A handmade scented wax melt – a little treasure of wax, wickless and sometimes coloured – is a fantastic way to fill your home with a delicious fragrance. As the wax melts and turns liquid, it releases a captivating scent that fills the air. The supplies you’ll need to make your wax melts are almost the same as for a candle, since both are made of wax.
With an intense scent throw that outshines traditional candles with wicks, scented wax melts are perfect for fragrancing large rooms effectively and creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere. You can also use decorative wax melts to embellish your candles.
In this article, we show you how to make classic scented wax melts that can be decorated and coloured, but we also have other kinds of guides, such as our guide to making DIY home fragrance products.
Our other homemade scented wax melt recipes
What ingredients do you need to make scented wax melts?
You’ll need 3 essential components to make a homemade scented wax melt. Alongside them, you’ll need melting equipment (a double boiler or a melting machine), a thermometer and some containers.
Which wax should I use for my wax melts?
Wax will make up 80 to 85% of your blend. For temperatures, refer to the product pages for our waxes, where you’ll find all their specifications!
Eco-friendly plant waxes
Our plant-based waxes are an eco-friendly choice, perfect for making wax melts. They are guaranteed free from any trace of GMOs, non-toxic and cruelty-free.
- Kerax 4120 soy wax: easy to use with fragrances and dyes, this wax is ideal for beginners. However, it is less suited to wax melts. Its main advantage is its cost, which makes it an economical choice for making melts.
- 9522 rapeseed wax: although it is oilier and trickier to work with, this wax is perfectly suited to making wax melts thanks to its texture and its ability to hold fragrance.
- Olive or coconut waxes: these are the best suited to making wax melts. They give a clean, glossy finish with no imperfections, for a flawless end result.
Fully vegan-friendly, they offer impeccable quality while respecting the environment and eco-conscious principles.
Paraffin wax: simplicity itself
It gives your wax melts a glossy finish. It’s also very easy to use.
Natural beeswax
Our natural beeswax offers a slower burn, which promotes optimal fragrance diffusion. Plastic moulds are not compatible.
Although it’s perfectly suited to being used on its own, you can combine it with C3 soy wax, originally designed for container candles, to make wax melts. However, this blend may slightly compromise the final performance.
A fragrance to add your personal touch
Choose suitable fragrance oils, such as our candle and wax melt fragrances, to scent your melts. Use a dosage of 10% to 15% depending on the fragrance and your own testing. We offer a dosage calculator to make your wax creations easier.
Choosing your mould: clamshell or silicone
Use silicone moulds or PET plastic Clamshell moulds to shape your wax melts. Make sure they are heat-resistant and suitable for wax casting. You won’t be able to make wax melts in plastic moulds with beeswax.
Leave the wax melts to cool completely for a few hours at room temperature. Then unmould them carefully. You can use our silicone-free release agent to make life easier! For cleaning, use isopropyl alcohol.
Dyes or natural micas (optional)
If you’d like to colour your wax melts, you can use dye chips, liquid dye or natural mica powder. Here are the dosages for each:
- For dye chips, we recommend about 5 g per kg of wax.
- Don’t exceed 2–3 g of mineral mica per 100 g of wax.
- Use liquid dye at 15 g per kg of wax.
Use an additive to improve the properties of your raw materials (optional)
It’s optional, but you can boost your fragrance’s scent throw with isopropyl myristate, and also with any other additive that extends the life of your creations and makes them harder, such as stearin.
Adding 1 to 5% isopropyl myristate (IPM) to your blend will give you a professional finish and exceptional fragrance strength. Added at 1 to 5%, this fatty acid ester, derived from plant oils, improves even fragrance diffusion, helps the scent disperse into the air faster and optimises the burn of your candles.
How should I store and use my wax melts?
If you use a silicone mould for your scented wax melts, wrap each melt individually in a paper bag or other packaging. Here are a few precautions for storing your wax melts.
A few practical rules
- Rotate your stock so the oldest wax melts sit at the front of your collection and get used first.
- Store them flat if possible, in an airtight container.
- Keep them in a dark place, away from direct sunlight.
- Keep them out of reach of children and pets.
- Avoid mixing different scents together.
By following these tips, you’ll get the most out of your scented wax melts and preserve their quality and fragrance for the best possible results.
Using your homemade scented wax melts
To enjoy their fragrance to the full, we recommend waiting 48 to 72 hours before using them.
You’ll need a fragrance burner and a tealight. Place the wax melt on top of the burner and the tealight underneath. Once the tealight is lit, its heat will melt the wax and release its delicious fragrance into your home. A wax melt can be reused several times, so it lasts a good while.
Unlike scented candles, the wax in a wax melt isn’t consumed, because it never comes into direct contact with a flame. Once the fragrance has completely faded, it’s time to replace the wax melt.
Here are two simple ways to do it:
- Soak up the liquid wax with kitchen paper, taking care not to burn yourself
- If the wax has set, use a knife or spoon to prise out the wax melt. To make this easier, you can put the burner in the freezer for about 15 minutes, so the wax pops out easily.
Conclusion
In short, scented wax melts are a wonderful alternative to traditional candles for bringing a touch of softness and freshness to your home. With our homemade scented wax melt recipes, you can easily create your own scented melts using natural, eco-friendly ingredients.
By following our storage and usage tips, you’ll make the most of the beauty and captivating scent of your creations. Don’t hesitate to experiment with different fragrances and dyes to personalise your wax melts to suit your taste and style.
Over to you: let your creativity run free and turn your home into a truly fragrant cocoon!
