9-page guide · candle calculations, guide 2
Wax calculation methods guide
Fragrance load vs fragrance content — and why the difference matters.
There are two common ways to express a fragrance percentage, and they don't give the same answer. This guide sets both formulas out side by side, works the same 220 g example through each, and shows where makers most often go wrong.
Why these two methods matter
The same percentage can mean different things.
- ✦ Fragrance load = % of wax weight
- ✦ Fragrance content = % of the total finished blend
- ✦ If you confuse them, your wax and oil numbers will be wrong
- ✦ Always label which method you are using
10% load is not the same as 10% content.
Method 1 — fragrance load (% of wax weight)
This is often the most common maker and supplier method.
fragrance oil = wax weight × fragrance load
total blend = wax + fragrance oil
Example: 200 g wax at 10% load = 20 g fragrance oil, so the total blend is 220 g.
Check your wax supplier's recommended maximum fragrance load before you set a percentage.
If you know the final fill weight
When your target is the total finished blend, work out the wax first — use the load formula backwards.
wax = total blend ÷ (1 + fragrance load)
Write the percentage as a decimal, so 10% becomes 0.10.
- · Target total blend = 220 g
- · wax = 220 ÷ 1.10 = 200 g
- · fragrance oil = 200 × 0.10 = 20 g
Don't add fragrance on top of 220 g — 220 g already includes both wax and oil.
Method 2 — fragrance content (% of the total finished blend)
This method treats fragrance as part of the final blend total.
fragrance oil = total blend × fragrance content
wax = total blend − fragrance oil
Example: total blend 220 g at 10% content = 22 g fragrance oil and 198 g wax. The same percentage number gives a different answer depending on the method used.
Load vs content — quick comparison
If the target total blend is 220 g and the percentage is 10%:
200 g wax
+ 20 g fragrance oil
= 220 g
198 g wax
+ 22 g fragrance oil
= 220 g
Same percentage label, different calculation. Always check how your supplier, wax sheet or calculator expresses the percentage.
Common mistakes to avoid
- ✓ Treating 10% load and 10% content as the same thing
- ✓ Adding fragrance on top of a finished total
- ✓ Exceeding the wax supplier’s recommended maximum
- ✓ Assuming more fragrance always means stronger throw
- ✓ Changing wax or fragrance without retesting
Maximum load is a ceiling, not a target.
What to do in practice
- ✓ Check how your wax supplier expresses the percentage
- ✓ Check the current fragrance and wax guidance before making
- ✓ Use one method consistently in recipes and costing
- ✓ Test for performance and safety
- ✓ Record the method, percentage and results
Pick one method, label it, and keep it consistent.
DownloadFree · 9-page guide · PDF
Pour & Track supports both methods — choose fragrance load or fragrance content, enter your percentage and target, and the wax and fragrance amounts calculate automatically.