Scented candles are an absolute delight because of their effect on your senses and emotions. While there is a lot of debate about the best wax for producing scented candles, Paraffin wax tops the list according to popular opinion.
Low-melt point paraffin is the best paraffin wax for achieving scent throw due to its low melting point and softness. When heated to the appropriate temperature, it readily accepts the fragrance oils, creating an excellent mix that easily gives off the scent to full scale. In addition, low-melt paraffin wax has a great scent throw compared to other types of paraffin wax.
Although it is common knowledge among candle makers and candle enthusiasts that paraffin wax is the best candle wax for achieving an excellent scent throw. However, very few people realize that all paraffin waxes are not the same.
So in this article, you will discover the types of paraffin wax and which is the best for scent throw. Now, let’s get started!
Which Is the Best Paraffin Wax for Scent Throw and Why?
Among the three types of paraffin for candle making, the low-melt paraffin is the best paraffin wax for scent throw because it has the lowest melting point and contains other vegetable-oil-based waxes like soy or coconut.
Interestingly, coconut oil is an excellent additive to essential oils for making scented candles, especially beeswax. Furthermore, low-melt point paraffin easily adheres to containers and is less challenging to melt due to its incredibly low melting point.
Since low-melt paraffin is suitable for making container candles, they give perfect blends of both types of scent and cost less to obtain. However, because paraffin is a synthetic type of candle wax, a by-product of crude oil/petroleum refinery, it is not eco-friendly and may not entirely support health benefits.
Fortunately, people now combine paraffin wax with other organic types of wax to boost its health benefit and eco-friendliness in recent times.
What Are the Different Types of Paraffin Wax For Scent Throw?
Paraffin wax is the most used type of wax for candle making, especially for scented candles, because of its cost-effectiveness, availability, and incredible scent throw. However, all paraffin waxes are not equal. Essentially, there are three types of paraffin wax based on their melting points.
More importantly, the melting point of the paraffin determines what kind of candle you make and influences its scent throw. Here they are:
- Low-melt paraffin wax is the softest type of paraffin wax with the least melting point, suitable for making container candles.
- Medium-melt paraffin wax is between the low-melt paraffin and the high-melt paraffin wax. Therefore, it is neither too soft nor too hard and suitable for making candles that stand independently.
- High-melt paraffin wax has the highest melting point and is the hardest paraffin wax, suitable for specialized candle fabrications.
| Type Of Paraffin Wax | Melting Point | Uses | Nature of Substance |
| Low-melt point | Less than 130℉ | For making container candles in jars, cups, and glasses. | Softest paraffin wax. |
| Medium-melt point | 130-150℉ | For making pillar candles, votives, and molded candles. | Moderately hard paraffin wax. |
| High-melt point | Greater than 150℉ | For making special candles, e.g., hurricane candles, etc. | Hard paraffin wax. |
What Is Scent Throw, and Why Is It Important in Candle Making?
Scent throw refers to the ability of scented candles to give off their scent at any given condition. For example, some scented candles give off a far-reaching fragrance that saturates the entire space, lasting longer with more lingering intensity.
In contrast, other scented candles have a milder aroma that only lingers for a short time and works better for smaller spaces. Essentially, there are two types of scent throw, depending on the temperature and whether or not the candle is lit.
Types of Scent Throw
- Cold Scent Throw: When a scented candle gives off its scent or fragrance when unlit, we say it has a cold scent throw. The cold scent throw of scented candles makes excellent advertising tools for makers of scented candles because of its ability to make a good first impression.
- Hot Scent Throw: When a scented candle gives off its scent or fragrance while burning, we say it has a hot scent throw. The hot scent throw of scented candles is perfect for retaining customers long-term as it keeps impressed customers coming back for more.
Factors That Affect the Candle Scent Throw
- Quality of the candle wax
- Add fragrance temperature
- Quantity of fragrance oil
- Type and the blend of fragrance oil
- Stirring the molten wax after adding fragrance oil
- Preservation and packaging
Pros and Cons of Using Paraffin Wax To Achieve Scent Throw
| Pros | Cons |
| Cost-effectiveness | Not eco-friendly |
| Ready availability | Emits volatile compounds while burning |
| Low melting point | Synthetic |
| Great container adherence | |
| Easily absorbs dye and fragrance oil | |
| Blends well with other vegetable oil additives. |
Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of using paraffin wax to make scented candles, is it possible to mix it with other candle waxes? Let’s see what happens!
What Happens to Hybrid Paraffin Wax for Scent Throw?
Hybrid paraffin wax is a mixture of paraffin wax with other types of candle waxes. Usually, people might opt for blending paraffin wax with other candle waxes for health and environmental reasons.
For example, you can blend paraffin wax with soy wax to yield parasoy wax or blend it with other waxes like palm, beeswax, etc. Essentially, hybridizing paraffin waxes by mixing with different types of candle wax does not affect the scent throw adversely because of the inherent paraffin quality.
However, the resultant scent throw also depends on the percentage combination of the types of wax in the mixture. Fortunately, if you miss paraffin wax with any of the natural, eco-friendly candle waxes, you significantly reduce the potential for constituting some health and environmental challenges.
Moreover, all factors that influence candle wax scent throw remain the same for all types of candle wax.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Wax Generally Gives the Best Scent Throw?
Paraffin wax typically provides the best scent throw among all types of candle wax. The reason is that their relatively low melting point makes them readily absorbent to accommodate most fragrance oils irrespective of their brands and yield a perfect blend.
Can You Add Scent to Paraffin Wax?
Yes, you can add scent to paraffin wax to make paraffin-scented candles. However, you should ensure that you add fragrance to the wax at the appropriate add fragrance temperature to avoid compromising its scent throw. Ideally, you should properly stair your molten wax after adding fragrance to blend the scent.
How Much Fragrance Do You Need for the Paraffin Wax Scented Candle?
Even though most paraffin waxes will hold more than 12 percent of the fragrance oil, a reasonable quantity of 10 percent is advised to preserve the integrity of the scented candle and achieve optimal scent throw. For instance, for a 100g scented candle, you will require 90% candle wax and 10% fragrance oil.
Final Thoughts
Although paraffin wax remains the best type of candle wax for achieving scent throw, the best version of paraffin lies in its lower melting point. The lower the melting point, the softer the wax and the higher its scent throw. However, scent perception is relative and depends on the olfactory perception of the individual.
So, whether or not you prefer scented candles with cold or hot scents throw is entirely up to you. Furthermore, you should mind where you place your scented candles if you want to preserve their hot scent throw by avoiding highly ventilated areas like the window corners or close to a fan or air conditioner.
