Why Is Oil Pooling on Top of My Candle?

When tiny beads or a film of oil show up on a candle, the fragrance oil has separated from the wax. Makesy calls this sweating, and says the oily residue is the oil coming away from the wax. The usual causes in the pages I read are too much oil, oil that was not bound in properly, and storage that is too warm. The first fix is a lower load and a better mix.

What are the causes?

• Too much fragrance. CandleScience lists too much fragrance as a cause, and House of Scent says to lower the amount if it is above the recommended percentage. Our guide on maximum fragrance load covers the limits.
• Oil added when the wax was too cool. CandleScience says oil added too cool does not bind. Its guide says to add fragrance at 185 degrees F (85 C), stir gently for 2 minutes, then give a quick gentle stir before pouring. Lone Star, for its own waxes, gives 180 degrees F (82 C) and 2 minutes. The numbers differ by wax, so use your wax maker's sheet. See our guide on when to add fragrance oil.
• Poor mixing. House of Scent lists wax and oil that were not mixed properly.
• A warm storage spot. House of Scent lists a hot environment and advises storing candles in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Makesy says sweating can also happen with temperature changes.
• The wax. Makesy says sweating is most common in 100 percent soy candles, and suggests a soy blend or a non-soy wax, which it says hold the load better. I did not find a number for how much better.

How much fragrance is too much?

CandleScience's guide says the vast majority of good oils are quite strong at 6 to 8 percent, and that it does not recommend more than 10 percent. That is advice for the soy wax on its page. Another wax can hold more or less, and suppliers disagree, so find the maximum for your wax on its own tech sheet. Also check what the percent is of: the wax alone, or wax plus oil. See our guide on load as a percent of wax or total.

What do I do about oil that has already pooled?

Makesy says to dab it off the top with a dry paper towel. After that, look at the cause. Lower the load for the next batch, check your add and stir temperatures, and look at where you store finished candles. I did not find a page that says whether it is safe to burn a candle with oil pooled on top. Wipe it off, and burn-test a new batch in your own jar with your own wick and wax before you sell it.

Worked example: cutting the load

You pour 12 lb (5.4 kg) of wax, which is 12 x 16 = 192 oz, into jars that each hold 6 oz of wax. That makes 192 / 6 = 32 candles. Your load is 10 percent of the wax weight and the candles are sweating. The oil price is an example: $1.25 an ounce.

Dropping to 8 percent saves 19.2 - 15.36 = 3.84 oz, or $24.00 - $19.20 = $4.80 a batch, about $0.15 a candle. A lower load costs less. It may also lower the hot throw, so pour a test candle at 8 percent and compare the scent in your own jar before changing the whole batch. Our guide on hot throw covers how to judge it.

Common mistakes

• Raising the load to chase scent when the wax is already full.
• Adding oil too cool, then stirring only for a few seconds.
• Storing finished candles in a hot car or sunny window.
• Changing the load and the add temperature in one batch.
• Taking a supplier's top load as a safe target for your own jar.

Questions

Is oil pooling the same as frosting?

No. Frosting is white crystals in the wax, which CandleScience calls cosmetic. Oil pooling is liquid oil on the surface. See our frosting guide.

Will the candle stop sweating by itself?

Maybe not. Makesy says some sweating comes with temperature changes, so a cool, steady storage spot helps. If it keeps coming back, check the load first.

Does a cure help?

House of Scent suggests curing 24 to 48 hours before burning for a different fault, a wick that goes out, so that is not proof it cures sweating. Our cure guide covers cure times.