How Much Fragrance Oil per Pound of Wax? A Simple Conversion Chart
The standard fragrance load for soy wax is 6-10% of the wax's weight. Here's what that works out to in actual ounces, so you don't have to do the math while your wax is cooling.
At 6% (light scent, common minimum): 1 lb (16 oz) of wax needs about 0.96 oz of fragrance oil - round to roughly 1 oz.
At 8% (a common middle-ground default): 1 lb of wax needs about 1.28 oz of fragrance oil.
At 10% (maximum recommended load for soy wax): 1 lb of wax needs about 1.6 oz of fragrance oil.
For larger batches, the ratio scales linearly: 5 lbs of wax at 8% load needs about 6.4 oz of fragrance oil; 10 lbs at 8% needs about 12.8 oz.
A kitchen scale that measures in ounces (or grams, if you prefer - 1 lb is roughly 454 g) makes this far more accurate than measuring fragrance oil by volume, since oils vary in density. Weigh both the wax and the fragrance oil rather than eyeballing it, especially once you're trying to reproduce a batch you liked.
Going above 10% doesn't reliably translate into a stronger-smelling candle - it more often shows up as oil pooling on the surface and a rougher burn. If a candle still smells weak at 10%, the fix is usually a longer cure time or a different fragrance oil, not more of the same oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I measure fragrance oil by weight or volume?
By weight. Fragrance oils vary in density, so a fluid ounce isn't the same amount as a weighed ounce across different oils. A kitchen scale gives you a consistent, repeatable result.
Is a higher fragrance load always a stronger scent?
No - past about 10% for soy wax, the wax typically can't fully absorb the oil, which tends to show up as pooling on the surface rather than a stronger throw. If a candle isn't smelling strong enough, curing time and fragrance choice usually matter more than adding extra oil.
