How to make your candles smell stronger
Lighting a candle can be the perfect ending to a long and stressful day. Their flickering flames and gentle scents can create a calming ambience, helping you unwind and transforming your home into a scented paradise.
Because fragrance is essential to the candle experience, it can be frustrating when your new candle doesn’t smell as strong as you’d like. However, there are steps you can take to maximise your candle’s scent.
Why doesn’t my candle smell strong enough?
It’s too small for the room
A candle’s scent spreads through the air via a process known as diffusion. Scent molecules travel faster to smaller distances. If a room is too large for your candle, the fragrance molecules can’t spread as efficiently, and your candle’s scent won’t be as strong.
The wax doesn’t hold scent well
Candles can be made from a variety of waxes, including paraffin, soy, and coconut wax. Some of these waxes hold fragrances more easily and will release a stronger scent when lit. Natural waxes such as soy wax are best when it comes to holding fragrances.
Not enough fragrance oil
The more fragrance oil in a candle, the stronger it will smell. Some candle manufacturers cut costs by limiting the amount of oil they add, resulting in a much weaker scent. Though these candles may be cheaper, they may not smell as strong.
How to make your candles smell stronger
Choose the right size candle
You can’t expect a small candle to be effective when lit in a large room. Purchase a candle that suits the size of the room you want to light it in. If you’re lighting it in a large room, you can also opt for a candle with multiple wicks.
Choose natural wax candles
Candles made of natural waxes often smell stronger. This is because waxes such as soy wax are denser and take longer to heat up, and they also absorb fragrance oils faster.
Burn your candle for long enough
As you burn your candle, a pool of wax forms around the wick. This is what makes the candle scent travel through the room. To maximise scent, you should be burning your candle for long enough to allow this wax pool to reach the edges of your candle container.
Airflow affects scent
When it comes to airflow, you need to find the middle ground. Burning a candle where there’s too much airflow can lead to an uneven burn and become a fire hazard. On the other hand, burning it in still air will cause the scent to spread slowly. Turning your ceiling fan on low can help diffuse your candle’s fragrance.
Use a candle topper
Candle toppers are metal lids that sit on top of candle holders. They often come in different designs and are used for decoration. However, candle toppers also help diffuse scent throughout the room, as they retain heat from the candle flame, which helps the wax pool develop faster.