Warmer
When you use a wax warmer, you want your wax to keep its scent as long as possible. To do this, you are going to want to take a few factors into consideration. The amount of wax used in the warmer can determine whether the scent will be strong or weak.
The amount of scent a wax melt gives off is called the scent throw. Ideally, you want the scent throw to be strong enough to fill the entire room you are melting the wax in. If you are trying to fill a large room, you will need to use more wax.
Using the right kind of wax warmer is something you will want to take into account when using wax melts. By using the right kind of burner, your wax melts will last longer and have a stronger scent throw.
Another factor in the scent throw is the light bulb wattage you are using. Again, if you are trying to have the scent throw be strong enough to fill a large room, you are going to want to use a higher wattage bulb.
If you pair these two factors together, you can easily have the scent throw fill any size room.
| Room Size | Wattage | Wax Amount |
| Large (living room) | 40 to 60 | 1 ounce |
| Small to medium (kitchen or bedroom) | 20 to 35 | 0.5 ounces |
Another common reason your wax melts do not have a scent throw is the how old your wax melt is. If you have been using the same wax melts for too long, they will lose their fragrance.
It is important that you make sure you are changing out your wax melts after several hours. Depending on the brand, fragrance in wax melts can last anywhere from eight to twelve hours.
After you have burned the wax melts for around this time and they no longer have a scent throw, change out the wax for new melts. The wax in wax melts does not evaporate like wax does in candles. Instead, the fragrance is what evaporates.
So even though the same amount of wax is in the warmer, the wax will need to be changed. The wax can either be discarded or repurposed in another project, such as new wax melts.
Choosing the Right Wax Warmer
The type of wax warmer you use will be a determining factor in how long the fragrance in your wax melt lasts. Also, the strength of the fragrance is determined by the type of warmer you use.
The heat your warmer gives off is what affects these aspects. If your warmer tends to run hotter, your fragrance will not last as long. A hotter wax warmer does release a more intense fragrance, though.
If your warmer tends to run warm instead of hot, your fragrance will tend to last longer. The down side of this, though, is that you will not get as strong of a scent throw from it.
If you are looking for a strong scent throw, you will want to have a shorter melting time. Many wax warmers come equipped with a timer. If yours does not, just set a timer on your phone or watch to know when to turn the was warmer off.
Different manufacturers do not follow one single recipe for their wax melts. This means that different wax melts have different temperatures at which they melt. They also have different oil to wax ratios.
Because of this, it would be beneficial to find a brand that you like and buy a wax warmer and wax melts from the same company. Most companies will program their wax warmers to be at the temperature necessary for melting the wax melts.
The companies have taken the scent throw and lifespan of the fragrance into mind when determining the temperature their warmers heat to. This gives you the optimal melt time.
Types of Fragrances
There are two types of oils that can be used to give wax melts a scent. These are essential oils or fragrance oils. Essential oils are a natural way to give a wax melt a fragrance.
Essential oils are good for wax melts because their scent can promote health and well-being based on the type of oil you have. For example, melting wax infused with orange essential oil can help reduce stress or uplift your mood.
Fragrance oils are an artificial way of adding scents to wax melts. Because it is artificial, the scent lasts longer than wax melts infused with essential oils. Wax melts with fragrance oil will have to be changed less frequently than those made with essential oils.
Cost is another factor that plays into wax melts. If you are choosing to make your own wax melts, essential oils are more expensive than fragrance oils.
The cheaper cost and the length scent lasts are reasons why I would recommend using fragrance oil in your wax melts.
Companies that make and distribute wax melts use varying amounts of oil in their wax. Some companies use as little as a 6% oil to wax ratio while others can use around a 12% oil to wax ratio.
The larger the amount of oil used, the longer the fragrance will have a scent throw. If you want a longer lifespan on your fragrance, you will want to buy a wax melt with more oil in it.
Read more about Fragrance Oil vs Essential Oil in Candles.
Storing Wax Melts
The way you store your wax melts can affect the lifespan of the fragrance. When you are finished with your wax melt, turn the warmer off and give the wax time to cool down.
You will want to keep your solid wax melts out of direct sunlight. Also, you will want to store these in dark, cool places to prevent them from melting in their containers. Exposing the wax melts to direct sunlight for an extended period of time can have negative affects on the fragrance in the wax.
A good place to store your wax melts would be in a cabinet or drawer. If you choose to store them in your kitchen, make sure you store them away from the oven or stove.
As the wax melts, it lets off fragrance. Keeping it in an air tight container in a cool place allows the fragrance to stay in the wax melt and prevents the wax from melting, therefore keeping the fragrance in tact.
Fragrance can still be released even if the wax does not melt. So, even if the area you are storing your wax melt in is not warm enough to melt the candle, it can still be too warm for storage. To keep the lifespan of your wax melt as long as possible, it must be stored somewhere cool.
When storing your wax melts, make sure you store your older wax melts in the front so you know to use them first. This ensures that you are using your wax melt before the fragrance deteriorates.
Read more: Do Wax Melts Evaporate