How much Fragrance oil to add per ounce of wax?

[AngieB]

I am as new as it gets to candle making and I wanted to know the general rule of thumb about adding fragrance oil to wax. How much fragrance do I need to add per oz of wax? Any suggestions would be really appreciated!

[birdcharm]

It depends on the type of wax.  What wax are you using?

[candledisaster]

It's typically done by percentages and then depends on the wax, additives etc...

You'll see from 6% up to 12%, generally people say 8-10%.

 

You need to test to see what your wax/blend can hold. I have a few FO's that have a little bit of colour to them.

The colour helps me test to see if that colour sits at the bottom of the container or if it sweats.

 

Currently my basic Paraffin (90%) + PE Wax (10%) blend is struggling past 8% and I have a pool of FO at the bottom if I go up to 10%.

But I'm testing different blends to see if I can load up the FO up to 10-12% - but I'll only do this if I get good results.

To possibly hold more than 8% read up about "Triacylglycerol", which is a fatty acid found in most waxes/oils that can help hold the FO and can be added to the blend.

 

Variables are:

• Wax and blends - try different blends and additives
• The quality of the fragrance - buy from different suppliers
• Wick and container - how well the wick will suck up the wax/FO and throw it

I'm new on this journey and at the first steps, so for anyone who is a professional please correct/add to what I've said!

 

Watch 50+ candle making videos - you'll get a lot of good information.

[TallTayl]

It comes down to wax, as others have said, which range from 3%-12% theoretical max. 
 

it also depends on the fragrance itself. So many retail available fragrances contain diluents that mess with candle wax that adding the theoretical max is counterproductive.
 

I’m old enough to remember when 3%-6% was an overwhelmingly strong candles that burned clean. Now those same fragrances from the same retailers require many more times that just to smell acceptable.  
It’s a problem that most new candle makers just don’t yet understand.