Candle Wax Calculator: Wax and Fragrance per Container

How much wax a container holds

Wax is lighter than water, so a container holds less wax by weight than water. Weigh the water that fills it to the fill line, usually about 1/2 in below the rim, and multiply by your wax's factor. That gives the weight of the melted blend, wax and fragrance together.

Fill weight = water weight × wax factor Wax = fill weight ÷ (1 + fragrance load) Fragrance oil = wax × fragrance load Batch = per candle × number of candles × (1 + spills)

If you only know the jar's volume, 1 fl oz of water weighs 1.04 oz and 1 ml weighs 1 g. An 8 fl oz jar holds about 8.3 oz of water.

Example: twelve 8 oz jars of soy wax

Each jar holds 8 oz of water to the fill line, so it takes 8 × 0.86 = 6.88 oz of blend. At an 8% fragrance load that is 6.37 oz of wax and 0.51 oz of fragrance oil. For twelve jars, weigh out about 4.8 lb of wax and 6.1 oz of fragrance oil, plus a little for spills.

Wax factors

The factor is the wax's weight compared with the same volume of water. These are typical figures from candle suppliers. The data sheet for your wax is the best source.

Wax	Factor	Wax in a jar holding 8 oz of water
Soy wax	0.84 to 0.86	6.7 to 6.9 oz
Coconut soy blend	about 0.80	6.4 oz
Beeswax	about 0.90	7.2 oz
Average for most waxes	0.85	6.8 oz

Fragrance load

Fragrance is measured by weight, as a percentage of the wax. Most container candles use 6% to 10%. Some makers, especially in the UK, give the percentage of the total blend instead, so check which one a recipe means. The fragrance load calculator converts between the two.

Questions

How much wax do I need for a candle?

Fill the container with water to where the wax will sit, weigh the water and multiply by your wax's factor: about 0.86 for soy wax. A jar that holds 8 oz of water to the fill line takes about 6.9 oz of wax and fragrance together.

Why can't I use the jar's fluid ounces as the wax weight?

Fluid ounces measure volume and ounces measure weight, and wax is lighter than water. An 8 fl oz jar holds about 8.3 oz of water but only about 7.2 oz of soy wax. Weighing the water to the fill line is the most accurate way to size a container.

How much fragrance oil do I add to candle wax?

Most candle makers use 6% to 10% of the wax weight. At 8%, a pound of wax takes 1.28 oz of fragrance oil. Check your wax's data sheet for its maximum load and weigh the oil rather than measuring it by volume.

How much wax do I need for 12 candles?

Twelve jars that each hold 8 oz of water to the fill line need about 4.8 lb of soy wax and 6.1 oz of fragrance oil at an 8% load. Add a few percent for spills and the wax left in the pouring pitcher.

What is the conversion factor for candle wax?

It is the wax's weight compared with the same volume of water. Suppliers give figures around 0.84 to 0.86 for soy wax, about 0.80 for some coconut blends and about 0.90 for beeswax. Your wax's data sheet has the exact number.