September 24, 2020

Candles vs Wax Melts, What’s the difference?

By Sinead O'Neill
Candles vs Wax Melts, What’s the difference?

We love fragrance here at This Makes Scents but often get asked about the difference between wax melts and candles and which are better. It basically comes down to personal preference but here’s some things we’ve learned along the way.

Wax melts give a strong burst of fragrance so work really well to fill large rooms or to give you that instant punch of scent. You’ll get between 5 - 8 hours from each nugget of wax, we’ve based our burn time on 5 hours because that’s the strongest scent throw (you’ll get longer though, just a softer scent!). You need a wax melt burner for your melts (check out our bamboo wax melts burners) and we recommend you use the 4 hour light tea light rather an 8 hour, it ensures the oil doesn’t get too hot. Unlike candles, the wax doesn’t evaporate away so once the fragrance is gone, let the wax cool, then simply pop it out of the burner and put a fresh nugget in.

Candles are known to create an atmosphere and provide a cosy feel to a room. This is largely due to the warm glow they produce in addition to the consistent scent throw for the full burn. Everything you need is already there, unlike wax melts you don’t need any other equipment, however you do need to keep the wick trimmed. Candles make a great gift and the jars can be reused, we reuse ours for small succulent plants and cotton buds! 

All our candles and luxury wax melts are made using Soy Wax. Soy Wax comes from soybeans which are renewable, burns for almost 50% longer than paraffin wax and holds a fragrance better - giving you a longer and superior burn. It also provides a cleaner burn, leaving no sooty deposits. This is really important for your health, but even more important if you're pregnant, have kids or pets.

We think there's a place in the home for both, personally we love wax melts after cooking (to get rid of any unwanted smells), in larger living areas or when you just want that burst of scent. Whereas candles create the atmosphere, the scent you choose will set the mood, you can relax with sage or get romantic with rose, you decide!

Whichever you choose, please light responsibly! Keep out of reach of children and pets and don’t touch the glass / burner when it’s hot!