← Back to Learn

Candle Making

Learn the fundamentals of candle making through our educational guides on candle waxes, wick selection, fragrance throw, wax-pool formation, tunnelling and common candle-burning problems.

Whether you are learning candle making for the first time or troubleshooting a candle that is not burning as expected, start with our complete Candle Making Guide and then explore the individual

Candle making guide covering waxes, wicks, fragrance throw and wax pools
START HERE

Candle Making Guide

Understand how wax, wick size, wick count, fragrance and wax-pool formation work together to affect the performance of a candle.

Explore the Complete Candle Making Guide
Candle tunnelling in the centre caused by an inadequate melt pool

Why Does a Candle Tunnel in the Centre?

Learn why some candles burn down through the middle while leaving unused wax around the sides, and how wick size and wax-pool formation are connected to tunnelling.

Read Article →
Cold throw vs hot throw in candles comparison

Cold Throw vs Hot Throw in Candles

Understand the difference between the fragrance of an unlit candle and the fragrance released after the candle begins burning.

Read Article →
Why wick size matters in candle making

Why Does Wick Size Matter in Candle Making?

Learn how wick size affects flame size, wax melting, melt-pool formation, tunnelling and overall candle performance.

Read Article →
How to decide the number of wicks for a candle

How Many Wicks Does a Candle Need?

Understand why candle width and melt-pool coverage matter when deciding whether a candle needs one wick or multiple wicks.

Read Article →
Proper candle wax pool around the wick

Why Does a Candle Need a Proper Wax Pool?

Learn what a candle wax pool is and why it matters for even burning, fragrance throw and preventing a hollow centre.

Read Article →
A scented candle can appear weak for several different reasons. The problem is not always that too little fragrance was used. The wax may not have formed a sufficient melt pool, the wick may be unsuitable for the candle's width, or the type of wax itself may give a different fragrance performance. First Check Whether the Candle Has Had Time to Melt A newly lit candle cannot be judged immediately. While the candle is still mostly solid, you may be able to smell it when you bring it close to your nose, but that is its cold throw. Hot throw develops as the candle burns and the wax around the wick becomes liquid. A broad candle may need more time than a narrow candle to develop this melted surface. Look at the Melted Surface If the candle has been burning but only a tiny circle around the wick has melted, that can explain weak aroma. There simply is not much melted wax contributing to the fragrance throw. This is why a fragrance issue can sometimes be a wick issue. A wick that is too small for a broad candle may produce a narrow melt pool and eventually cause the candle to become hollow through the centre. Wax Choice Also Changes Fragrance Performance The workshop compares paraffin, soy and beeswax and notes that they do not all throw fragrance in exactly the same way. Paraffin is described as giving a stronger aroma throw, while soy and beeswax give a more moderate fragrance performance. This is one reason candle makers sometimes consider wax characteristics alongside fragrance when designing a scented candle. Essential Oil and Candle Fragrance Do Not Smell Equally Strong The scent material itself also matters. Essential oils are described in the workshop as giving a subtler, milder aroma. Synthetic candle fragrances generally provide a stronger scent. So a candle made with essential oil should not automatically be expected to smell identical to a candle made with a stronger candle fragrance. Do Not Diagnose Every Weak Candle the Same Way When a candle does not seem fragrant enough, look at the whole product before deciding what is wrong. Ask: Has it formed a useful wax pool? Is the wick suitable for the width? Is the candle tunnelling? What type of wax is being used? Is the scent coming from an essential oil or a stronger candle fragrance? A good scented candle depends on these elements working together. Simply adding more fragrance is not always the correct diagnosis.

Why Is My Scented Candle Not Giving Enough Fragrance?

A weak fragrance is not always caused by the fragrance itself. Learn how the wick, wax pool, wax type and fragrance choice can influence scent performance.

Read Article →
Soy wax vs beeswax vs paraffin wax comparison for candle making

Soy Wax vs Beeswax vs Paraffin Wax

Compare three commonly discussed candle waxes and understand their differences in origin, firmness, fragrance performance and candle applications.

Read Article →
Why ordinary thread or wool should not be used as a candle wick

Why Shouldn't You Use Ordinary Thread or Wool as a Candle Wick?

Learn why a material that catches fire is not automatically suitable as a candle wick and why purpose-made wick material matters.

Read Article →
Normal bioenzyme fermentation compared with a batch showing surface fungus

Why Should You Burn-Test a Candle Before Selling It?

A candle should be burn-tested before you give customers confident information about its burn time and performance.

Read Article →

Want to Learn Candle Making Step by Step?

If you want to move beyond individual concepts and learn candle making through a structured course with practical demonstrations, explore our complete candle-making course.

Explore the Exotic Candles Making Course
Scroll to Top