Candle Wax Calculator (Wax and Fragrance Oil per Container)
Grams of wax and fragrance oil to pour a container candle, and the total for a batch, from the capacity of the jar, how full it is poured and the fragrance load.
Results
The dashed line marks the value you entered.
What this tool does
Candle makers weigh rather than measure: the container's capacity times the fill level gives a volume, and times the density of the solid wax, about 0.9 g/mL for soy and paraffin and a little more for beeswax, gives the weight to pour. Fragrance load is quoted as a percentage of the wax weight, commonly 6 to 10 %, with the maximum set by the wax supplier, so the oil is taken out of the total rather than added on top. Wax shrinks as it cools, which is why a second small pour is often needed.
Formula
filled mass = capacity × fill × density · wax = mass ÷ (1 + load) · fragrance = wax × load
Variables
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
cv | Capacity of one container | mL |
fp | How full you pour it | % |
wd | Density of the solid wax | g/mL |
fl | Fragrance load (% of the wax weight) | % |
nc | Number of candles | — |
W | Wax per candle | g |
F | Fragrance oil per candle | g |
WT | Wax for the whole batch | kg |
FT | Fragrance oil for the whole batch | g |
Worked example
- Capacity of one container250 mL
- How full you pour it90 %
- Density of the solid wax0.9 g/mL
- Fragrance load (% of the wax weight)8 %
- Number of candles4
- Wax per candle187.5 g
- Fragrance oil per candle15.0 g
- Wax for the whole batch0.75 kg
- Fragrance oil for the whole batch60 g
Limitations
- Density changes with temperature, moisture and composition. Use a value from the supplier's data sheet whenever precision matters.
- The result is an estimate based only on the values you type. Real situations often include factors this calculator does not know about.