Candle-making has become a popular hobby and personalized gift option. For those looking to enhance their candles with the benefits of essential oils, determining the right ratio of essential oils to wax can be a delicate balance. In this article, we’ll explore how much essential oil to add to candles and tips for creating your own aromatherapeutic candles.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Essential Oils and Candle Making
- Quality of Essential Oils
- Choosing the Right Wax
- Proper Temperature
- Essential Oil Percentage
- Testing Your Scent
- Consider The Candle Size
- Blend Your Oils
- Match the Oil to the Purpose
- How Much Essential Oil to Add to Candles
- Tips for Creating Aromatherapeutic Candles
Understanding Essential Oils and Candle Making
Essential oils play a vital role in enhancing the overall experience of burning candles. These oils provide both therapeutic and aromatic benefits by filling your space with pleasant and calming scents. Here are a few aspects to consider when adding essential oils to candles:
Quality of Essential Oils
It’s crucial to use high-quality, pure essential oils for your candle-making projects. Oshu Oils offers a range of Artisan Essential Earth Oils carefully developed by a team of aromacologists, ensuring top-notch quality and efficacy for your candles.
Choosing the Right Wax
The type of wax used in your candle can affect how well it holds and releases the essential oil’s fragrance. Soy wax, beeswax, and coconut wax are popular choices for essential oil candles due to their clean-burning properties and ability to retain scent.
Proper Temperature
When adding essential oils to your melted wax, ensure the temperature is around 180°F (82°C). This will help the oils properly bind with the wax without evaporating or losing their potency.
How Much Essential Oil to Add to Candles
Determining the ideal amount of essential oil for your candles can vary depending on your desired scent strength and size of the candle. However, there are some general guidelines you can follow:
Essential Oil Percentage
A safe starting point is to use a 6-10% essential oil concentration in your candle. This means if you have 10 oz (283 grams) of wax, you can add 0.6-1 oz (17-28 grams) of essential oil. Measure your oils by weight, not volume, for accuracy.
Testing Your Scent
It’s important to test your scent by making a small sample candle to ensure the desired strength is achieved. This can help you make adjustments to the essential oil concentration before making a larger batch.
Consider The Candle Size
The size of the candle may also affect how much essential oil to use. Typically, larger candles may need a higher concentration of essential oils to achieve the desired scent throw.
Tips for Creating Aromatherapeutic Candles
When making essential oil candles for their therapeutic benefits, consider the following tips:
Blend Your Oils
Try blending multiple essential oils to create unique and beneficial scent experiences. Oshu Oils offers expertly blended botanical ingredients to help balance various aspects of modern lifestyles, such as sleep, stress, and overall wellbeing.
Match the Oil to the Purpose
For relaxation, choose essential oils like lavender, chamomile, or ylang ylang. For an energizing effect, opt for citrus oils like lemon, orange, or grapefruit.
How Much Essential Oils To Add To Candles Example:
To create a 16 oz soy wax candle for relaxation, you will need:
– 16 oz (453 grams) of soy wax
– 1 oz (28 grams) of lavender essential oil (assuming 6% essential oil concentration)
1. Melt the soy wax in a double boiler.
2. Heat the wax until it reaches 180°F (82°C).
3. Measure and weigh 1 oz (28 grams) of lavender essential oil.
4. Slowly incorporate the essential oil into the melted wax, stirring gently to ensure even distribution.
5. Pour the wax mixture into a candle container with a pre-attached wick.
6. Allow the candle to cool completely before trimming the wick and using it.
Now that you have a better understanding of how much essential oil to add to candles, it’s time to explore the world of candle-making and create a relaxing ambiance in your space. Don’t forget to share this article with fellow candle enthusiasts, and be sure to check out our complete guide to essential oils & aromacology for more tips and tricks. Lastly, don’t forget to explore the Oshu Oils range of essential oils to enhance your homemade candles with professionally developed, therapeutic scents.