The fragrance is similar to music. Each note can contain a variety of scents, and there are three sets of notes that make up one harmony. You must balance the right mix of the base, middle, and top notes to create fragrances.
- Top notes, also known as head notes, make up 15-25% to 25% of the fragrance. These notes are what you will smell first, and tends to evaporate more quickly than other notes.
- These middle notes are also called heart notes and are usually 30-40% of the fragrance.
- Base notes are the foundation of a fragrance’s “staying power”. They typically comprise 40-55%. Without them, the fragrance would quickly evaporate and lack sufficient scent throw.
Some Tips For Scenting
- To fully experience the fragrance notes in candles and other products, you should take three whiffs. After the top notes have evaporated, you may still not smell the middle or base notes.
- After a while, fragrances can blend making it difficult to identify which one is which or how to smell the next. You can avoid olfactory exhaustion by sniffing coffee beans and smelling your arm, clothes, and other fragrances.
- Everyone has a different way of smelling things. One person may not like your favourite perfume, and vice-versa. But that doesn’t make that bad or wrong. It just means that the fragrance isn’t for them. Which is perfectly fine, it’s OK if you also like it.
Scented Candles
Scent “throw”, or the release of fragrance from candles, refers to two types of scent: The “cold” scent is when a candle is left unlit at room temperature and the “hot” smell is when the candle has been lit.
To make candles, you melt the wax at a temperature that is consistent with your preference. Next, add the fragrance to the wax. After the wax has cooled to the desired temperature, mix the fragrance and wax. Before pouring the candle, allow the mixture to cool to a temperature that is comfortable for you.
A key factor in candle-making that influences the scent is the temperature at which the fragrance oil is mixed with the melted wax. The temperature can vary from one fragrance to the next. The fragrance oil will “burn off” if heated too fast. If the temperature drops too low, the fragrance won’t be able to bond with the wax.
Paraffin wax is harder than soy wax. Soy wax will bond better with Christmas fragrance oils for candles, which means you will be able to smell the fragrance from the first flame. Because paraffin molecules are very strong and hard to break down, the fragrance oil may not be evenly distributed within the wax. Some paraffin candles will experience a loss of scent. All fragrance oils will not work well with every type of wax. Therefore, it is important to make sure you are mixing the right fragrance with the correct wax. Lit Up Candle Co. works only with fragrances that have been tested to work well with soy wax. There are two types of candle scents: 1) essential oils or 2) fragrance oils.
Fragrance Oils
Fragrance oils can be made from aromatic ingredients that have been extracted from nature or created using scientific methods. Natural ingredients include essential oils and resins. Synthetic ingredients are artificially manufactured, but can also be found in nature.
Essential Oils
Essential oils can be used in place of fragrance oil. Essential oils can be extracted from the oil from plants.
