When it comes to wax melt making, there are a whole host of issues that you may come across. This guide will take you through some of the most common issues and our advised solutions for fixing your issues. As with most crafts, wax melt making is heavily down to trial and error and finding what works for you, experimenting with your practices, equipment and products time after time will soon allow you to fine tune your candle making process.
Frosting
Frosting naturally occurs as it’s a byproduct of wax. Frosting is caused by the growth of small crystals that appear on the surface of the wax. Potential causes could be that the wax has too much oil present, or the wax has cooled too quickly. Possible solutions are using a harder wax or a wax with a higher melt point and allowing the wax to be cooled more slowly, in a warmer environment.
Read our blog; Best Ways To Melt Candle Wax here.
White lines
White lines, also called ‘jump lines’, can be caused by your mould being too cold or the wax being poured too cold. Potential solutions include heating your moulds before pouring or pouring your wax at a higher temperature.
Read our blog; Best Ways To Melt Candle Wax here.
Rough surfaces and cracks
Cracks and texture changes in wax melts are caused by the wax being cooled too fast, usually because the melts have been cooled in a fridge or freezer. To avoid cracking cool at room temperature, or in warm water, or you can also use a heat gun to reheat the tops of your moulds and get rid of the rough surface.
Read our blog; Best Ways To Melt Candle Wax here.
Sinkholes / Dipped Surface
Sinkage is normal and unavoidable in wax melt making. Wax naturally expands when heated and shrinks when cools, this shrinkage sometimes causes dips and sinkage. Potential solutions are pouring your wax at a lower temperature, as the lower the temperature, the less shrinkage occurs. Heating your moulds if they are silicone can also reduce your shrinkage rate, be careful with plastic clamshells as high heats can cause the plastic to melt!
Read our blog; Best Ways To Melt Candle Wax here.
Sweating
If your wax melts sweat or have an oily surface, it is often caused by adding too much fragrance oil or by adding your fragrance at a temperature that is too cool for your wax. Selecting the correct temperature and % of fragrance oil will help your wax and oil bind better. If you find that your fragrance does not bind properly, the fragrance will start to separate from the wax and rise to the surface of your wax melts, hence the sweating look.
Read our blog; How Much Fragrance To Add To Candleshere for more information on adding fragrance.
Air bubbles
Air bubbles can be caused in numerous ways. Possible causes are that the wax was cooled too quickly, the wax was poured too cold, or too fast. Or the air simply wasn’t released. Possible solutions are to allow the wax to cool more slowly, pour the wax at a hotter temperature, pour the wax more slowly, try tilting your mould when pouring the wax, you can also try tapping your moulds once the pour is completed to release the air bubbles.
Poor Mould Release
If you find it difficult to de-mould your wax melts or find that there is a waxy residue stuck to your mould after you have removed your melts, you can try warming your moulds slightly or popping them in the freezer before removal. You can also leave your melts longer in the moulds, you may be trying to remove them before they have had a chance to set properly. If you’re using a silicone mould, your wax could be sticking, try using a plastic clamshell or deli pot! Also make sure that your moulds are super clean and dry before pouring your wax.
Soft and Easily Snapped Melts
It is possible that the wax you are using isn’t suitable for wax melts, start by checking that you are using a wax that is suitable for wax melts. If your wax is still too soft for your taste, you can try adding an additive to your wax to harden it.
Read our blog; Wax Additives: Finding your wax matchhere for more information on using additives with your wax.
No Hot Throw
If you have melted your wax melts and you aren't experiencing a strong hot throw, this could be due to a number of factors. As with most wax creations, we recommend curing your wax melts for at least two weeks before lighting or melting. This gives your fragrance time to mature and bond with your wax for a better throw when melted. If you have cured your melts and are still not experiencing a hot throw, it could be due to adding your fragrance oil when your wax was too hot.
It’s important to note that some fragrance oils are just lighter in scent than others and don’t produce hot throws at the same level as other scents.
Read our blog; How Much Fragrance To Add To Candles here for more information on adding fragrance.
Looking to dip your toe into the water? At Supplies for Candles, we have a range of starter kits designed to get you over the first hurdle. Shop the range to choose your creative path and have everything you'll need to make extra strong, luxury soy wax melts.
