When it comes to candles and wax melts, the fragrance oil you choose can make or break your product. A poorly chosen fragrance oil can result in a candle or wax melt that doesn’t smell very good, and no one wants a candle or wax melt that doesn’t smell good!
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to ensure you’re choosing the best fragrance oils for your candles and wax melts, we will go over these in this article as well as listing all our favourite oils for candles and wax melts!
First lets figure out what makes a fragrance oil great for candles, and what to look for when buying oils.
What Is Candle Fragrance Oil?
Candle fragrance oil is a concentrated scent that is used to add fragrance to candles. Candle fragrance oils are usually made from synthetic ingredients, however there are some really great all natural oils too. (We much prefer the natural oils)
When it comes to candles, fragrance oil is added to the melted wax before the wax is poured into the mould. The amount of fragrance oil you add will depend on how strong you want the scent to be.
What To Look For When Buying Candle Fragrance Oils
When you’re looking to buy fragrance oils there are a few things you want to keep in mind, first and foremost is that you want an oil that smells good! But there are a few other things to consider as well.
The first thing you want to look at is the Flash Point of the oil, this is the temperature at which the oil will start to evaporate. You want an oil with a high flash point for candles, as this will help to prevent the fragrance from evaporating too quickly and will help the candle to retain its scent.
The second thing you want to look for is whether the oil is body safe, this is especially important if you’re going to be using the oil in a body product like a massage candle. You want to make sure the oil is safe to use on the skin before using it in a product like this.
Essential Oils Vs Fragrance Oils
There is some confusion when it comes to this topic, and the main reason for this confusion is that the terms are often used interchangeably. But there is a big difference between essential oils and fragrance oils. Don’t worry if the packaging says essential oil with the terms been interchangeable its best to look at the ingredients.
Essential oils are natural, concentrated oils that are extracted from plants. They have a wide range of therapeutic benefits and can be used in a variety of ways. The main issue with essential oils is they tend to have a lower flash point and this means you don’t get as good of a scent throw.
Fragrance oils, on the other hand, are synthetic oils that are used to add scent to products. They do not have any therapeutic benefits and are usually not safe to use on the skin. The main drawback to fragrance oils is that the low quality ones can have a chemical smell, which could easily ruin your candles!
Don’t Worry after many hours of research when I first started making candles, I came across a few different Fragrance oils intended for use in candles with an amazing scent throw that are 100% natural! These are the ones that made it to this list.
Now that we understand a bit more about fragrance oils, let’s get into our list of the best fragrance oils for candles and wax melts!
To keep this article organised we have broken the list down in to a few sections.
Most Popular Scents
Candles and wax melts made with these scents are always selling out no matter what time of year it is!
Radha Beauty – Lavender Oil
Lavender is known to have a calming effect and this makes it a great choice for candles and wax melts. The scent of lavender is also known to help with headaches and to promote sleep. After testing many lavender oils this is the only one I could recommend. The quality of this oil is far better than most and the scent throw is amazing, has everything you would be looking for in a fragrance oil!
Mood – Coffee Fragrance Oil
From experience anything with a coffee fragrance sells like crazy! People either love the smell of coffee or they hate it. There is no in between.
I always make sure to have a few different types of coffee-scented candles and wax melts in my shop. I have tried many different oils but the one that stands out the most is the one from Mood. The scent is strong and does not fade quickly, perfect for candles and wax melts!
Freshskin Beauty – Fresh Linen Fragrance Oil
This is another scent that is very popular with candle and wax melt makers. The smell of fresh linen brings back memories of doing laundry as a kid (which I hated by the way).
But there is something about the smell of fresh linen that just makes people happy. This oil from Freshskin Beauty captures that smell perfectly and has a great scent throw.
The Best Fragrance Oils By Season
Every season has different scents associated with it, and by using the seasons to your advantage when running a candle or wax melt business you can maximize your sales!
Fall/Autumn Scents
Fall is one of the busiest times for any candle or wax melt business, the nights are getting darker and colder. People just want to be cuddled up in there homes!
HIQILI Fragrance Oil Spice Set of 6
This set from HIQILI features my personal favourite all time scent Pumpkin and Cinnamon (I just cant get enough!) In this very reasonable priced set of 6 you will get the following scents:
- Cinnamon
- Apple Cider
- Pumpkin
- Vanilla
- Harvest Spice
- Fall Leaf
By combining these scents you can create some really beautiful and unique fall fragrances, which will have customers coming back over and over!
Winter Scents
Winter is another big season for candle makers, if you look at the sale trends for big candle companies like Yankee Candles you will see there sales blow up over the winter months!
Aroma Energy – Christmas Mountain Fragrance Oil
The Christmas Mountain fragrance oil is a blend of Pure Scots Pine, Spruce & Cedarwood, which smells divine and gives an amazing wintery feel.
This oil is one of my personal favourites and I always make sure to have some candles or wax melts scented with it in my shop over the winter months!
Aroma Energy – Winter Blossom And Vanilla Cream Oil
This is another personal favourite of mine from Aroma Energy, and it is very popular with my customers too!
Aroma energy have loads of beautiful winter fragrances to chose from including Candy Cane, Christmas Eve and Fir & Fig. Click the button to check them out!
Summer Scents
In the summer time candle sales can drop slightly, but here are some beautiful summer fragrances that will make your home smell brilliant all year round!
Nikura – Strawberry Fragrance Oil
The fresh crisp strawberry smell that candles made with this oil throw out are unreal! This oil is super strong so you only need to use a small amount, which makes it very economical.
Strawberry is quite a unique scent for candles and a good strawberry wax melt can sell really well. I love making candles and wax melts with this oil in the summer months!
Aroma Energy – Sweet Shop Fragrance Oil Collection
The sweet shop collection from Aroma Energy is a must have in our opinion, for any candle or wax melt maker! This set has 5 fragrances including:
- Parma Violet
- Cherry Bakewell
- Lemon Sherbet
- Candy Floss
- Marshmallow
This collection from one of our favourite brands will allow you to turn the scent from everyone’s favourite summertime sweets into beautiful candles and melts!
Spring Scents
Spring time brings with it a whole host of amazing smells, from rain to blossoms and flowers. Candle makers often find this season the hardest to capture in a scent, but we think we have found some of the best!
Aroma Energy – Spring Morning Fragrance Oil
This oil from Aroma Energy is the perfect scent to bring the smell of spring into your home! The only way to describe this smell would be the combination of rain and fresh flowers and it is just amazing!
We are sure Spring Morning candles or melts would be a hit with your customers just like ours!
Mystic Moments – English Rose Fragrance Oil
This oil from Mystic Moments is the perfect way to add a touch of luxury to your spring products!
The English Rose fragrance is one of the most popular fragrances for candles and melts, and it is not hard to see why! This oil smells just like a bouquet of fresh roses!
Freshskin Beauty – Spring Awakening Fragrance Oil
The final oil on our seasonal list is the Spring Awakening fragrance oil from Freshskin Beauty. This oil is a beautiful blend of citrus and floral scents, which makes it perfect for spring!
This oil would make delightful candles or melts, which would be perfect for selling at spring fairs or online!
Best Selling Candle And Wax Melt Fragrances
These 3 candle scents are the ones that have preformed for us the best over the last few years. If you are just starting out in the candle making business then we definitely recommend giving them a go!
Lyssium Aromatics – Cherry Fragrance Oil
The scent of cherry’s never fails to sell no matter what time of year it is! This oil from Lyssium Aromatics gives a beautiful strong cherry scent that will make your products smell delicious!
Wax melts fragranced with this oil where our number 1 selling product in 2021! With a massive 46% of sales been from returning customers, that just shows how popular this scent is!
Lyssium Aromatics – Summer Fruits & Peppermint
Our best selling fragrance for candles was a mix of two scents by Lyssium Aromatics, summer fruits and peppermint.
This combination gives a beautifully refreshing scent that is perfect for summer! This fragrance was so popular that we had a waiting list at one point!
So there you have it, our top fragrances for candles and wax melts! We hope this has given you some inspiration for your own products!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a variety of different fragrance oils that can be used to create candles and wax melts. If you are just starting out in the candle making business, we recommend giving some of these fragrances a try! You will be pleasantly surprised!
Frequently Asked Candle And Wax Melt Fragrance Questions
How Much Fragrance Oil Should I Use In My Candles?
The amount of fragrance oil you should use in your candles will depend on the strength of the scent and the size of your candle. A good rule of thumb is to use 1% fragrance oil for a light scent, 2% for medium scent and 3% for a strong scent.
How Do You Make A Candle Smell Stronger?
There are a few things you can do to make your candles smell stronger. Firstly, make sure you are using the correct amount of fragrance oil for the size of your candle. Secondly, think about the size of your candle in relation to the size of the room it is intended for. Bigger candles usually means stronger scent.
What Happens If You Use Too Much Fragrance Oil In A Candle?
If you use too much fragrance oil in a candle it can cause the wax to become soft and the candle to lose its shape. Remember adding more oil doesn’t always mean a stronger scent, sometimes less is more!
We hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful! You should defiantly check out our candles and wax melts section for more inspiration!
