Making your own candles at home can be a fun and creative way to add a unique touch to any room. But when it comes to essential oils, many people don’t know how much essential oil should be used. In this article, we are going to cover how much essential oil you should use in an 8 oz candle and how you can measure it.
An 8 oz candle needs .40 oz or 11 grams of essential oil. This amount will provide the perfect aroma without being overpowering. It’s important to get this ratio right because too little essential oil won’t give off enough scent, while too much could cause problems.
If you use too much essential oil it may cause the candle to burn too quickly, not harden completely, smoke, and not burn completely. It takes the right balance between the wick, wax, and essential oil to burn completely without any problems such as tunneling or smoking.
Calculating Essential Oil For 8 oz Candles
First, let’s cover a few aspects of this question. If you are making a candle for an 8 oz candle tin it does not contain 8 oz of wax and essential oil. This is because containers are measured by volume and wax and essential oil are measured by weight.
If you put in 8 oz of wax it would have more than 8 oz of volume. In addition, you generally leave a lip around the top of the container so the total for wax and essential oil is approximately 6.80 oz.
You want to use an oil load of about 6% for the candle. This means 6% of the total combined weight of wax and essential oil is made up of essential oil.
6.80 x .006 = .408 oz or essentially .4z or 11 grams of essential oil.
Measuring Essential Oil For 8 oz Candles
As mentioned above, essential oil for candles is measured by weight. To measure such small amounts of essential oil you need a jeweler’s scale.
Realistically you will not be making 1 candle at a time, you will be making multiple candles at a time. That makes the measurement a little bit easier and gives you a little bit more margin for error. So for the purposes of this article let’s assume you are going to be making 4 – 8 oz candles.
Using the above calculations that would be 4 x 6.40oz of wax and 4 x .40 oz of essential oil.
Weigh the wax and the fragrance oil separately and you will combine them once the wax is melted in the wax melting pot.
The total amount required for 4 – 8 oz candles is 25.6 oz of wax and 1.6 oz of fragrance oil.
Once you combine all of these ingredients the total weight in your melting pot should be 27.2 oz.
Risks of Using Too Much Essential Oil
I know you are probably thinking that if you use more essential oil in your candles they will smell better or the scent will carry further but that is not how it works. When it comes to making candles adding more essential oil can cause problems that prevent the candle from working properly.
When you use essential oil in candles there are certain risks of using too much essential oil.
Too much essential oil may cause the candle to burn too quickly, not harden completely, smoke, and not burn completely. It takes the right balance between the wick, wax, and essential oil to burn without any problems such as tunneling or smoking.
Choosing Essential Oil For Candles
I wouldn’t use just any essential oil for making candles. I would get high-quality essential oil from a reputable candle-making supplier that also carries essential oils.
Now that you know where to find the essential oils you need to decide what oil to choose. Some of the most popular essential oils for candle making are as follows:
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Orange
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
Essential oils come in different strengths and scents so you have plenty of choices. Make sure to read the label carefully when selecting essential oils for your candles.
Essential Oil Safety Tips
When dealing with candle-making and essential oils safety is important. You are dealing with a heat source, high temperatures, and flammable oils. The most important concept to remember is a flashpoint.
Essential oils have a flashpoint which is the point at which essential oil or other flammable material can give off enough vapor to be ignited by an open flame. Essential oils with a flashpoint lower than the temperature of your wax will be dangerous to use and can ignite at any time.
For this reason, it’s important to research essential oils before you buy them. Make sure they are tested and quality essential oils specifically sold for candle-making purposes.
However, there are some other things you should keep in mind for safety.
- Always use essential oils in a well-ventilated area.
- Keep essential oil bottles away from any open flames.
- Make sure children and pets are not around when you are measuring essential oils.
- Wear protective gloves and eye protection if necessary.
Making candles with essential oils is an enjoyable and rewarding experience, but it’s essential that you take the necessary safety precautions. Essential oils can be dangerous if not handled with care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, essential oils can go bad over time. Store essential oils in a cool, dark area away from direct sunlight to ensure they remain fresh and effective.
Yes, essential oil candles are safe when used correctly. Be sure to use essential oils in the right amount and take all necessary safety precautions when making essential oil candles.
Essential oils are natural essential compounds that are distilled from plants. Fragrance oils are synthetically created perfumes and aromas with no therapeutic benefits. Fragrance oils are often less expensive than essential oils and are used primarily for scenting candles.
Store essential oils in a cool, dark area away from direct sunlight. Keep essential oil bottles tightly closed and out of reach of children or pets. Essential oils should be stored at room temperature and away from any heat sources.
Yes, essential oils can be blended to create unique and interesting scents. When blending essential oils, it’s important to use essential oil ratios of no more than 6%, otherwise, the essential oil may cause problems.
Conclusion
Making essential oil candles is a great way to bring natural aromas into your home. When using essential oils for candles make sure you follow all safety precautions and use the right amount of essential oil. Doing so will ensure that your essential oil candles burn properly with no problems or risks.
With the proper knowledge and safety measures, making essential oil candles can be lots of fun. Make sure you get high-quality essential oils from a reputable supplier and do research on the type of essential oil before purchasing it. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different essential oils or be afraid to try blending them together to make your own custom scent.
