Wick vs. Wickless:
Candles have a wick, which is typically made of cotton or a similar material.
When you light the wick, it ignites and produces a flame that generates heat.
This heat melts the wax near the wick, turning it into liquid wax.
The liquid wax is then drawn up the wick, vaporized, and burned, producing light and heat.
Wax melts, on the other hand, are wickless.
They are designed to be used with a wax warmer or an electric wax melter.
Instead of a flame, these devices use a heating element to gradually melt the wax melt.
The melted wax then releases its fragrance into the air, but it doesn't evaporate in the same way that a candle's wax burns.
Melting vs. Evaporation:
Candles rely on combustion, a chemical reaction between the wax and oxygen, to produce light and heat.
As the wax near the flame melts, it is consumed by the flame through combustion. The wax undergoes a chemical change and is converted into carbon dioxide and water vapor, which are released into the air.
Wax melts are designed to melt and release fragrance oils or essential oils into the air without undergoing combustion.
When the wax melt is heated, it turns from a solid into a liquid, and the fragrance is dispersed into the surrounding air.
The wax itself doesn't undergo the same chemical change as it does in a burning candle, so it doesn't evaporate in the same sense.