Candle wax calculator
Candle Wax Calculator
Candle Wax Calculator
Enter your desired finished fill weight per candle. Results include your waste allowance.
How the candle wax calculation works
The calculator starts from the finished mixture you want in each vessel — your fill weight — and works backwards to the raw materials. Because fragrance oil adds weight, your wax is always a little less than the finished fill weight, and your fragrance is the remainder.
Meltmetric defines fragrance load as fragrance oil weight divided by wax weight. At an 8% load, wax is the finished fill divided by 1.08, and fragrance is what's left over.
Why an 8 oz container does not mean 8 oz of wax
Jars are sold by fluid capacity, not by wax weight. An "8 oz" jar holds roughly 8 fluid ounces of liquid, but wax is less dense than water and candles aren't filled to the brim. The reliable way to plan a batch is to weigh the finished mixture you actually pour into one vessel and use that as your fill weight. See our 8 oz candle guide for a worked example.
Wax weight vs finished candle weight
Finished candle weight includes both wax and fragrance oil. Wax weight is only the wax portion. This calculator reports both so you can measure wax and fragrance separately on your scale.
Fragrance load
Fragrance load is the ratio of fragrance oil to wax. Recommended limits vary by wax and by fragrance supplier — always follow your manufacturer's guidance and burn test before selling. Learn more in Candle Fragrance Load Explained.
Waste allowance
A small amount of wax and fragrance is always lost to the sides of your pouring pitcher and thermometer. A 5% waste allowance is a practical default; increase it for small batches or sticky waxes.
Grams vs ounces
Grams give finer resolution and are easier for consistent fragrance loads, which is why many makers weigh in grams even when selling by the ounce. Use the unit toggle on the results to switch instantly — the underlying quantity never changes.
Batch calculations
To scale to a batch, multiply the per-candle fill weight by the number of candles before applying the fragrance load and waste allowance. That is exactly what the calculator above does when you increase the candle count.