Wax melts are a fabulous way to freshen up the smells of your home or office for long periods of time, making them one of the most popular ways to add fragrance to any space. But do these little cubes ever lose their scent?
Wax melts will lose their scent over time. The smell can start to fade while sitting in an opened container, unused for a prolonged amount of time, or, the fragrance will begin to dissipate within around 8 hours of melting on a burner.
Wax melts are a fantastic way to add a little ambiance to any space and improve the mood of your environment, so knowing how to keep the smell lasting as long as possible is something every user needs to know.
Do Wax Melts Lose Their Scent?
With time, unused wax melts will lose their scent, especially when they are not stored in the proper conditions. Most labels state, that the best way to store your wax cubes is to place them in a dry, cool, and dark location; doing this will keep them from melting and ensure the fragrance doesn’t escape.
How Long Can You Store Wax Melts Before they Lose Their Scent?
With many brands, you should have about a year or so to use your wax melts before the loss of a strong aroma should be of concern. Kept in proper storage conditions, and unopened, they can possibly go even longer.
If you have a package of melts that are already opened but haven’t been used in some time, you might notice that the scent isn’t as strong as when you first purchased it. Regardless, they should still offer some source of fragrance once they begin to melt.
How Long Does it Take for Wax Melts to Lose Their Scent When Melted?
Typically, a one-ounce wax melt will lose its fragrance within 8-12 hours, depending on the scent, brand, and what it is made from. However, you will probably start to notice the scent fading within 5-6 hours after you first place it on the melter.
Some wax melt brands we tried will slowly lose their scent before eventually requiring to be emptied and another one plopped in. On the other hand, some products we have put to the test will slowly lose it scent as it begins to evaporate. Once the entire melt is gone, that’s when a new one must be added.
What Are Some Reasons For Wax Melts to Lose Their Scent Quicker than Normal?
We know all too well how frustrating it can be when you purchase a new package of wax melts that we just loved, only to have them burn up within hours of use, requiring a new cube to be placed in the melter, again and again, to keep the room smelling great.
One of the biggest reasons we have found that causes this issue is the type of melter we use. It seems like the hotter the device gets, the quicker the wax melts, and the quicker the scent fades away.
So, if you were to try melting your wax cubes on a potpourri burner, chances are high, that the scent will dissipate much quicker than if you were to use a tealight candle under a glass bowl.
The best way to get the maximum results with your wax melts is to burn them in the device recommended by the manufacturer, which is usually listed on the product’s label.
How Can I Make My Wax Melts Scent Last Longer?
Anyone that uses a wax burner to freshen up the scent of their home, office, or any other space always wants to know how to keep the smell lasting longer.
Since there were so many suggestions out there, we put many of them to the test, and here is what we came up with.
- Burn your wax melts on a low setting
- Clean your wax burner often
- Mix up the smells you burn so your senses don’t become “used to” them
- Only burn the wax cubes for a set period of time
- Don’t burn your wax melts while you are cooking, burning candles, or doing anything else that produces a strong aroma.
Sometimes the best way to ensure your wax melts will last a long time is by buying popular, reputable, and quality brands.
How Much Fragrance Oils Are in One Wax Melt?
The amount of fragrance in a wax melt will determine how strong the product’s scent is and how long the melt will last. The average fragrance vs wax in a one-ounce wax melt is about 10% with some brands even adding upwards of 12% per cube. This is stronger than most candles we have tested.
Which Wax Melts Give Off a Scent Longest?
Although soy wax is cheaper and most commonly used in many of the wax melts you find on the market today, it turns out beeswax will last a considerable amount of time longer.
Beeswax is harder than soy wax, allowing it to hold fragrance longer and burn for a considerable length of time. So, even though you might save yourself a couple of bucks buying a pack of soy wax melts, you will end up needing more of them to keep your space smelling great.
Do Wax Melts or Tarts Scents Last Longer?
Although they go by different names, wax melts and wax tarts are pretty much the same things. The only actual difference is their designs.
Wax cubes are more often than not called wax melts, whereas wax molded into different shapes and designs (like paw prints, holiday decor, etc.) are referred to as tarts.
Both of the products can be made from the exact same materials and have the same smells, colors, and burn time.
Why Do HomeMade Wax Melts Lose Scent Quickly?
Not all wax melts made from a person’s kitchen will lose their scent quickly. However, we have purchased our fair share of these DIY products and found many of them defiantly stop smelling strong faster than those we purchased from the store.
One of the more common reasons wax melts made by hand will lose their aroma within a few short hours has a lot to do with the wax melting phase of the process.
If a fragrance is added to the melted wax too soon or when the wax is melted at an extremely high temperature, the scent can dissipate right then and there, leaving a fainter scent once the wax has hardened.
Do Wax Melts Scents Last Longer Than Candles?
This is a tricky question to answer since many factors come into play. One of the biggest deciding factors is the size of the candle you are burning.
All in all, a wax melts scent will probably last longer than that of a candle simply because the wax melt is a tiny cube that can emit a strong smell for hours. While a candle can burn for the same length of time, you won’t get a candle the size of a one-ounce cube to burn anywhere near 8 hours, let alone last longer than that.
Do Wax Melts Expire?
When we think of a product expiring, we picture mold, mildew, and shape transformation. None of which apply to wax melts sitting around for multiple years.
While these fragrant cubes can lose their smell over time, they do not technically ever expire.
