Candle Wax Calculator
Find how much wax and fragrance oil you need for a batch of container candles.
How to use this candle calculator
Find out how much your container holds by filling it with water up to where the wax will stop (usually about ½ inch below the rim) and pouring that water into a measuring cup. Enter that number in fluid ounces, how many candles you're making, your wax type and your fragrance load: the percentage of fragrance oil compared with the weight of the wax.
Wax is lighter than water, so a jar that holds 8 fl oz of water holds roughly 6.9 oz of soy wax by weight. The calculator handles that conversion and splits the total into wax and fragrance oil.
Fragrance load guide
| Load | Result |
|---|---|
| 6% | Light, subtle scent |
| 8 to 10% | Strong scent for most candles |
| Over 10% | Only if your wax is rated for it. Too much oil can sweat out of the wax or burn poorly. |
Check your wax's maximum fragrance load on the supplier's page. Many soy waxes allow up to 10 or 12%.
The math behind it
- Total fill weight = jar fl oz × 0.86 (0.92 for beeswax) × number of candles.
- Wax = total ÷ (1 + fragrance load).
- Fragrance oil = wax × fragrance load.
Example: twelve 8 fl oz jars of soy wax at 8% fragrance need about 76.4 oz (4.8 lb) of wax and 6.1 oz of fragrance oil.
Often used together
Quick answers
How much wax do I need for an 8 oz candle?
A jar that holds 8 fl oz of water takes about 6.9 oz of soy wax by weight, a little less if you add fragrance, since the oil takes up part of that space.
How many candles does a 10 lb bag of soy wax make?
About 23 candles in 8 fl oz jars without fragrance, or about 25 at 8% fragrance, because the oil fills part of each jar.
Is fragrance load measured by weight or volume?
By weight. Weigh both the wax and the fragrance oil on a kitchen or craft scale for the most consistent candles.