Can humidity change scent throw?

[leenabug]

Now that the weather has gotten hot and humid, i suddenly had two people complain about the scent throw of the last candles they bought. It was a scent they buy repeatedly (two different scents) I didn't think I changed anything, since i pour in my garage and it is not temperature controlled, could this have affected my candles? If so HOW does humidity affect scent throw, i can't even guess how to test for that.........

[Dana]

I have this problem as well. I can't seem to smell my candles this time of year. It makes it difficult to test. I don't know if it's the humidity or the windows being open or the air conditioner....but in the fall they are wonderful! I am interested in learning why this happens

[NewOrleansLady]

This has been a question I've had for years. I've sent candles to different parts of the country and one will say great throw and another will say lousy throw. Now I realize everyone's noses are different and as long as humans are involved in the testing we probably will ever know for sure.

In my house, it is central a/c year round; open the windows in the spring and fall for a couple of days if it's breezy to clear out the stale air. but yearround I run air purifers and I keep the humidity in the house around 40-45%. Now outside it's around 95° with humidity around 85%. Maybe I'll light a candle and put it on the back porch and see how it throws.

Now that I'm thinking about doing that I remember all the Halloweens I put candles out in our "Graveyard" and the scent would carry like crazy. Now I'm really confused!

[WillowBoo]

I thought with it getting warmer that my hot throw would be better. When it didn't appear that way, I blamed it on the air from the open windows and doors. Now I'm wondering if it's what you're indicating. I'm trying 4627 again with 10% FO, and I have to be in close proximity to smell them!

[NewOrleansLady]

Now in your case it may just be the cross ventilation is pulling the scent totally out thru the windows. The ratio of scent to air volume has changed. When your windows are closed it's simply recirculating the same air so the air is constantly being scented over and over...with windows open you have constant airflow. Hope that made sense.

Glad I saw this post...I forgot to go light a candle outside. I'll go do it right now

[NewOrleansLady]

Okay, I put a candle outside that I'd been burning for about 3 days and was a very good thrower. Temp when I put it out was 94° with 79% humidity. I put it on a table close by the back door and there was absolutely NO breeze. Let it burn for over 3 hours and opened the back door and Nothing...absolutely no smell until I picked up the candle and put my nose right above it. Brought it back inside (A/C set on 70°) and within 20 min. it had filled a 15'x20' room.

I got to thinking about something else.....some plants need humidity for you to be able to smell the blossoms. Sweet Olive is one that comes to mind. I heard of a woman that lived in Louisiana and loved her sweet olive so when she moved to CA and opened up a winery she wanted something to remind her of home so she planted something like 500 sweet olive plants and they bloomed and nothing...she found out since CA has very low humidity you can't smell it. And it's true...in February when my 9 sweet olive bushes are blooming it's very hard to smell them cause that time of year if it's cold the humidity is usually very low but come April when the humidity is an average of around 60% you can smell it's heavenly aroma.

So all this makes me come to the conclusion it's the heat and not the humidity that stiffles the scent. Cause if I could smell them outside at night in Oct. it would have been around 70° and at least 50% humidity.

[Stella1952]

Living just across the lake from the Big Easy, I can validate what NOLady is saying... Environmental conditions seem to *kill* certain scents and heighten others, depending on the scent and the temperature/humidity.

I test burn many candles on my porch. When the temperature is mild and the humidity moderate, fragrance will not only fill the porch area, it will drift a distance from the porch. During the day when the temp is highest and the humidity is the lowest, the throw is diminished. Late in the afternoon & early evening when the temperature drops and the humidity rises, the throw is more evident. Around dawn, the throw is also good because the temperature is relatively low and the humidity is higher. I don't know whether this is chemical or whether our scent receptors function better under certain conditions. I do know that certain scents - moldy, nasty, fetid ones especially - seem heightened by temperature and humidity. Under certain conditions, *bad* smells seem intensified and no amount of other more pleasant scents seem to be able to "cover" the unpleasant aromas. Delicate florals and herbals just fade to nothing in high heat/humidity; whereas other more intense fragrances (and odors) will throw very well even under those same conditions. During cold, dry weather, scents of most kinds seem diminished to me, with the exception of burning leaves & wood, which seem heightened. I'm sure that the fragrance industry has tested all this stuff and figured out the science behind our casual observations, etc.

This is why, when testing, it's soooo important to pay attention to environmental conditions to try to keep the test locations and conditions consistant so that one can fairly judge the fragrance. "Average" conditions seem to give the most accurate overall results.

[rebeccajo99]

I do know that certain scents - moldy, nasty, fetid ones especially - seem heightened by temperature and humidity. Under certain conditions, *bad* smells seem intensified and no amount of other more pleasant scents seem to be able to "cover" the unpleasant aromas.

Isn't that the truth. I live by a turkey farm and going to dread the summer time here very shortly:laugh2:

Thanks for all the information on this topic. I do test burn in a room that I can control the temp and environment the most, but it does change some with the seasons.

[Stella1952]

I live by a turkey farm and going to dread the summer time here very shortly

Bless your heart (and nose)!! There used to be a cattle operation down the road from me... When the wind came from that direction, especially when they were doing certain tasks with the cattle, OMG!!!! Gas Mask time!!!:laugh2:

[rebeccajo99]

Bless your heart (and nose)!! There used to be a cattle operation down the road from me... When the wind came from that direction, especially when they were doing certain tasks with the cattle, OMG!!!! Gas Mask time!!!:laugh2:

It is is only gas mask time when we have those heavy humid days or a east wind. Other than that... it is bearable.

[NewOrleansLady]

Stella, where are you....Mandeville, Covington, Slidell????

[leenabug]

Okay so from what you are saying , the heat and humidity can affect the scent WHILE the candle is burning. But no one thinks it would affect the chemical process of me MAKING the candles? I test burn the candles in my house, which does have controlled air flow and my tests seem to be doing fine. However where I MAKE the candles (my garage) the temperature and humidity is NOT controlled.

I mentioned that the ladies should try burning the candles in a room with the door closed and check the scent that way. I thought maybe they were burning the candles in a house with central heating/air and possibly to close to the return and maybe it was sucking the life out of the scent. The hotter it gets outside the more air conditioner units are kicking on for longer amounts of time, so the more that return is pulling air to recirculate, therefore creating constant drafts or air flow in the house. Hence spreading the scent over a larger and larger area therefore making it appear to be weaker? Does this sound possible?

[Stella1952]

Stella, where are you....

Seems like I've been wondering that for decades now...:laugh2:

Mandeville, Covington, Slidell????

I'm outside of those little burgs west of all of the above in Tangipahoa Parish. People like our strawberries.

How hot was it in the city yesterday...? Was 98.3 °F around here! I'm gonna shut up. :lipsrseal The last time I started moaning about the temp and lack of rain, some cosmic joker sent us a hurricane that started with the letter "K"... *faint*

Leenabug, I don't think pouring in your garage is gonna change the potential throw of the candle. In the house, they should throw pretty normally. If GA folks are anything like I am, extreme heat/humidity (and air conditioning) do my allergies no good at all! I'm lucky if I can smell anything well - especially anything that is a pleasant fragrance!!

Have you burned a candle that came from the batch the ones the ladies are complaining about? Sometimes a new batch of wax or FO can be different enough to affect the throw... Also, if you are storing your FOs in a hot area, they may have lost some of their punch. Heat & light degrade FOs.

[NewOrleansLady]

I'm outside of those little burgs west of all of the above in Tangipahoa Parish. People like our strawberries.

How hot was it in the city yesterday...? Was 98.3 °F around here! I'm gonna shut up. :lipsrseal The last time I started moaning about the temp and lack of rain, some cosmic joker sent us a hurricane that started with the letter "K"... *faint*

The news said it was 97° and we didn't break the record of 98° (gee...weren't we lucky:rolleyes2 ). I know exactly where you are....I love your antique shops...I got a great deal on an old pedal Singer sewing machine about 8 years ago. I love that wine shop that's in that block down from the alligator (is he still in there?).

I'm not making soap this summer cause I got to thinking back...since I started making soap (2004) if I have any curing between the months of July and Sept. we have to evacuate...so guess who's not making soap this summer?????

I'm just grateful I started doing the averaging on my Entergy bill so I don't get hit with a $500. Can't have anymore like "K" cause those beautiful boys at the Corps won't have the protection wall for the West Bank done till 2011! Gee wasn't that levee supposed to have been completed back in 1979?????????? Oh, I can't get started or my blood pressure will go thru the roof.

I've finally realized something .....without summers like this one we wouldn't have had a reason for God to have invented beautiful things like ice cold Mojitos and Margaritas!

Have a great day and keep the popsicles handy!!!!!!!

[NewOrleansLady]

Okay so from what you are saying , the heat and humidity can affect the scent WHILE the candle is burning. But no one thinks it would affect the chemical process of me MAKING the candles? I test burn the candles in my house, which does have controlled air flow and my tests seem to be doing fine. However where I MAKE the candles (my garage) the temperature and humidity is NOT controlled.

I mentioned that the ladies should try burning the candles in a room with the door closed and check the scent that way. I thought maybe they were burning the candles in a house with central heating/air and possibly to close to the return and maybe it was sucking the life out of the scent. The hotter it gets outside the more air conditioner units are kicking on for longer amounts of time, so the more that return is pulling air to recirculate, therefore creating constant drafts or air flow in the house. Hence spreading the scent over a larger and larger area therefore making it appear to be weaker? Does this sound possible?

Right now I have a JS Pink Pomegrante burning on the end table of my living room which is within 2' of the central a/c return and I can smell the candle thru the living room (10'x20) and down the hall to the other a/c return so I don't see where that has any effect. I also have 3 ceiling fans going and an air purifier.

There's no telling what conditions these peole are putting the candles thru. Are these customers you've dealt with before...are they reliable candle burners?

I had one customer complain about the throw and after ?'g him I found out he had it in a room with a window open and a fan blowing so his cigarette smoke didn't go into the rest of the trailer. Well, guess what...if the smoke ain't going into the trailer neither is the candle scent. He was one who buys from me a lot so I could talk to him but I felt like bitch slapping him!

[Dana]

:laugh2: