Candle Fragrance Load Calculator

Enter the wax weight and fragrance load to find the oil to add.

Result

36.00 g
486.00 g

How it is calculated

The fragrance load is a percentage of the wax weight alone, not of the finished mixture: oil = W × F ÷ 100 and total = W + oil, where W is the wax weight in grams and F is the fragrance load in percent. Both results are in grams with two decimals. The wax weight must be greater than zero and the load can be zero but not negative. The tool does not set a limit for you: it will calculate 20% as readily as 8%, so the safe maximum has to come from your wax supplier and the fragrance oil's safety data. It also does not account for dye, additives or the weight of the container.

Worked example

You are melting 450 g of wax and want an 8% fragrance load. Oil: 450 × 8 ÷ 100 = 36.00 g. Total weight of wax plus oil: 450 + 36 = 486.00 g. So you weigh out 36 g of fragrance oil on a scale and stir it in, usually at the temperature your wax supplier recommends. Had you used 6% instead, the oil would be 27 g.

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Common mistakes

  • Calculating the percentage on the total of wax plus oil: the load here is based on the wax weight only, so 8% of 486 g (38.88 g) would be too much.
  • Measuring the oil by volume (ml) rather than by weight; the field gives grams, and oils differ in density.
  • Entering 0.08 for 8%; the load is a percentage, so 0.08 would mean 0.08% and give only 0.36 g.
  • Treating a higher load as always better: beyond the wax's capacity, oil can sweat out, and the limit for each fragrance can be lower than the wax's limit.
  • Including the weight of the jar or wick in the wax weight; use only the wax you are melting.

About this calculator

Fragrance load is expressed as a percentage of the total wax weight, so fragrance oil to add = wax weight × fragrance load%. Most wax suppliers publish a recommended range for their specific wax — commonly around 6-10% for soy wax — and that ceiling is also bounded by IFRA (International Fragrance Association) usage limits for the specific fragrance oil, since some fragrance compounds are restricted to lower percentages for safety.

Hobbyist and small-batch candle makers use this to hit a consistent scent throw across every batch instead of eyeballing fragrance oil by pour, and chandlers running a small candle business use the same math to keep formulations repeatable and within their wax manufacturer's and IFRA's recommended limits batch after batch.

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