For those who just start candle making as a relaxing hobby, the information found on the internet can be overwhelming. There are many questions regarding colouring and making scented candles as well. When it comes to scented candles, there are more ways to achieve the desired fragrance. Therefore, the question is valid whether you can mix fragrance oils and essential oils – so let me explain it to you. But before we can jump to the conclusion with some useful tips and tricks, you need to know the basics.

Essential or fragrance oils?

Let’s start with what a fragrance oil and an essential oil is. Fragrance oils are scented oils – either natural or synthetic - designed to be added to certain products to give them a nice scent. They can be used for candles, soaps or air fresheners. Essential oils on the other hand are extracted from plants through distillation or cold pressing and then mixed with carrier oils. They are used mostly in aromatherapy and as natural scents in cosmetics.

Now let’s see the difference between the two. Essential oils are natural and pure, whereas fragrance oils can be manufactured with artificial – so chemical compounds. Also, while essential oils are the essence of one plant, fragrance oils are made by mixing more scents to create a made-up, unique scent.

After all this information, we can state that essential and fragrance oils can in fact be mixed in your candle making process. It is a great option when you would like to create your own unique scent which lasts even longer. With this method, you can try your creative side to experiment with the different essential and fragrance oils.

Method of mixing essential and fragrance oils

Before getting to the actual process, you should keep something in mind. Even though you can mix different oils, you should know the different scents and essential oils – and what they are mostly used for. For example, lavender is a great option for calming and relaxing, but the citrus scents like lemon, grapefruit or lime are used for boosting your energy. Also, you should know that oils can be categorized into notes, which lets us know how long the certain scent can last. There are three different notes: top, middle and base – the base note will last the longest. Without this knowledge, you might end up with a useless candle. So be sure to do your research beforehand.

To try your scents, you can either use a cotton swab or a piece of paper. You should put a small amount of oils in your cotton or paper and put it in a jar. Repeat the process with two or three more oils and add them all to the same jar. Now you can smell the mixture together. It’s important to give it some time, so don’t decide and throw it away immediately. Rather wait a few hours or even a day – obviously close the jar in the meantime – and smell it again after that. If you feel like, you can add some more oils or even start it all over again.

Adding the oils to the wax

You can also check out our other blog post about the best fragrance oils for soy wax candles if you've found this article helpful.

After finding the perfect mixture, you should add it to your melted wax. For that, it is very important to know when to add it in order to let the oil mix completely with the wax. You should add your oils at 185F then stir constantly for at least five minutes.