Can candles sweat?
Whether you are a candle lover or a professional candle maker, you have probably already noticed that your candles sometimes form moisture beads on the surface. This phenomenon, known as “candle sweating”, may seem confusing at first glance. Why should a candle, a seemingly dry and solid object, start to sweat?
The cause lies in the expansion and contraction of the wax crystals, which can push the oil out of the wax body, making it visible on the surface. In this blog post, we look at the reasons why candles sweat, examine how it affects your candles, and discuss how it can be prevented.
Why do candles sweat?
There are many reasons why a candle can show moisture or liquid droplets on the surface. Firstly, it may simply be because too much fragrance or essential oil has been mixed into the wax. The amount of fragrance or essential oil that a wax can absorb varies.
Secondly, sweating can be a characteristic of the wax itself. Many plant-based waxes, especially soy wax and coconut wax, are known to sweat.
Thirdly, this can also happen if the oil is added when the wax is too cold or if the wax/oil is not mixed properly. In this case, wax and oil do not form a homogeneous mixture and the fragrance is distributed differently throughout the candle.
Finally, if you use fragrances/essential oils that are not suitable for candles, it is very likely that the oils will not mix properly with the wax components and insoluble particles will form.
NOTE: Sweating often does not affect the performance or quality of the candle.
How Can Sweating Be Prevented?
Reduce the amount of fragrance oil
For most of our waxes, we recommend limiting the fragrance load to 6–10%. Experimenting and testing are key to finding the optimal amount.
Use high-quality fragrance oils designed for candles
For a first-class candle experience, it is important to use high-quality fragrance oils. The candle fragrances we offer have been specifically developed and tested for candle making.
Change the wax blend
Some natural waxes are more prone to sweating. In these cases, you can try adding a small amount of paraffin wax to improve stability.
Store candles correctly
In general, we recommend storing candles at a temperature between 18 °C and 25 °C in a dry place away from direct sunlight.
What should you do if candles are sweating?
You have poured candles and noticed that they start sweating shortly after cooling? You can use a heat gun to gently remelt the wax so that it cools down again with a smooth, oil-free surface. Alternatively, you can mix the wax a little more thoroughly and pour a thin new layer over the surface.
If your candle continues to sweat, you can carefully dab the surface with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
We hope these tips are helpful! Do you have any further questions? Send us an email at support@distrebution.com or contact us via Instagram DM!
Content: 0.01 Kilogram (€798.00 / 1 Kilogram)
