
Scented candles are primarily known for their fragrance. Most people do not regularly burn candles that are not scented unless it is for an event or a holiday. For those reasons, when you get a scented candle that doesn’t have a scent throw it can be rather disappointing. Let’s take a look at why your candle may not have a scent throw.
Why does my candle have no scent throw? If your candle does not have a scent throw then it is likely due to the use of too many additives such as dye or vybar. Additional causes for lack of scent throw are not letting the candle cure, old fragrance oil, or the candle is old and has already lost some of its fragrance oil to evaporation.
As candles get older, the fragrance oil on any exposed surface wax does begin to evaporate. So you may not smell any fragrance when initially lighting the candle.
Scent Throw Explained
What is a scent throw? In simple terms, scent throw refers to a term that refers to a candle’s smell. This comes in two types: hot scent throw and cold scent throw.
When we say hot scent throw, it is the aroma that a candle gives off once it is lit. On the flip side, cold scent throw is the one that we initially smell when a candle is newly bought; that is when it hasn’t been lit once.
This is the main factor that customers depend on when choosing a candle.
Is it bad if my candle has no scent throw? It is bad if a scented candle has no scent throw. However, if your candle is not a scented candle then it is perfectly normal for it to not have a scent throw.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that your candle is bad if it has no scent throw. Some actually prefer odorless candles over scented ones.
This may be a disadvantage for candle businesses, though. As a larger portion of the market aims for scented candles, not having effective scent throws can throw you off the market. Hence, it’s best if you offer various scented candles instead of none. This will assure more profit for you.
Reasons Your Candle Has No Scent Throw
Here are some reasons as to why your candle may not have a scent throw:
Incompatibility of Wax with Fragrance Oil
The first thing you have to look at is the kind of wax you used for your candle. Next, you need to know if it’s compatible with the fragrance oil or if it can handle any oil at all. Most of the time, this is the root of all scent throw issues.
Note that this issue does not have anything to do with the quality at all. Even the highest quality of either wax or oil just can’t mix with the other.
To solve this, you may need to run several trials and errors. First, you should consider working with various candle waxes and fragrant oils. Mixing and matching them is also a recommended task to get to the best combination.
Use of Soy Wax
This reason is related to the previous concern. One of the hardest waxes to match is Soy Wax. This is considered a “picky” wax since this only caters to very few fragrance oil types. Its innate structure tends to trap the scent instead of releasing it into the air.
What makes soy wax harder to work with is it requires varying ratios for every kind of fragrance oil. Though this is definitely a good choice to have an eco-friendly candle, you may want to switch to paraffin waxes for better scent management. You can also opt for a combined soy-paraffin wax.
Improper Wick Size
A candle’s wick size determines the size of the burn pool that it can create. If you’re not familiar with a burn pool, this is the melted wax that accumulates right under the wick. This is also what mainly helps with giving off the scent throw.
Hence, if your candle is not giving the aroma it should, you should check if its wick is too small or too large. Whilst a small wick equates to a small burn pool, and thus, no scent, a wick that is too large can create an intense burn pool that can burn fragrance. Either way, it won’t be a benefit.
To determine the right wick size, you should test various sizes and see which will end up in a 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of burn pool. That is the most ideal for an effective scent throw.
Wrong Vybar Ratio
Vybar is an additive that actually enhances the scent of fragrance oils. However, it still follows a specific ratio to work. This means that adding too much won’t lead to a more intense aroma for the candle. Instead, it can just wash it off more.
The average and recommended ratio that you should follow is 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per pound of wax.
On a side note, if you’re using a pre-blended wax, find out first if it already contains additives. If it does, then there’s no need for a vybar. Continuing to add despite it will only result in ineffective additives.
Excessive Melted Wax Temperature
There is a certain temperature that a wax type should reach before you can add fragrance oils.
The most common mistake, though, is when oils are added whilst the wax is at a very high temperature. This can literally cause your desired scent to die down even before the candle finishes being processed. The reason behind this is that excessive temperature can burn fragrance oils instead of infusing them with wax.
To have the best result, consider adding the fragrance oils when the temp reaches 170 to 180 F. This is neither too hot to burn the oil nor is this too cold to let the oil stay in one place.
Not Enough Cure Time
The whole process of making a scented candle takes time. Although you should follow all recommended waiting times for each step, you should pay the most attention to the cure time.
If a candle does not have a scent throw, it’s likely that it didn’t have enough time to cure. The curing process is when you allow time for the wax and fragrance oil to combine. Hence, cutting it short just means that you are not giving the candle time to process.
On average, candles need 3 to 4 days to cure. However, some specific wax types, like soy wax and paraffin wax, require 24 to 48 hours and 1 to 2 weeks, respectively.
Wrong Type of Fragrance Oil Used
You shouldn’t only match your candle wax to the fragrance oil. In times where the wax just doesn’t seem to have an effect on the scent throw, you should start rethinking about the fragrance oil that you’re using.
In particular, you need to look into how strong the oil is, what type of scent it’s based on, how it is manufactured. Try avoiding oils that are too strong due to chemical additives. You should also consider the use of essential oils, or better yet, a combination of both.
Anyhow, this issue also needs extensive trial and error to land on the best solution. Of course, you should also opt for high-quality brands.
Inadequate Amount of Fragrance Oil
Apart from the type of fragrance oil, the amount of fragrance oil that you will add is also essential. You should know better than adding just a few drops. It will lead to little to no scent throw.
At the same time, infusing a lot of oil does not necessarily mean a stronger and better scent for your candles. Instead, it can overpower the wax, which may lead to impaired burning.
To have just the right amount of scent throw, try adding in between 1 to 2 oz. of oil per pound of wax. Of course, it will depend on how strong the current oil is.
Amount of Colorant Used
Sure, colored candles attract more consumers because of their aesthetic. Multi-colored ones are even becoming a trend nowadays. This quality, however, can also affect the intensity of a candle’s scent throw.
A little colorant here and there is fine. If you go overboard, it can not only weaken the candle’s scent but can also change it into a more unpleasing one. It can also clog the wick, which can be a reason for the candle not to burn properly.
In addition, you should ensure that you’re using dyes that are specifically designed for candles. This will help prevent the occurrence of more issues over time. You can also consider simply dipping candles to dye them instead of actually mixing in pigments.
Low-Quality Ingredients
Sometimes, scent throw issues are caused by more than just small wicks and incompatible fragrance oil. Rather, the problem lies in the use of low-quality ingredients. When this happens, the candle’s aroma is not just the factor affected.
If you have done all of the ratios correctly or used very compatible wax and oil, then you should look into the manufacturers and brands of your candle’s ingredients. This will help you have an overview of whether you are using faulty materials.
The only solution to this problem is to buy new ingredients from a better supplier.
Faulty Candle Making Process
The last reason why your candle may not have a scent throw lies in the actual candle making process. You may not have followed every step, skipped through some tasks, or changed the ratios of ingredients into an improper one. Anyhow, it’s evident that these will lead to no scent throw or, worse, poor overall quality.
If you feel like you did everything correctly, but the solutions above are still not working, you may want to recheck the candle making process that you’re following. You should also consider referencing from another source.
In some cases, the issue can root in two or even all causes above. When that happens, you, as the business, may need to redo your overall candle formula and processing method.
Fixing Scent Throw Problems
How to Solve Issues with Scent Throw
For candle-based businesses, here are the things that you should do to solve the issue at hand:
- Use high-quality ingredients from reputable suppliers
- Follow proper candle making process
- Research common candle scent issues
If you’re a consumer, you don’t really have control over scent throw issues. This is the responsibility of the candlemakers or the brand that you bought it from. The only thing that you can do is to return the supposed scented candle and buy another.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if your candle does not have a scent throw it is usually something that can be identified. However, the bad part about it is that it usually leads to the candle maker doing something wrong.
If it isn’t the candle makers fault, then it might be that you have simply had the candle sitting around for years and the fragrance oil has evaporated.
If it isn’t on the candle maker or the candle user then it is still possible it was a bad back of fragrance oil from the candle material supplier or a candle or candle making ingredients that have been sitting around so long they are no longer working as they should.