What percentage oil are you using?

[GoldieMN]

In another thread, @TallTayl said "I remember when 2-3% of a fragrance would fully scent a candle or soap to the point of them being way too strong. Now, at up to 75% fillers and cheaper aromachemicals in fragrances, it takes 5x as much fragrance oil to make a less scented candle." 

 

I started to wonder what percent of oil you all are using currently.  I use to be in the 7-7.5% range.  Upped it a bit but not over 8% yet.  I lost my sense of smell last year thanks to COVID so I really have no idea if my hot throw has been affected by wax changes.  Until someone recently asked if I could up the hot throw, I didn't realize something may have changed.

I'd love to hear your opinions.

GoldieMN

 

 

[franu61]

For the longest time I was doing 6%. (1 ounce per pound).  Now I find myself adding 1.25 to 1.5 ounce per pound.  (I am mathematically challenged so I don't know what percentage that is)

[Moonstruck Misfit]

I go for 8-9% PPoW in 464 with most scents - it works for me. 

 

8% is 1.28 oz PPoW

9% is 1.44 oz PPoW

[pcbrook]

I use palm wax and started at 6% but now I use 8% straight across in candles.  For melts I use 10% but the wax is a soy and paraffin blend.

[TallTayl]

On 5/21/2024 at 5:47 PM, GoldieMN said:

In another thread, @TallTayl said "I remember when 2-3% of a fragrance would fully scent a candle or soap to the point of them being way too strong. Now, at up to 75% fillers and cheaper aromachemicals in fragrances, it takes 5x as much fragrance oil to make a less scented candle." 

 

I started to wonder what percent of oil you all are using currently.  I use to be in the 7-7.5% range.  Upped it a bit but not over 8% yet.  I lost my sense of smell last year thanks to COVID so I really have no idea if my hot throw has been affected by wax changes.  Until someone recently asked if I could up the hot throw, I didn't realize something may have changed.

I'd love to hear your opinions.

GoldieMN

 

 

I remember those days so well! We didn’t have to relearn waxes so often as they didn’t have so many extra random additives to hold the higher volume of fragrance. I’m testing a “clean fragrance” line (not candle science) from my favorite perfumer that contains NO diluents. 1% fully scented a test candle. That thing burned like a dream! 1-2% in my sample soap made a stellar product too.  I’ll be visiting them next month to hopefully pick several for summer, then fall and winter to share. They’re going to turn me loose in their lab with the master perfumer.  I don’t think they know what they’re in for!

 

to answer your original question, 6-8% depending on the fragrance and wax if using retail available products.

[AudraT]

I've been using between 8% - 10%. I read somewhere that adding less fragrance can actually improve a candles HT. I've always wondered if this is really true as I have tried once or twice reducing a FO from 10% down to 8% or even 6%. Honestly, each time I tried I found the HT was weaker. Has anybody else ever experienced adding less FO actually made the HT better?

[TallTayl]

16 hours ago, AudraT said:

I've been using between 8% - 10%. I read somewhere that adding less fragrance can actually improve a candles HT. I've always wondered if this is really true as I have tried once or twice reducing a FO from 10% down to 8% or even 6%. Honestly, each time I tried I found the HT was weaker. Has anybody else ever experienced adding less FO actually made the HT better?

It depends… quality of the starting fragrances makes a big difference.  Many retail fragrances are so filled with diluents that it’s a battle to get anything to smell good, let alone strongly scent a space.

 

I just had a new fragrance made by my partner lab. It is a version of Rocky Mountain Christmas originally by Elements before it was acquired by 2sigma.  My tester votive in the teensy sample at 3% threw immediately and fully.  Burned cleanly also. 

 

I’m testing some of their new clean fragrances in soy/coco and one fragrance made a fully scented, strong candle at 1% fo. Others needed help at higher%, so it’s not a perfect science. Some threw fuel smells even at low%.
 

I’m an old tech person, so “garbage in garbage out” rings in my ears when I sample things. I have purchased a metric ton of garbage candle supplies over the years.  If I had that money back I’d be rich.

[AudraT]

On 7/22/2024 at 11:07 AM, TallTayl said:

It depends… quality of the starting fragrances makes a big difference.  Many retail fragrances are so filled with diluents that it’s a battle to get anything to smell good, let alone strongly scent a space.

 

I just had a new fragrance made by my partner lab. It is a version of Rocky Mountain Christmas originally by Elements before it was acquired by 2sigma.  My tester votive in the teensy sample at 3% threw immediately and fully.  Burned cleanly also. 

 

I’m testing some of their new clean fragrances in soy/coco and one fragrance made a fully scented, strong candle at 1% fo. Others needed help at higher%, so it’s not a perfect science. Some threw fuel smells even at low%.
 

I’m an old tech person, so “garbage in garbage out” rings in my ears when I sample things. I have purchased a metric ton of garbage candle supplies over the years.  If I had that money back I’d be rich.

 

Oh, the co-op fragrances! I've done my first testing of some of them. I started out at 8% for Clementine Pomander with Freedom soy and the HT was pretty good, but it burned a bit different. For the top half of the candle the flame was incredibly small. So small that I think people would be concerned as I was, but once the candle got half way down the jar, the flame got bigger. I have to say, besides the weak flame at the top, the candle burned the most perfect I had ever seen regarding melt pool. It never reached a full melt pool and the wax hangup around the inside of the jar was perfect. Stayed there throughout the life of the candle and burned down as the wick did all the way to the bottom.
Regarding the wick, I think I need to go up just slightly. So, from an ECO 16 to a slightly hotter CD wick (I don't know what size that would be). I guess I could try the "less FO, better HT" theory and go down to 6% FO and keep the same ECO wick (the FO was definitely what affected the low flame so I assume less FO will give a larger flame). Anyways, once I'm done with all my testing I was going to post in the original co-op thread.

[The Candle Nook]

On 7/21/2024 at 8:27 PM, AudraT said:

. Has anybody else ever experienced adding less FO actually made the HT better?

Yes! I reduced my FO % with a couple of Bulk Apothecary and got a much stronger throw with a couple of oils…I have tried it with some other companies FO and had virtually the same HT but not seen the “better” with BA. (BA is expensive imo and I only use 3 of their oils…decided I didn’t want to spend the $$ to invest in trial and error with them)