How do I calculate fragrance load for candles?

Fragrance load is a percentage of the total batch mass. For a 500 g batch at 8% load: 500 × 0.08 = 40 g of fragrance oil and 460 g of wax. Most container candles use 6–10%.

Is a higher fragrance load always allowed?

No. The legal ceiling is per-fragrance and per-product-category, published in each fragrance’s IFRA certificate. A typical craft load can still exceed a specific fragrance’s IFRA maximum for your category — always check the fragrance’s own IFRA table.

What IFRA category is my product?

Candles, wax melts, diffusers and room sprays fall under Category 12; bar soap under Category 9; body lotion under 5A; fine fragrance under 4; lip products under Category 1 (the strictest).

Fragrance load calculator

Enter your batch size and target fragrance load — get the exact grams of fragrance oil and base material, with the IFRA category context for your product type.

Product type

Total batch size (g)

Fragrance load (%)

40 g fragrance oil

460 g base (wax, soap base, …)

8% sits inside the typical 6–10% range makers use for a container candle (IFRA Category 12).

Typical load is not the legal maximum

The ranges above are craft practice — what makers commonly pour. The legal ceiling is per-fragrance: each supplier publishes an IFRA certificate stating the maximum percentage for every product category. A fragrance can be capped well below the typical range for your product. Every fragrance in the Scentral-Park catalog shows its IFRA table — check it, or browse by IFRA category to see only fragrances approved for your application at the level you need.

Embed this calculator

Running a supplier shop or a making blog? Embed the calculator free — keep the attribution link below the frame so your readers can reach the per-fragrance IFRA data behind it:

<iframe src="https://scentral-park.com/embed/load-calculator"
        title="Fragrance Load Calculator" width="100%" height="330"
        style="border:1px solid #ddd; border-radius:6px" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:12px">Calculator by
  <a href="https://scentral-park.com/tools/fragrance-load-calculator">Scentral-Park</a></p>

Worked example

A 500 g container-candle pour at 8% load: 500 × 0.08 = 40 g fragrance oil and 460 g wax. Weigh the oil — volume measures drift with density. Add fragrance at the wax's recommended addition temperature and stir gently for a full minute so it binds before pouring. For the longer version — loads by candle type, saturation limits and wicking — see the candle fragrance load guide.