How Do You Get The Most Smell Out Of A Candle?

Scent and aroma can have a powerful effect on our mood and emotions. Certain scents evoke memories and feelings that transport us back to another time and place. The sweet, comforting smell of vanilla may remind you of baking cookies with your grandmother. The fresh, invigorating scent of citrus can provide an energizing lift first thing in the morning. Scent enhances our living spaces in subtle yet meaningful ways. Candles allow us to infuse our homes with our favorite fragrances. By maximizing a candle’s scent output, we can create an ambiance that uplifts, soothes, or energizes us.

Select High Quality Candles

The quality of the candle itself is key for maximizing aroma and fragrance. High quality candles are made with premium ingredients that burn cleanly and fully to release the most scent.

Look for candles made with natural wax types like soy, beeswax, or coconut wax rather than lower quality paraffin wax. Natural waxes have a lower melting point so the fragrance oils volatilize more efficiently (https://bijoucandles.com/blogs/the-bijou-blog/candle-ingredients-101-how-to-choose-the-best-quality-candle).

Also ensure candles have a high fragrance load, with at least 10% fragrance oils. Opt for phthalate-free fragrances made with essential oils or high quality synthetics. The wicks should be trimmed to 1⁄4 inch to prevent sooting and maximize hot, even burning (https://www.luxdeco.com/the-luxurist/luxury-candle-buying-guide).

When buying candles, test the fragrance when possible and choose lighter fragrances if you have a smaller space. Candles using premium waxes, wicks and fragrances produce the most scent.

Trim the Wick

Trimming your candle’s wick before lighting is one of the most important things you can do to maximize scent throw. As the candle burns, the wick will form a mushroom shape at the tip from the melted wax pooling around it. This carbonized tip prevents the wick from burning evenly and efficiently. It also causes the candle to produce more smoke and soot, which diminishes scent. Trimming the wick to 1⁄4 inch before each use allows for a cleaner, more efficient burn. The flame will be shorter, brighter, and hotter, which helps fully melt and pool the wax to release more fragrance into the air. According to sources, a properly trimmed wick improves candle performance in the following ways:

• Maximizes scent throw by enabling the wax to melt and pool properly (https://www.seazen.store/post/why-when-how-to-trim-candle-wicks-candle-care-101)
• Prevents tunneling by allowing even wax melt and full melt pool (https://www.onefurallpets.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-trimming-your-candle-wicks)
• Reduces soot emissions that smother scent (https://www.seazen.store/post/why-when-how-to-trim-candle-wicks-candle-care-101)
• Minimizes risk of wild flames due to carbon buildup (https://www.onefurallpets.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-trimming-your-candle-wicks)

By trimming wicks before each use, you enable the candle to burn cleaner and more efficiently, releasing the most fragrance possible into the air.

Allow the Candle to Pool

Candle pooling refers to allowing the wax to completely liquefy across the entire top surface of the candle. As the candle burns, the wax melts into a liquid “pool” due to the heat of the flame. Allowing the wax to pool fully before extinguishing the flame is crucial for maximizing fragrance.

When the wax pools, more surface area is exposed to the heat. The heat causes the fragrant oils in the candle wax to be released into the air through evaporation. If the melt pool is restricted only to the center of the candle, less wax will melt and less fragrance will be emitted. The wider and deeper the melt pool, the more fragrance molecules are able to escape and fill the room with scent.

Some key tips for achieving an ideal melt pool for maximizing fragrance include: trimming the wick to 1⁄4 inch before lighting to prevent an overly large flame, allowing the candle to burn long enough on the first burn for the melt pool to reach all edges, and burning the candle for at least one hour at a time. Taking these steps will provide more surface area for the melted wax to release its aroma into the air.

Burn in Smaller Rooms

One way to maximize fragrance from a candle is to burn it in smaller, more enclosed spaces. The molecules that produce a candle’s aroma need to reach a certain concentration in the air for you to properly smell them. Burning a candle in a large open area dilutes the fragrance as it disperses. Smaller rooms with less airflow allow the scent molecules to build up and create a stronger aromatic presence.

Bathrooms, bedrooms, and offices are ideal smaller spaces to burn candles if you want the smell to really come through. The molecules have less room to spread out and get trapped in the enclosed area. You’ll notice the candle’s scent is much more prominent than if you burned it in a large living room or kitchen. For best results, make sure the room is well-ventilated to avoid smoke buildup. But by burning candles in your smaller rooms, you can maximize the delightful aromas and really get the most scent for your money out of your favorite candles.

Keep Lid On Between Burns

One of the best ways to preserve a candle’s scent between burns is to keep the lid on when not in use. This creates a sealed environment that locks in the fragrance so it doesn’t dissipate into the air. According to candle enthusiasts on Reddit, storing a candle upside down can also help maintain fragrance between burns by keeping the wax pooled in the bottom of the jar.¹ When the candle is burned again, the lid should be removed to allow the scent to properly fill the room. But between uses, placing the lid back on helps prolong the life of the fragrance.

Burn for At Least 1 Hour

Burning a candle for at least 1 hour at a time allows more fragrance to fill the room before blowing it out. When you first light a candle, it takes some time for the wax to melt and the fragrant oils to warm up and be released into the air. Blowing out a candle too soon doesn’t allow the fragrance to fully permeate the space. Letting the candle burn for a minimum of 60 minutes gives the fragrance time to distribute throughout the room before extinguishing the flame.

According to TLCCandleCo, burning a candle for at least an hour allows “the wax to liquefy and the fragrance to be released.” They recommend letting the candle burn for at least 2 hours for maximum fragrance. A longer burn time enables more wax to melt and more fragrance to fill the air before blowing out the candle.

Use a Candle Warmer

Using a candle warmer is one of the best ways to maximize fragrance from a candle without needing to burn it. Candle warmers gently heat the wax to release its scent using a lightbulb or heating element, rather than an open flame. This allows you to safely diffuse the candle’s fragrance for hours, saving the wax so it lasts much longer. Popular candle warmer styles include electric warmers with a built-in dish or plate to hold a jar candle, as well as decorative tealight warmers designed for wax melts or tarts. Models like the Warmhm Scented Wax Warmer (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Warmhm-Decorative-Essential-Aromatherapy-Household/dp/B0CCKT78G6) and CAXUSD Tealight Holder (https://www.amazon.com.au/CAXUSD-Decorative-Tealight-Aromatherapy-Essential/dp/B0C888F4B9) are designed to gently and safely warm wax to release fragrance. With a candle warmer, you avoid any issues with tunneling or poor wax pooling that can limit scent throw when burning a candle. Just a few hours on a warmer can make a big difference in maximizing the candle’s fragrance.

Combine Candles

Layering candle scents can create more complex aromas that are greater than the sum of their parts. Rather than burning a single candle at a time, try combining multiple scented candles to produce a more dynamic sensory experience.

For example, blending a vanilla candle with a lavender candle can result in a sweet yet relaxing bouquet. Or pairing fruity notes like peach with clean scents like linen can produce a fruit-fresh aroma ideal for spring and summer. The possibilities are endless when it comes to mixing and matching different candle fragrances.

When combining candle scents, start by selecting 2-3 complementary scents that share common notes or tones. Citrus typically combines well with herbal or floral scents. Warm gourmand fragrances like vanilla pair nicely with bakery-inspired scents such as cinnamon and cookie. You can also create contrasting scent profiles, like melding woodsy pine with bright citrus.

Next, burn the candles in close proximity, ideally in the same room. Place them spaced apart to allow the fragrance notes to mingle in the air. Make sure to keep a close eye on the candles and never leave them burning unattended.

With some creative scent pairing, you can come up with unique fragrance blends that make your home smell fabulous. Experiment and see which candle combinations produce your ideal aromatic ambiance.

Conclusion

In summary, there are several simple yet effective ways to maximize scent and aroma from your candles. Trimming the wick to 1⁄4 inch before lighting will prevent smoking and allow for full melt and fragrance dispersion. Allowing the candle to fully pool before each use ensures more fragrance oil is released. Burning the candle in a small, contained space concentrates the scent experience. Keeping the lid on between uses helps retain fragrance. Burning for at least one hour allows the scent to fully permeate the space. Using a candle warmer gently heats the wax to diffuse scent without having to light the wick. Combining complementary scented candles can provide a custom, layered aroma experience. Focusing on scent and aroma from candles has many benefits – it can help set the mood, provide relaxation, bring back memories, and make any space more inviting and comfortable through the power of fragrance.