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• Infuse fresh herbs in melted wax. Heat the wax to pouring
temperature (180°F for most candle waxes), and add strongly scented
herbs such as rosemary, lavender, or lemon verbena. Maintain this
temperature for about 45 minutes, then strain the wax, which will
give off a mild fragrance. Never leave any wax unattended on a
stove or other cooker.
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• Soak the wick in a small amount of essential oil before
placing it in the mold. This will give the candle a very mild
fragrance when lit.
• Add a small amount of essential oil to the wax just before it
is poured: a few drops for a small candle, no more than 1/4
teaspoon for one pound of wax. Stir well to distribute the oil
throughout the wax so that it will not leave spots of
discoloration, then immediately pour it into prepared molds.
Using one or more of these methods will produce a scent that is
seldom overpowering, even for people who are sensitive to
fragrance. Commercial candle scents tend to be much stronger. If
you use one of these, start with about half the amount recommended
on the package to ensure that the fragrance of your finished candle
isn’t overpowering or distracting.
Fragrance is ephemeral. If you’ve added scent to the wax itself
or infused it with fresh herbs, the fragrance on the candle surface
that is exposed to air will dissipate, but the scent within the wax
will be released when the candle burns. Storing a scented candle in
a closed container will prolong its fragrance. An easy way to scent
any finished candle, handmade, store-bought, or one that has lost
its scent over time, is to light it, then add a drop or two of
essential oil to the pool of wax that forms close to the wick. The
flame will diffuse the fragrance.
Give some thought to matching the scent to an appropriate color
so that the effect isn’t jarring. People don’t expect a vanilla
scent, for example, from a green candle. When choosing a fragrance,
take into account the scent of the wax itself. Paraffin, the most
common candle wax, is odorless, but beeswax has a pleasant honey
scent. Herbs blend beautifully with beeswax used alone or combined
with paraffin; if you choose to scent it further, use oils that
complement its natural fragrance and its pale amber color.
PERFUMED CANDLES SET INTO GLASS FIXTURES WERE A
HALLMARK OF UPPER-CLASS HOMES IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY GEORGIAN
ENGLAND.
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