Expert: Neecie - 4/26/2007

Question
Hi -

Do you know how much essential oil I need to pour into a 16oz soy wax container to give it a nice scent?  Also, what's the ideal temperature to pour?

Thanks for your help.
Nancy

Answer
Hi Nancy,
Essential oils can be a bit tricky when working with.  You can use 0.5 -0.6 oz per # of wax when you use E.O & usually get a good throw with that amount.  However, you can overdo the amount of EO or FO which won't help you make a stronger candle but will cost you more money. That is where testing is so important. You need to take copious notes on everything you do while testing. When it comes to oils whether fragrance oil or essential oil, my rule of thumb is 1 oz of oil to 1# of wax. That's normally a good starting point. But through testing, I found that I can use less.

When working with any type of oils, you need to be aware of how hot you have your temps. You don't want any oils to evaporate on you. Since all waxes are different and can be poured at different temps, I can't really advise you as to what temp to pour at. I will say that pouring cooler will never hurt your oil. Just make sure you mix your wax and oils together well. You want the oils to bind with your wax.  My best advice I can give is to test.  You may find that some oils may not work well with your wax. But yet it could work wonderfully with another type of soy wax. Not all ingredients are created the same. Just keep that in mind and take notes along the way.