How Much Wax Melt Should I Use?
Longest Lasting Wax Melts: UK guide to fragrance load, melt pools, burner wattage, placement and room size so you get the scent throw you want without wasting wax.
UK guide by a wax-melt maker covering how much wax to use for different rooms and warmers. Explains fragrance load, melt pool size, temperature, humidity and airflow, plus burner types, placement tips and practical usage amounts. Last updated: .
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Glossary
- Wax melt usage
- How much wax you should put into a burner based on room size and heater strength.
- Melt pool
- The melted area of wax that forms during warming and impacts scent throw.
- Fragrance load
- The percentage of fragrance oil blended into wax.
- Scent throw
- How far and strongly a fragrance spreads in the air.
Hey there, scent lovers! Ready to dive into the delightful world of wax melts?
I'm here to share some knowledge about fragrance load, melt pool dynamics, and how to create an experience you'll love.
Fragrance Load Explained
First things first: Fragrance load. It's like adding an extra shot of espresso to your morning coffee, the more you add, the stronger the buzz.
In wax melts,a higher fragrance load means a more intense scent experience. So, if you're the kind of person who likes their scents loud and proud, our 30% fragrance load is right up your alley!
What Is a Melt Pool in Wax Melts
Now, let's talk about the melt pool, that glorious puddle of melted wax that forms in your warmer dish. Think of it like a dance floor for scent molecules. The bigger the pool, the more molecules can bust a move and spread the fragrant fun throughout your home.
Why Surface Area Matters
Well, it all comes down to surface area. Imagine a tiny splash of water versus a massive swimming pool. The pool has way more space for water molecules to evaporate and spread out.
The same goes for wax melts: A larger melt pool means a larger surface area for fragrance molecules to escape and fill your space with scenty goodness.
But wait, there's more to this party than just the size of the dance floor!
Melt Pool & Scent Throw
| Temperature | The temperature of your room also plays a role. If your room is too cold, those fragrance molecules will be sluggish and slow to spread. If it's too hot, they'll evaporate too quickly, leaving you with a short-lived scent burst. Aim for a happy medium, somewhere between 20-25°C (68-77°F). And keep your warmer away from direct heat sources like radiators or fireplaces, you don't want to roast your melts! |
| Humidity | A bit of moisture in the air can be a bit of a buzzkill, weighing those molecules down like a soggy dance floor. |
| Air Currents | A gentle breeze can carry those fragrance molecules far and wide, like a conga line snaking through the crowd. |
| Fragrance Molecules | Some fragrances are naturally more lively and outgoing than others.Think of them as the extroverts of the scent world, eager to mingle and make their presence known. |
Wax-to-Space Ratio
But just like Goldilocks, you want to find the perfect balance. Too much wax and your space might be overwhelmed. Too little, and you might not get the fragrance you're looking for. Here's where things get interesting.
Real Examples
In my spacious Victorian townhouse, a full tub of wax melt in my living room burner fills the whole house with scent, reaching even my attic office two floors up! But on days when I'm craving a subtler scent, half a tub will scent throw to my kitchen and the first floor.
Customer Discovery
One of our clever customers, noticed a similar effect when experimenting with our Sweet Queen wax melt. She first cut a full tub in half and placed each half in a separate burner in the same room, creating a powerful, intense scent throughout her home.
The next day, she melted only one of those halves in a single burner, and while the scent was still noticeable, it wasn't as strong as the previous day.
This is because with two burners, she had doubled the surface area of melted wax, allowing more fragrance molecules to be released in the air and creating a more intense fragrance throw.
Understanding Fragrance Oils
Fragrances are like people, some are bold and outspoken, while others are more subtle and nuanced. Take Dettol Pine and Dove Supreme, for example. They're the life of the party, filling your space with their powerful aroma. On the other hand, White Gardenia & Jasmine, Uplift, and Lovers Island are more like the quiet introverts, offering a gentler but still captivating fragrance experience.
Why the difference? It all comes down to the unique chemistry of each oil, the secret sauce that determines how a scent behaves in a wax melt
Some molecules are simply more eager to evaporate and spread their magic, while others prefer to take their time.
Fragrance oils are often a blend of different notes:
Top, Middle & Base Notes
| Top Notes | The first impression, the initial burst of fragrance you notice when you light your melt. They tend to be light, fresh,and uplifting. |
| Middle Notes | Also called heart notes emerge as the top notes fade. They form the core of the fragrance, adding depth and complexity. |
| Base Notes | The foundation of the scent, the notes that linger longest after the others have faded. They tend to be rich, warm and grounding. |
This complex interplay of notes is what makes each fragrance unique and gives it its own distinct personality.
You can read more on fragrance notes in my other blog:
Choosing the Right Burner
The type of warmer you use can also affect how your wax melts perform.
Electric burners with different wattages can make a noticeable difference.
A higher wattage bulb means more heat, which can lead to a stronger scent throw, but it can also shorten the life of your melt.
My Burner Advice
| Glass Dishes | They can get super hot, which might not be the best for your wax melts. |
| Oil Burners | Designed for essential oils, not wax melts. The high heat can scorch your fragrance and shorten its lifespan. |
| G9 Bulbs | They tend to concentrate the heat in the centre of the dish, potentially "cooking" your wax melt. |
| My Favourites | GU10 35w bulbs, ceramic dishes, or 20–35w hotplates.
|
Best Burner Placement
Avoid window sills or enclosed spaces like bookcases and shelves.
Why Placement Matters
Cold glass, drafts, or heavy heat sources disrupt diffusion and weaken throw.
Fragrance molecules need room to breathe and spread their wings, so give them a wide berth.
So if you currently have your burner on the windowsill, even if the window is closed, a windowsill is a cooler spot compared to the rest of your room. This is because the glass tends to conduct heat away, especially in colder weather.
Windows can have tiny drafts that interfere with the warm air rising from your burner.
This can disrupt the fragrance distribution and make it harder for the scent to spread throughout the room.
Similarly, if you have your burner on a log burner, radiator cabinet or gas fire, the intense heat from a log burner or gas fire, or even the gentle warmth of a radiator, can make the air molecules around your burner heavier and denser. This makes it harder for the lighter fragrance molecules to diffuse effectively, as they get "stuck" in the denser air and struggle to travel throughout the room.
Fragrance molecules are tiny particles that move through the air by a process called diffusion. They naturally spread out from areas of high concentration (your burner) to areas of low concentration (the rest of the room).
So, find a nice, cosy spot for your burner that's away from drafts, excessive heat, and enclosed spaces. This will allow those fragrance molecules to freely diffuse and fill your home with their gorgeous scent.
How Much Wax Should I Use?
| Full tub — 28g | Will give you the strongest scent, lasting about 30+ hours and filling your entire space. Longevity depends on scent profile and warmer used. |
| Half tub — 14g | Is still a scent powerhouse, but with a slightly gentler touch. You'll get about 18 hours of fragrance, enough to fill a room and spill over into neighbouring areas. |
| Quarter tub — 7g | Is for those who prefer a more subtle scent, lasting about 8 hours and mostly staying in the room where you're melting it. |
But remember, no matter how much you use, our wax melts are still going to smell incredible!
That's because my special 30% fragrance loaded formula ensures even distribution of fragrance, so every bit of wax is packed with scent, far more intense than a 10% fragrance scented wax melt.
The beauty of my wax melts is that you can cut them to your desired strength.
So go ahead and experiment! Whether you want a strong fragrance bomb or a gentle aroma, you can customise your experience to perfectly suit your preferences.
I test all our fragrances in different scenarios, so you can be confident that they'll perform beautifully no matter how you use them. And if I ever have any concerns about a scent, I'll take action to ensure my customers always get the best experience possible.
