When you incorporate candles into your home and the bedroom its because you want them to help you relax, feel calm, invigorated, and put your mind at peace, unwind from the days stresses.

You love the gentle flicker of a candle but wish its scent filled the room more.

A candle's strength lies not just in its flame, but in its fragrance too.

Today, we're diving into simple tricks to make every whiff of your favourite candle pack a powerful punch.

 

However, aromatherapy depends majorly on the “scent throw” of the candles to be effective. “Scent throw” is simply how well the candle smells and circulates throughout a living space. Most people think that all you have to do is place some candles with good scents in space and light them. However, this will not do you any good as far as aromatherapy is concerned if the fragrance doesn't fill the room.

But there are two considerations when it comes to scent throw – cold throw and hot throw. Cold throw is the smell the candles produce while the wax is still solid; while the hot throw is the smell produced by the candles when they are lit.

If you've purchased or made a candle there's a few tricks and tips you can use to get the best out of it. We don't want to go to all of that effort for it be useless.  We want our candles to have a glorious smell.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to make the candles or a candle smell stronger.

Top 5 tips to make your candles smell stronger

At a quick glance here are 5 tips to make your candles smell stronger, but we will get into more detail after these bullet points: 

• Use high-quality fragrance oils or essential oils in your candles. These concentrated oils are specifically designed for use in candles and will provide a stronger scent than using dried herbs or botanicals alone.
• Experiment with different proportions of fragrance oil to wax. A general rule of thumb is to use around 1 ounce of fragrance oil per pound of wax, but this can vary depending on the type of wax and the desired strength of the scent.
• Use a hot throw fragrance oil. Hot throw fragrance oils are specially formulated to release scent when the candle is burning, providing a stronger aroma compared to cold throw fragrance oils.
• Allow your candles to cure for at least 24 hours before burning them. This will allow the fragrance oils to fully bind to the wax and provide a stronger scent when the candle is burning.
• Keep the wick trimmed to the correct length, this will ensure that the candle burns evenly and fully releases the fragrance oils, giving you a stronger scent.

Why would your candle not smell strong?

There are several reasons why your candle would not smell as strong as you want, and some of them include:

Inadequate fragrance oil

The scent a candle produces emanate from the fragrance oils which are usually added to the candles during manufacturing.

To put it simply, the more oil added to the candle, the stronger the smell.

But some manufacturers want to cut costs of production by adding a little fragrance oil since it is very costly. While this translates to cheaper selling prices, the candle may not have the throw scent that you hoped.

So if your candle does not produce a strong smell, the first diagnosis is inadequate fragrance oil.

Wax type

Another factor that will determine the strength of a candle is the type of wax used to produce it. Soy wax and coconut wax are two of the best waxes when it comes to blending with oils.

Wax temperature

Only adding fragrance to candles is not enough. The appropriate temperature range is between 82 and 55 degrees Celsius (180F to 185F).

If the temperature is lower than that, the wax will not be viscous enough to completely mix with the essential oil

On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, the fragrance oil may burn off, thus reducing its effectiveness.

The oil should be able to withstand the heat as it mixes with the wax.

This is a particularly important consideration if you are making the candles at home.

Size of the room

Another troubleshooting tip to consider is the size of the room. If your candle does not produce enough scent, consider lighting it in a smaller space.

By doing this, you will be reducing the overall space that the off-gassing of the oils needs to cover. In case a smaller room does not make any difference, then consider the other factors.

How to make a candle smell stronger

So now you have troubleshot the problem and found the reason(s) behind your candle's weak smell. What now?

Thankfully, there are a number of measures you can take to make your candle smell stronger. And they include (assuming you are using store-bought candles, use) the following tips:

1. Light the candles

Sometimes the solution may be as simple as lighting the candle. A candle will smell stronger when it is burning because the heat will increase the diffusion rate of the molecules.

This makes the smell of the candle spread faster.

2. Allow the candle to burn long enough

Once your candle is burning, the smell will start to get stronger. But for more positive results, allow the candle to heat for a long time.

When the wax gets hotter, the diffusion of the oil molecules increases.

Always let the candle burn until the first layer of the wax melts until the edge of the candle.

3. Add fragrance oils at 180F

Whether you have bought the candle or made it at home, there is a way you can add more essential oils.

The appropriate temperature to add your oils is 180F.

4. Allow enough curing time

Are you a candle maker? Make sure that you allow your candle proper time to cure before adding essential oils.

The rule of thumb is to allow up to 2 weeks for soy wax and coconut wax candles and between 24 to 48 hours for paraffin wax.

Once the candle is properly cured, you can now test burn it.

5. Evaluate the wick

Consider evaluating the wick of your candle to make sure it is not over or under wicked as this will impact the hot throw of your candle.

A too large or too small wick will directly affect the strength of your candle’s smell.

6. Choose the right candle size

Whether you bought or made the candle, make sure it is of the right size. Don’t expect a small candle to spread strong fragrance across a large room.

Larger candles will without a doubt fill up any room with a strong fragrance, especially if it has more than one wick.

Final say

We hope that we have troubleshot and provided a solution to why your candle does not produce a stronger smell. With that said, we also hope that you can now enjoy the warm feel and fragrance of your scented candles without any issue. If you are buying or making the candle at home, make sure to observe the above tips on how to make a candle smell stronger.

FAQs

1. What are some ways to make my candle smell stronger?

To enhance your candle's fragrance, you can use high-quality wax, select strong candle fragrances, and ensure the wick is the proper size for maximum scent throw.

2. Can I increase the scent throw of a homemade candle?

Absolutely! Boosting a homemade candle's aroma can be done by adding more fragrance oil or using specific candle making techniques that amplify odour intensity.

3. How do different types of wicks affect my candle's smell?

The type of wick you choose impacts how well your candle burns and throws its scent; choosing the right one will strengthen and heighten your candle's fragrance potency. Under wicking is the source of bad scent throw.

4. Does the wax type influence how much my aromatherapy candles smell?

Yes, the kind of wax in aromatherapy candles plays a vital role in maximizing aroma perception because different waxes hold and release scents differently.

Generally paraffin wax has a great scent throw but lacks the eco friendly benefits of soy wax. Coconut wax has a good scent throw as does rapeseed wax but it all requires testing.

5. Are there supplies that help with improving my candles' scent intensity?

Indeed! When it comes to enhancing your candles' aroma, having quality candle making supplies like premium fragrance oils and suitable holders can augment their overall odour strength.

6. What should I consider when selecting ingredients to intensify my candles' fragrance?

Try to use reputable suppliers that have good reviews and are renowned for providing great products and service, not all waxes, fragrance oils and such are made equally. Candle making is a game for the patient.