Scent Almanac
Wax melts (tarts & clamshells)
Flameless scented wax tarts and clamshells for an electric or tea-light warmer. Stronger scent than most candles and hard to get wrong.
- Difficulty
- ●○○
- Time
- active 30 min · cure 3–7 days
Safety first
- Never leave melting wax unattended. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Melt wax in a pouring pitcher in a double boiler. Never put wax on direct heat.
- Use a thermometer and stay inside the wax supplier's temperature range.
- If wax catches fire: turn off the heat and smother it with a metal lid or baking soda. NEVER use water, which throws burning wax.
- Handle fragrance oils with gloves and ventilate the room while they're hot.
- Melts look like candy or chocolate. Label every pack 'Not food. Keep away from children and pets.'
- Use a warmer made for wax melts, on a stable heat-proof surface. Never add water to a warmer, and never move a warmer full of hot wax.
Steps
- Weigh the wax and fragrance from the calculator.
- Melt the wax in the double boiler. It melts at 125–135°F (52–57°C). Heat to 185°F (85°C) to add fragrance.
- Off the heat, add the fragrance (and any dye) and stir gently for a full 2 minutes.
- Let it cool to the low end of the 140–160°F (60–71°C) pour range, about 140°F (60°C). Cooler pours frost less.
- Pour into the clamshells or molds and tap them to release air bubbles.
- Let them set at room temperature for several hours before closing the clamshells.
- Label with the scent and the 'Not food' warning, and cure for 3–7 days before use.
- To use, break off a cube or two into the warmer dish. When the scent fades, pop the solid wax out (a few minutes in the freezer helps) and replace it.
Wax14.1 oz
399 g · 14.1 oz
Fragrance oil1.4 oz
40 g · 1.4 oz
Total pour15.5 oz
2.6 oz each
Starting wick#1
Test burn 3 h, then check the melt pool.
- Melt to
- 125–135°F (52–57°C) or a little above
- Add fragrance at
- 185°F (85°C), then stir gently for 2 minutes
- Pour at
- 140–160°F (60–71°C)
- Cure
- 3–7 days before judging the scent throw
Melt about 10% more wax than the total. Some always stays in the pitcher.
If something goes wrong
- Oily beads on the surface
- Too much fragrance for the wax, or it wasn't stirred long enough. Keep to 10% and stir a full 2 minutes at 185°F (85°C).
- Frosting (white crystals on top or sides)
- Natural in soy and vegetable waxes and harmless. Reduce it by pouring at the cooler end of the range, cooling slowly away from drafts, and storing at a steady room temperature.
- Melts crack or break when unmolding
- They cooled too fast or were unmolded too early. Cool at room temperature and wait until they're fully firm.
- Weak scent in the warmer
- Cure the full time, keep the melts sealed, and check the warmer actually melts the wax fully. Some tea-light warmers run too cool.