Fragrance Load Calculator for Candles and Wax Melts

How to calculate fragrance load

Candle makers state fragrance as a percentage in one of two ways. Fragrance load, common in the US, is the oil as a percentage of the wax. Fragrance content, common in the UK and Europe, is the oil as a percentage of the whole blend.

Load (% of wax) oil = wax × load Content (% of total) oil = total × content Load to content content = load ÷ (1 + load) Content to load load = content ÷ (1 − content)

Example. 16 oz of wax at an 8% load takes 1.28 oz of oil, 17.28 oz in all. A 500 g batch at 10% content is 50 g of oil and 450 g of wax.

Fragrance load chart

Load (% of wax)	Oil per lb of wax	Oil per kg of wax	Same as % of total
6%	0.96 oz	60 g	5.66%
6.25%	1.00 oz	62.5 g	5.88%
8%	1.28 oz	80 g	7.41%
10%	1.60 oz	100 g	9.09%
12%	1.92 oz	120 g	10.71%

Getting a good scent throw

More oil isn't always stronger. Past the wax's maximum, the extra oil can seep out of the candle instead of scenting the room.
Weigh the oil. Oils differ in density, so measuring by volume gives a different load each time.
Add it at the temperature on your wax's data sheet and stir for a couple of minutes so it binds with the wax.
Let the candles cure before judging the scent. Many waxes need several days to a couple of weeks.

To size the batch from your containers, use the candle wax calculator.

Questions

How do I calculate fragrance load?

Multiply the weight of the wax by the fragrance load as a decimal. For 16 oz of wax at 8%, that is 16 × 0.08 = 1.28 oz of fragrance oil, for a total of 17.28 oz.

How much fragrance oil per pound of wax?

One ounce of fragrance oil per pound of wax is a 6.25% load. 1.28 oz is 8%, 1.6 oz is 10% and 1.92 oz is 12%.

What is the difference between fragrance load and fragrance content?

Fragrance load is the oil as a percentage of the wax. Fragrance content is the oil as a percentage of the whole blend, wax and oil together. The same candle reads lower as content: a 10% load is 9.09% of the total.

What is the maximum fragrance load for candle wax?

It depends on the wax and is listed on its data sheet. Many container waxes are rated somewhere between 6% and 12%. Oil beyond what the wax can hold can seep out of the finished candle, so stay at or under the rating.

Should I measure fragrance oil by weight or by volume?

By weight. Fragrance oils differ in density, so a fluid ounce of one oil doesn't weigh the same as a fluid ounce of another. A digital scale gives the same result every batch.