Posts Tagged ‘highly scented candles’
Candle Melts
Candle melts are a wonderful way for someone who loves richly scented candles to enjoy them -- when they can't have an open flame.
Many work places, dorm rooms and such prohibit candles with open flames. And although just opening a triple scented jar candle can give great fragrance...what if you want more?
Enter the wonderful world of candle melts!
What Are They?
Some people call these melts flamless candles. Which is rather appropriate, considering no flame is used to spread the scent.
Instead, candle simmer pots are used to release the highly scented wax of the candle melts. The simmer pots use electricity, in the form of a light bulb, to gently heat the wax.
How Are Candle Melts Made?
These scented wonders are made basically the same way you'd make a regular wax candle -- the process is the same. (You can see the how to make candles page if you'd like more information.)
The primary difference is that the melts don't use a wick, and they are made small -- maybe one third to half the size of a votive candle, depending on who makes them.
The Kinds of Wax Used
Since the heat of a light bulb is used to melt the wax, it makes sense that a low melting point candle making wax is used. And since the whole reason for these highly fragranced candles are their scent, a wax that holds a lot of fragrance is a bonus.
In general, natural wax used for container candles is the best choice. These are made from soy or other vegetable waxes, and can hold a high fragrance load -- mush more than a petroleum-based wax like paraffin.
Safety First
Don't put your melts on a stove to heat -- if the heat gets too high, the wax can burst into flames! A simmer pot made specifically for melts, or a simmer pot used for potpourri (that uses no more than a 40-watt light bulb) is safest.
And please -- don't leave your melts unattended while you are warming them! Just as you don't want to leave a burning candle unattended, you don't want your simmer pot on when you aren't around.
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