Scenting Tarts

[Shirlee]

Last year at this time I decided I wanted to make tarts. I bought all the equipment & purchased the best soy wax I could find. I also purchased the best scents I could find, all of which were recommended to me by members of this forum.

I decided to double scent my tarts thinking that would make the scent "better" & that it would last longer. However, this was not the case. The tarts smelled pretty good after I was done making them. However, when I put them in my tart burner, I could smell the scent for a brief time & then it was gone.

I have purchased tarts at craft shows, etc. One bag of tarts that I purchased is heavenly! I have had one of the tarts in my tart burner now for several days & it still scents the entire downstairs of my home. It is indicated that these tarts are made with a combination of soy wax & paraffin.

My questions are ...

1. Is there a limit to the amount of fragrance you can add to a tart mixture? I'm thinking that perhaps since double scenting didn't work for me, perhaps I could triple scent?

2. Is the fragrance factor of a tart based upon the type of wax used? As stated above, I used 100% soy. Should I have used beeswax, or paraffin, or a combination of soy, beeswax, & paraffin, or does it really matter?

Any help you can give me on this would be greatly appreciated. I would like to try making more tarts ... as well as wax ornaments & bowl fillers ... & I'm holding back becaue of the scenting issue.

Blessings,

Shirlee in KY

[Candybee]

It may help if you tell us what wax you used. There are waxes that were specifically designed for making tarts and votives. Also, some have a preference for a wax or wax combo that works well in tart making.

Whatever wax you used will have a fragrance load meaning there is only so much of a percentage of FO oil the wax will be able to hold. So putting more FO in an already loaded wax is not the answer.

What exactly do you mean double scenting? How much FO are you putting in your wax? The average for most waxes is 6% or 1 oz. So are you using 12% or 2 oz? Many waxes will not hold that amount of FO and overloading wax will not always equate to a stronger throw.

When I made soy tarts I used Ecosoya's PB and 1 oz FO per lb of wax. I got a terrific scent throw with this combo and the scent lasts on average about 18-22 hours or longer depending on the strength of the FO.

[Shirlee]

Candybee ...

Thank you for responding to my question. I cannot recall now how much FO I used for scenting last year. I just went to where I keep all my supplies & I do not see a tart recipe. My guess is that I ended up memorizing a recipe from somewhere & used twice the FO they indicated.

The wax I used was advertised as 100% soy wax for pillars, tarts, & votives. The ad read "This wax comes in an easy to use bead form. Leaves a smooth surface with a wonderful throw. Holds fragrance very well."

Blessings,

Shirlee in KY