When it comes to enjoyable scents wafting across the room, there are two kinds of people – fans of candles and essential oil diffuser fans. Somewhere in the middle, there are those in love with both ideas and would be the happiest if they could use essential oils in candle making.
Although aromatic candles will always be a burning flame that creates an aroma and never a machine, you can still have a candle that will create that adorable essential oil smell. On top of it, diving into this kind of DIY project will get you a candle that is much healthier than anything you find on the market.
How are candles made?
Industrial candles use all kinds of toxins that are not healthy, which is why lots of people decide to create their own. A standard candle is too easy to be made – all you need is soy wax, which is the healthiest option, and a wick.
However, to improve quality, smell intensity, and durability, big companies often add toxins inside that are not healthy. When the candles are lit, they release these toxic particles in the air, and we breathe them, which is why it’s much wiser to make your own candles that will be perfectly healthy.
If you love the scent of essential oils, you can mix both and get essential oil candles that provide your favorite smell. If you want to know how to do it, just follow the steps below, and make one in a matter of minutes. See how it is done!
How to make your own essential oil-based candle?
As we mentioned, to create one yourself, you need nothing more than soy wax and a wick. Both can be bought in a specialized store or ordered off the internet. Just go through Amazon or eBay, and you’ll easily find these items.
Soy wax comes in a box and is a hard substance. It looks and feels just like a pilled candle, or as the ingredient that you can feel on your hand after the oil of the melted candle cools off. You basically get a bag of soy wax scraps.
Get an appropriate container
The first thing you need to do is find an appropriate container for the candle. You might see candles without containers in stores, but they are made industrially and with a special technique that lets the wax cool off in a mold, just to be taken out of it and sold. This is the most affordable way for them, which means they are without containers because it provides the most profit.
What you want to do is find a glass jar, glass, or something else that will withstand the heat from the wax. Don’t worry. This is not a baking oven; the heat will be between 115 and 154 degrees, which is the melting point of the wax. Make sure it’s not a paper cup or light plastic – everything else will be just fine.
Prepare the wick in the middle of the container
The wick is essential for the candle to burn properly. You want it to be in the middle of the candle, so make sure you find something that will hold it this way after pouring in the liquid wax. Some people use a specialized wick-centering tool, but you don’t have to spend money on this, as anything can do.
After all, you can hold it with your hand for a while after pouring the wax into the container. The choice is yours, but whatever you decide, make sure the wick is centered properly. If it isn’t, the candle won’t melt proportionally. If the wick is more aligned on one side, only this side of the candle will melt, leaving the rest untouched.
Make sure you have enough wick length. You want it to go way over the container, so the wick isn’t completely drowned inside when you pour the liquid. It needs to stay up and above the surface. You’ll cut the excess of it later.
Melt the wax in a different container
Take the wax out of the bag and put it in another container to melt it. Use your microwave or another heat source, but make sure that you apply just enough heat to melt it. Don’t start boiling the stuff. Once you see it all melted and gain liquid form, it means it is ready.
Add the essential oil of your choice
This is the moment when you can use essential oils in candle making. Add the essential oil in the melted wax liquid and steer until it is well mixed. There shouldn’t be a difference between the wax and the essential oil – everything needs to be one whole. How much oil you need depends on your wishes to get a more pungent scent and the amount of wax you’re using.
Here you will read the benefits of the essential oils and aromatherapy, and their affect on the brain.
Crucial information about exposing essential oils to heat
In the essential oil industry, there’s a term called flashpoint, which refers to the ability of oils to withstand heat. The higher the flash point they have, the more heat they can take without losing their properties.
Every essential oil has this information written on the bottle or somewhere on the internet, so check out what you’re using before mixing with the wax. The flashpoint is measured in Fahrenheit degrees, so when you’re using one for adding into melted candle was, make sure their flash points are as high as possible.
If you use essential oils with a lower flashpoint, you need to wait for the wax to cool off a little. This way, you’re practically preventing the hot wax from destroying the properties of the essential oil. If you ignore this and put just anything inside, you might get an ordinary candle and lose all essential oil properties.
Wait for the wax to cool completely and enjoy
The final step is to let the container cool off completely. Some people prefer putting it in the freezer, and others just let it naturally cool off over the night. No matter what you choose, only use the candle after this is done. When it reaches room temperature, cut the excess wick, light the candle, and enjoy yourself.
I genuinely hope that this article helps you realize how to use essential oils in candle making. However, if you don’t want to make your aromatic candle, you can always purchase it online. But keep in mind to search for 100% soy wax and 100% pure essential oils.
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