Have you ever noticed tiny droplets forming on the outside of your candle? This phenomenon, known as “candle sweating,” might leave you wondering if your candle is defective. But fear not, it’s a common occurrence with a simple explanation!
What is Candle Sweating?
Candle sweating is the formation of oil droplets on the surface of a candle. These droplets typically appear when a candle is exposed to sudden temperature changes or high humidity. It is more common in vegetable-based waxes like soy or coconut, with a fairly low melting point.
What Causes Candle Sweating?
Wax and oils don’t mix, and when the candle wax starts freezing, the oil molecules will get trapped inside it, rather than getting blended with the wax. So, if any of the following things were to happen, your candle could sweat.
- Too little stirring
- Environment temperature fluctuations
- Wrong pouring temperature
- Excessive humidity
- Too much oil
Too little stirring
When the oils were poured inside the hot wax, not enough time was given to stirring. At least two whole minutes of gentle stirring should be done.
Environment temperature fluctuations
The candle was left in a space that had constant temperature changes. These fluctuations are what cause the candle to start sweating and releasing the oils.
Wrong pouring temperature
The oils were poured into the wax at the wrong pouring temperature, probably too low. This doesn’t allow the oils to blend well with the wax. If you are not sure what pouring temperature is best, then you can always check out our online candle making class for recommendations.
Excessive humidity
High humidity levels in a space can contribute to your candle sweating. The moisture in the air will interact with the candle wax and form droplets on the surface.
Too much oil
You added too much fragrance oil into your wax, and the excess can’t get trapped inside the wax, so it works its way outside and to the surace.
How to Fix Candle Sweating?
To fix candle sweating, you have to first address the cause. Depending on the situation that your candle was in, you can do any of the following:
- Leave your candle in a room with a controlled temperature.
- Stir for at least 2 minutes.
- Change the pouring temperature of the oils.
- Decrease your fragrance load.
- Dab your candle surface with a paper towel.
- Do nothing.
Leave your candle in a room with a controlled temperature.
If your space has constant temperature changes and high humidity then you need to control that. Based on my tests, I would recommend a room with a temperature anywhere between 22 to 24 degrees Celcius, which would be ideal.
Keep your candles away from direct sunlight, and make sure your air conditioning doesn’t have any moisture issues in case you plan to have it on.
Stir for at least 2 minutes.
When you pour the fragrance oils into the wax, you have to constantly, and gently stir both together for two minutes straight at least. Do it gently though to prevent any air bubbles.
Change the pouring temperature of the oils.
Try increasing the temperature of the wax before you pour your oils in. Anywhere between 80 and 85 degrees Celcius is ideal depending on the type of wax you are using obviously. Just make sure that the temperature of the wax is less than the oil’s flash point. If you pour above the flash point, then you will probably end up with a candle that has a weak scent throw.
Decrease your fragrance load
A high fragrance load can easily contribute to sweating. It is always recommended to follow the wax manufacturer’s recommendations on the amount of oil that should be added to the wax. Anywhere between 6 to 12% is fine, depending on the type of wax you are using.
I would start with the minimum that the wax can handle, and work my way up until I am satisfied with the results.
Dab your candle surface with a paper towel.
Sometimes, the solution is to only dab the surface of the candle with a paper towel.
Do nothing.
If your candle is in its early stages of curing, sometimes you don’t have to do anything. As the candle starts curing and cooling even further, the oil droplets will naturally work their way back into the wax.
Conclusion
Candle sweating is a natural behavior of vegetable-based waxes and it shouldn’t bother you so much. Just try to follow the above recommendations that I suggested, and keep all the points in your head to prevent your candle from sweating.
