Fragrance Load Calculator for Candles (% of Wax or % of Total)

The two ways to say “10%”

Fragrance load is the amount of fragrance oil in a candle, written as a percentage. The confusion is in what it is a percentage of. Most US candle suppliers, including CandleScience, Lone Star and Candles Molds, mean a percentage of the wax weight. For a pound of wax at 10%, you add 1.6 oz of oil and end up with 17.6 oz of candle.

Other tools, including Craftybase and many European recipes, mean a percentage of the finished candle. At 10% of total, a 16 oz candle has 1.6 oz of oil and 14.4 oz of wax. The difference looks small, but it shifts with the load, and it decides whether you are inside your wax’s limit.

% of wax	Same as % of total	Oil per lb of wax
6%	5.66%	0.96 oz
7%	6.54%	1.12 oz
8%	7.41%	1.28 oz
9%	8.26%	1.44 oz
10%	9.09%	1.60 oz
11%	9.91%	1.76 oz
12%	10.71%	1.92 oz

The conversion is simple: to go from % of wax to % of total, divide the load by one plus the load. To go the other way, divide by one minus the load. You do not need to remember that; the result above shows both.

Why the limit check matters

Every wax has a point where it stops holding oil. Past it, oil can pool on top, sweat through the surface or make the flame tunnel and smoke. Suppliers publish a maximum for each wax, but they do not always agree. Pick your wax and the calculator compares your load, converted to % of wax, with every published figure we have. Inside all of them, it says so. Inside some and over others, it tells you to check your own supplier. Over all of them, it warns you.

We keep the underlying numbers on the wax specs page with links to each source, so you can see exactly who says what.

Picking a load to start with

A published maximum is a ceiling, not a target. Many experienced makers start testing around 6 to 8% and only go higher if a scent is weak after a full cure. Some oils, especially heavy vanillas and some essential oil blends, smell strong at low loads and can cause soot at high ones. Others are light and need more.

A cheap test

Pour three small test jars of the same scent at 6%, 8% and 10%, wick them the same, cure them together and burn them on the same day in the same room. You will learn more from that than from any chart.

Ounces per pound

Many suppliers and older recipes skip percentages and say “1 oz per pound” or “1.5 oz per pound”. Since a pound is 16 ounces, 1 oz per pound is 6.25% of wax, and 1.6 oz per pound is 10%. The result line “ounces per pound of wax” lets you compare against those recipes directly.

Weigh, don’t pour by eye

Fragrance oils are thick and differ in density, so a fluid ounce of one oil does not weigh the same as another. A scale that reads to a gram or better is the single most useful tool for consistent candles. Put the cup on the scale, tare it, and pour the oil until it reads the number above.

Read our guides

Fragrance load, explained without the arguingWhat “10% fragrance” actually means, why two calculators can give you different oil amounts for the same number, and how to choose a load to test.Five things people get wrong about wax meltsWax melts look simple, which is why the same mistakes keep coming up: fragrance load, wax choice, measuring clamshells, curing and labels.

Questions makers ask

How much fragrance oil per pound of wax?

At 6% it is 0.96 oz per pound, at 8% it is 1.28 oz, and at 10% it is 1.6 oz. Those are percent of wax weight, which is how most US suppliers state loads. Many makers say “1 oz per pound” as shorthand for about 6.25%.

Is a higher fragrance load always stronger?

No. Every wax can only bind so much oil. Past that point the extra seeps to the surface or the candle burns poorly, and the scent throw often does not improve. A properly sized wick and a full cure usually matter more than going from 9% to 12%.

What does % of total mean?

The oil as a share of the finished candle, wax plus oil. 10% of total means 10 g of oil in every 100 g of candle, which is 11.1% of the wax. Craftybase and some European guides use this. Most US suppliers use % of wax.

Can I measure fragrance oil by volume?

Weigh it. Fragrance oils differ in density, so a fluid ounce of one oil does not weigh the same as another. Every load in this calculator is by weight.

What is the maximum fragrance load for soy wax?

It depends on the wax, and suppliers do not always agree. Golden Brands 464 is listed at 10% by most shops but 7–9% by Lone Star; Cargill says 6% for C-3 without additives. See the wax specs page for the full comparison.

When do I add the fragrance?

At the add-oil temperature your wax supplier gives, usually 180–185°F for many soy and paraffin blends, then stir for about two minutes before cooling to pour temperature.

Sources we checked

Numbers last checked 2026-10-21. How we check them. If your supplier says something different, tell us.