Scented Candles

An almost burnt-down lit candle on a candle ho...
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All candles add a certain mood setting elegance and romance to a space but scented candles bring another layer of aromatic ambiance as well.

Fragrance oil used in candle making is readily available at craft stores and online.  On top of that, it’s  a good idea to stick to oil-based fragrances over water-based or alcohol-based products since most wax is closer to oil in its chemical composition.  And remember the old adage that oil and water do not mix.  When using water-based fragrances, like salad dressing, the water-based solution will drift to the bottom of your mold.

The added benefit of scented candles is that  a fragrance makes itself known even if the candle is not burning.

The methods for producing a scented candle is no different than for conventional candles.  The type of wax to be used is the first consideration.  Different types of natural waxes include soy, palm, and beeswax.  Other types of candle wax are paraffin, common to most candles, and newer gel materials.

When working with gel-based candles, you must be careful about the amount of fragrance you use before you specify the density of your wax.  Gel waxes with  lower density can not support a heavy fragrance like higher density gel wax will.

To fabricate any manner of candle, you  must melt the wax before pouring it into the candle mold.  You can use either a double boiler or a multi-cooker to melt the wax, depending on the type.

Place a smaller pot containing the wax into a larger water-filled pot.  The melting temperature must be monitored because like food, candle wax can burn.

Be careful not to set the melting temperature overly high because wax can burn.  The desired temperature is around 170-180 degrees.  After the wax has fully melted, remove it from the heat source as it is ready to have the fragrance oil added.

The rule of thumb for adding wax is one ounce of fragrance oil for every pound of wax.  This ratio results in a concentration of 6% fragrance to wax component.

Be careful not to be overly generous with the fragrance oil.  As with many things, more is not necessarily better.  Problems may present themselves including

the candle not burning properly due to the high liquid fragrance concentration.  Sporadic spots of suspended liquid may extinguish your flame.  One experimental approach is to record mixture usage and results.  Eventually, you may create a master recipe for inspired candles.

Employing pleasant features such as fragrant scents and vivid colors delivers so much more to the candle burning experience and gives you so much variety in your candle.

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