The ‘fragrance load’ or fragrance % is the manufacturers recommended maximum amount of fragrance that a particular wax can retain.
For example, if you are making a 16 oz. candle with a wax that has a maximum 10% fragrance load, you could add up to 1.6 oz. (16 oz. * 10% = 1.6 oz.) of fragrance for that particular wax. While it is possible to add more fragrance than the manufacturers recommendation, this can lead to poor burning characteristics and/or the fragrance ‘seeping’ from the candle creating the appearance of sweating.
Many waxes available are pre-blended or contain additives enabling them to retain higher fragrance loads of up to 12%. There are certain waxes, such as straight paraffin wax, that have a lower maximum fragrance load of around 3% without the use of additional additives such as Vybar.
We recommend beginning testing by using 1 oz. of fragrance to 1 lb. of wax. This equates to a fragrance load of approximately 6.3%.
When calculating the fragrance load, always measure by weight, not by volume (i.e. fluid ounces).
