Candle making
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The standard fragrance load is 6–10% by weight. For 1 pound (16 oz) of soy wax, that's 0.96–1.6 oz of fragrance oil. Paraffin can hold up to 12%, while beeswax maxes at around 6%. Never exceed your wax manufacturer's recommended limit — too much fragrance causes sweating and wick clogging. Use the calculator above for exact amounts based on your container size.

The formula is: Container capacity (oz) × 0.86 = wax weight needed. The 0.86 factor accounts for headspace at the top and the space taken up by the wick. So an 8 oz jar needs about 6.9 oz of wax. For grams, multiply milliliters by the wax's specific gravity (0.86 for most soy waxes). Our candle wax calculator does this automatically.

Wick size depends primarily on your jar's inside diameter. For a 2–2.5 inch soy candle container, start with a CD-14 or CD-16 wick. For 3–3.5 inches, try CD-20 to CD-22. Jars wider than 3.5 inches usually need double wicking. Always test 2–3 wick sizes — the right wick creates a full melt pool within 3–4 hours without smoking or a flame larger than 1 inch.

Add fragrance oil to soy wax when it cools to 130–140°F (54–60°C). Adding above 185°F causes the fragrance to flash off before it can bind. Stir gently for 2 minutes, then pour your candle at around 120–130°F. Coconut wax has a much lower working temperature — add fragrance at 105–115°F and pour at 100–110°F.

Weak scent throw is almost always caused by one of three things: (1) Not enough cure time — soy candles need 1–2 weeks for fragrance to fully bind with wax. (2) Wick too small — a small wick can't create a full melt pool, so fragrance doesn't release. (3) Fragrance added too hot — the scent evaporates before it can bind. Test your fragrance load, wick size, and pour temperature systematically before changing multiple variables at once.

Soy candles need a minimum of 48 hours before the first burn, but 1–2 weeks gives the best scent throw as the fragrance oil fully bonds with the wax. Coconut wax benefits from up to 2 weeks of curing. Paraffin candles cure faster and are typically ready in 24–48 hours. Never judge your candle's scent performance before it has cured.

Cold throw is the scent you smell when the candle is unlit — how the fragrance smells just from the wax. Hot throw is the scent released while the candle is burning. Soy wax typically has excellent cold throw but moderate hot throw. Paraffin is known for strong hot throw. A candle that smells great cold but weak when burning usually has a wick that's too small to create a proper melt pool.

Yes, but essential oils behave differently than fragrance oils in candles. Most essential oils have a lower flash point and can evaporate at candle-making temperatures, resulting in weak scent throw. Use candle-safe essential oils and add them at the lowest safe temperature. Citrus essential oils are especially volatile. For best results, use fragrance oils specifically formulated for candle making — they're designed to bind with wax and withstand burning temperatures.

Multiply your wax weight (oz) by the burn rate for your wax: beeswax ~7 hrs/oz, coconut ~6.5 hrs/oz, soy ~6 hrs/oz, blends ~5.5 hrs/oz, paraffin ~4.5 hrs/oz. A double-wick candle burns roughly 15% faster than single-wick. Always trim your wick to ¼ inch before each burn — a long wick significantly shortens burn time. Use our burn time calculator above for a low/high estimate range.

Use this formula: Retail = Total COGS ÷ (1 − margin %). Your COGS must include all materials, labor (don't skip this — a 20-minute candle at $15/hr adds $5), and overhead. Target 50–65% gross margin for a sustainable candle business. For Etsy, add 10% on top to cover platform fees. Our candle pricing calculator above gives you retail, Etsy, wholesale, and craft fair prices instantly.

Wax melts can hold more fragrance than container candles — typically 8–12% for soy and parasoy, up to 15% for paraffin melts. Since there's no wick to clog, the wax is melted by an external warmer and you can push the fragrance load higher. Add fragrance around 140–150°F and let wax melts cure 48 hours before packaging for best scent throw.

For liquid dye, start with 1–2 drops per pound for a pastel and up to 6 drops for vibrant color. Dye blocks and chips are more concentrated — roughly 0.003–0.02 oz per oz of wax. Always add dye incrementally and test a small pour first. Wax looks 2–3 shades darker in its liquid state than when fully set — account for this or your batch will come out lighter than expected.