Wax Warmers - Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy
Get ready to embark on a fragrant adventure with wax melts and wax melt warmers which are of course the new way to amp up the ambiance in your living spaces. Say goodbye to the old-school candles, and let's explore the delights of these flameless wonders that keep it safe and keep the scents varied all year round as well as some charming, cute and cool wax warmers that can fit your interior perfectly. In this article, we're spilling the scented beans on all things wax melt warmers, ensuring you're armed with the full scoop before you dive nose first into the delightful world of Wild Venus to find the best wax melts for warmers.
What is a Wax Warmer?
Wax warmers are available in two general categories, electric wax warmers and candle wax warmers. Both types usually have a bowl which sits at the top of the structure which is gently warmed from underneath. You place your Wild Venus best scented wax melts in the bowl and as they are warmed up, the fragrance that’s been blended into the wax will be released into your room.
I use both electric and ceramic wax warmers in my home including a couple in my office, bathroom, bedroom and kitchen, yes they are everywhere! But enough about me, what about you?
Choosing the Right Wax Warmer for Your Needs
Now there are some awesome wax warmers out there on the market today and I’ll leave a few links to some which I found online for you to check out.
But firstly, in choosing the right wax warmer for you, maybe decide whether you should be looking for a candle wax warmer or a flameless electric wax warmer.
Electric Wax Warmers
The most obvious difference is that this type of wax warmers use electricity to power it. The wax is warmed using a special light bulb. These electric warmers can be quite bright so I’m in the habit of switching my electric melter on in the evening and enjoying a warm glow with a cosy eco friendly wax melt. As these clever devices use electricity, there’s no flame so it's a great choice if you're concerned about wax warmers being safe around your pets and have found yourself wondering ‘can wax warmers catch fire’? As these wax warmers don't need to go anywhere near a fire, it's highly unlikely they’ll catch on fire.
Electric wax warmers also make absolutely fabulous gifts for teenagers and students. I can't tell you how much I wanted to burn essential oils and fragranced candles in my teenage bedroom but I just wasn't allowed (not surprising as I was a really clumsy clutterbug!). An electric wax warmer would have been absolutely magical at that age to allow me to turn my girly den into whatever I felt like just by changing the scent. Similarly, what a beautiful gift to give to someone as they leave home for the first time and into Halls of Residence?
Anyway, I digress…. Another brilliant benefit to having an electric wax melt warmer is the fact that you don't need to go searching for a tea light or a box of matches every time you’re ready to pop in another of your best smelling wax melts!
There’s some really awesome wax warmer designs out there to suit your taste and I have ceramic electric warmers and a really funky wax warmer made of glass which is just so cool as it projects sparkly patterns on the walls. I’ve also seen a lovely, old fashioned wax melt warmer which looks like an old nautical style oil lamp. It’s on my wish list!
From my experience, I think that the scent release from an electric wax warmer is a bit slower than a traditional candle wax warmer and there’s the issue of timing. It’s very easy to leave your wax warmer on all the time as it is like a very fancy lamp. This means that although the scent will be released slower and last longer, you may go through them quicker than a candle wax warmer which typically will be used for 4 hours at a time.
Candle Wax Warmers
Let's now explore the enchanting world of candle wax warmers. As the name suggests, these charming devices harness the power of a candle to melt the scented wax nestled in the dish. In my store, you'll discover an array of cute wax warmers that will bring a calming aesthetic to your wax melt experience.
As many candle wax melters are made out of ceramics, it’ll be much easier to find some more unique wax melt warmers which are of a handmade nature. Check out your local makers markets to find some potters if you’re looking for a more bespoke item. If you can't find that totally unique wax warmer to compliment your home decor, then I guess it’s time to get creative and learn pottery! (It’s very fun and very messy).
Using candle wax warmers does come with more risks than an electric wax warmer does. Needing a flame to warm the wax, there’s always going to be a risk of fire so it’s really important that you take preventative measures such as placing your candle wax warmer on a coaster, making sure it’s out of drafts and out of reach, because although generally using wax melts and wax warmers around pets and children is safe, it’s still best to be careful. Also, we advise to not leave a burning candle unattended at any time.
Wax Warmer Melts Versus Candles
Candles are a multi billion pound business so is there really a need for wax melts? Well, yes I think there’s definitely a place for them in our lives and here’s why.
Why do we use candles? What’s the allure of a good scented candle?
What kinda style am I?
Well I think first and foremost it's the visual effect of a candle, is it in a glossy glass jar, has a bamboo lid? Maybe you like the rustic label style or maybe you’re into a more minimalist appearance? Basically - a candle talks to us stylistically, whatever our tastes are at that particular moment, a well crafted candle confirms who we are and what we like, they can even be aspirational in showing the kind of person we want to be! A candle only lasts 30, 40, 50 hours maybe, so as our style is ever evolving and we like shiny new things, it’s perfectly acceptable to treat yourself to a new stylish candle every pay day.
When using a wax warmer to scent your home then you don’t have that serotonin boost of buying something new, you have the longer term investment of buying your wax warmer whether it's an electric or candle wax warmer, made of ceramic or glass. You can choose yourself a real statement piece for your ceramic wax warmer if you find something handmade and similarly, there are show-stopping glass wax warmers made to razzle and dazzle!
Do you want the strongest scent possible?
When making candles, there’s only so much fragrance oil you can put in the wax and the average is at around 7% fragrance oil to 93% wax ratio.
Wax melts however can tolerate a much higher percentage of fragrance oil and most of Wild Venus' soy wax melts have a minimum of 10% fragrance oil in them. There’s a couple of fragrances which are far too strong at that level but other than these exceptions (Snow Freya is one of those ones), a lot of wax melt businesses will create their recipes at around the 9-10% ratio. On the other hand, I also have a couple of lighter scents - most notably the floral perfume and delicate types which I include in my wax melts at 12% (Princess, 1881 and Daisy)
This means that your wax melt is most likely going to produce a stronger scent than your candle can. Additionally, as the wax and the scent is gently warmed, the fragrance will evaporate at a slower rate than a candle which has a flame directly in the wax and will burn off the fragrance quicker. If you like using container candles you might also notice that as the candle burns down lower in the jar, you’ll find it harder to smell the fragrance - that's because the scent is getting trapped inside the candle container.
How many different fragrances are there for candles and wax melts?
This is really where wax melts triumph.
Although very large candle companies such as Yankee Candles are able to produce a wide variety of scents, you're far less likely to find good quality natural wax candles made in such a wide range of scents. This is for a few reasons but speaking from my experience, it's very costly to create and test candles, they have higher production costs plus they take up much more storage space than wax melts.
Wax melts on the other hand are much easier, faster and cheaper to test if the fragrance is a good fit for a wax melt. So for this reason, you're bound to find a much bigger selection of wax melts made by small independent companies such as Wild Venus.
Not only is the selection of wax melt fragrances going to be much bigger than candles but you’ll probably be able to find some really unusual wax melt scents. Three of our most recent wax melts that come to mind here are The Fortune Teller, Inky Night Skies and Spiced Saffron and Mandarin. These three are absolutely stunning and all so different from anything else I've smelt before!
Some people even like to experiment with making their own totally unique wax melt fragrances by mixing them together in the wax melter bowl!
How much time do you have?
Depending on who you are, what you're doing and the mood you're trying to create you might be swayed to one over the other and here's why.
When using a candle you have to allow the candle to burn long enough to reach a full melt pool for the scent to start to really fill the room, this could be an hour or more with some candles until you can get the fragrance properly circulating your space.
With a wax melt, its much quicker to scent your room as you have to wait for the chunk of soy wax to melt. In my candle wax burner, this takes around 7 minutes and then in my electric warmer, it takes around 5 minutes although of course these times will vary.
With candles, you light it up, let it burn, create the mood, make a moment. There’s no denying it but candles are pretty sexy, that flickering flame, the soft glow, the ambiance. There’s also something about a candle which invites relaxation. It’s as if by lighting that wick, you know it’s going to take time and it’s time to settle in for the night, and chill.
Wax warmers on the other hand still offer that alluring flicker of a flame or glow of a lamp, but they are just so much quicker to kick into action. You might have noticed with a candle the scent tends to accumulate the longer it’s been going as the flame melts the wax slowly.
Wax melters however let your best scented wax melt reach that optimum melting temperature within minutes and fill your room with delicious scents almost immediately. Another big difference is that you can use your wax melt for as little or as long as you like, with a candle, it’s recommended to allow the melt pool reach the sides of the glass. This could be hours! If you blow out the candle before it's had a chance to get into the groove, then unfortunately you run the risk of the candle tunnelling and not burning properly the next time you use it.
And I think that concludes the chapter on candles vs wax melt burners.
Using Essential Oils with Your Wax Warmer
I often get asked whether you can use an oil burner to use a wax melt and can you use a wax warmer for your essential oils. In theory, yes you can, however I want to point out that oil burners are slightly different to wax warmers.
Oil burners tend to be much smaller than wax warmers with the oil well a lot closer to the source of the heat meaning that the water and the oil will evaporate at a quicker and faster rate. With wax warmers, the well or dish warms at a slower rate so the fragrance evaporates slower.
If you put your strongly scented wax melt from Wild Venus in an oil burner, you may see the fragrance vapours as they evaporate out of the oil burner! As the essential oil burner is hotter, your wax melt scent will be burned off faster and will be stronger but also won't last as long.
You can totally try to use essential oils in your wax warmer, make sure that all of the wax has been cleaned out first. It may be that your wax warmer device isn't hot enough for the essential oils but you can certainly try it out.
Keep Your Wax Warmer Looking and Smelling Fresh
A common question that I get asked often is ‘does the wax melt evaporate?’
As I mentioned above, when using an oil burner for wax melts, you might see the fragrance vapours evaporating. That’s only the fragrance oil and not actually the wax. Unlike a candle which burns off the wax, wax melts don’t evaporate at all so what do we do with the wax and how to clean our wax warmers out?
Let's start with how I clean my wax warmers.
I turn on my warmer and wait until I can see that the edges of the wax melt has begun to soften. Then I’m able to take a piece of tissue and scoop the whole of the wax melt out.
With my ceramic candle wax melt burners, I do a similar thing, first I light the tea light and wait until the wax has become soft enough to slide it out of the wax melt well.
Once I’ve scooped the main chunk of wax out, I can take a tissue or piece of cotton wool to wipe around the inside of the well and remove any last drops of waxy oil or bits that might be stuck on such as botanical details or glitter.
If you’ve managed to drip wax all down your beautiful wax warmer then I have a couple of tips on how to remove as I have done this often!
Be extra cautious if using this method:
- Pick off the big drips first if you can as this will make the second step much easier.
- Using a hairdryer to heat or a long handled lighter, wave the hairdryer/flame around the piece of wax that you want to clean off of your wax melt device.
- When you see the soy wax begin to melt, remove the flame and quickly wipe over it with a piece of kitchen roll, tissue or cotton wool.
How not to clean your wax warmer
There was a time when standard advice to get your wax out of your wax warmer was to put it in the freezer and then chip out the solid wax. This idea seems totally crazy to me, doing this could be potentially damaging to your wax melter.
Essential Tips for Using Your Wax Warmer
It’s really important to think about the kind of environment you’ll be placing your wax warmer in and the kind of safety aspects you should be considering.
Once you’ve decided whether you’d like an electric or a traditional candle wax warmer and you’ve purchased your perfect wax warmer then there’s a few rules to follow to help keep you and those around you safe.
- Keep out of reach of children and vulnerable people.
- Keep away from pets.
- Never leave a candle burning unattended.
- Place on a coaster/heat resistant surface.
- Keep out of drafts.
- Keep away from flammable materials (especially if using a traditional candle wax warmer)
- Regularly check the condition of your wax warmer, if chipped, consider getting a new one.
Lastly - learn from my mistakes, don't pick up a wax warmer when the wax is liquid. and then continue to walk somewhere with the melted wax sloshing around. Don't blow out a wax warmer candle when the wax is liquid unless you'd like to blow your melted wax all over the place too.
Eco-friendly Wax and Melt Options
Wild Venus is happy to tell you that we use soy waxes as we think that this is the best wax for wax melts. Soy wax is considered an eco-friendly wax. Not only is it an all natural, plant derived wax but it has minimal environmental impact. Soy wax is made entirely from soy beans and as it’s a natural byproduct, it is completely biodegradable and a renewable source, so what’s not to like? It also has a low melting temperature which makes it ideal for using in your low energy electric wax warmers as well as 'scentsy' burners. It’s literally the best wax for wax melts!
Although Wild Venus only uses eco-friendly soy wax in our wax melts and candles, there’s other eco-friendly waxes available and maybe in the future we’ll look at using some of those other options such as coconut wax, palm wax or rapeseed wax as these are all from natural and renewable sources.
Paraffin is the most popular wax used and you’re most likely to see this type of wax used in mass produced candles and wax melts. This is because it’s much easier to work with as it produces more consistent results. It's also lot cheaper to use paraffin than natural waxes. Even those extremely expensive designer candles like Jo Malone or Diptyque.
Paraffin isn’t considered an environmentally friendly wax as it comes from a non-renewable source such as coal. There’s also been lots of studies which suggest that burning paraffin wax can be harmful to you by emitting carcinogens into the air - this is especially a problem with a badly made candle which produces a lot of smoke or soot.
Not only will you get a cleaner burn with your Wild Venus eco-friendly soy wax melts, but these melts are just so much better for the environment and of course their top quality as each one is made by hand.
Popular Wax Melt Scents
Choosing a wax melt scent is such a personal choice that it’s always tough to say what the best wax melt scents are for you, but after making and selling wax melts since 2020 I’ve heard a lot of opinions about the best scents and the worst scents!
With Wild Venus, we encourage you to select a few of our handmade soy wax melts so that you can change the scent and atmosphere of a room in minutes. With our 5 for £10 offer you can definitely find a scent for every occasion.
So here’s my pick of the best selling wax melts you can find at Wild Venus depending on what kind of mood you’re in.
Best wax melts for a neutral background scent.
Creamy Vanilla
In my opinion you can't beat a classic creamy vanilla fragrance. This vanilla scented soy wax melt is extremely long lasting as the wax has a huge fragrance load of 10%. Not only is our vanilla wax melt strong, but you can melt your piece of wax over and over again before you notice any fading.
Lovely Lavender - It's a little bit of sweetness with some calming floral and herbaceous lavender. Another strong wax melt, this stress relieving lavender and vanilla scent is a top choice for those needing a calming environmental influence.
Daisy Chain - A delicate and light wax melt, this is a stunning modern floral with a touch of citrus. This perfume wax melt dupe is a great choice if you really like a subtle fragrance for your background. Another good alternative is the 1881 wax melt which is equally as light and airy.
Seductive best selling wax melt scents to set the mood
Starry Night - is one helluva scent, its mesmerising and deep, but light and fantastical! Blending citrus fruits with violets and grassy notes, Starry Night is one of the OG wax melts at Wild Venus and one which never fails to impress.
Havana Nights - I absolutely love this strong wax melt and so do hundreds of customers. Its sophisticated fragrance of fresh tobacco leaves and tanned leather is a true best selling wax melt in our shop which people love to order all year round.
Inky Night Sky is another wax melt scent inspired by our mysterious skies and the possibility of what lies beyond. The Inky Night Skies Wax melt blends woods with spices, amber and florals. Its an incredible fragrance that needs to be tried to be appreciated.
Fruity and vibrant day time Summer wax melt fragrances
Berry-Licious - It’s rich and ruby red, ravishing some might say with its bountiful berries bursting with a very strong fruity wax melt scent!
Lime and mango - Tropical and luscious, delicious and mouth watering… this tropical wax melt scent will whisk you away to a thai escape in just one whiff.
Melon and Cucumber - The lightest and most refreshing in all of our customers favourite fruity scents is the melon and cucumber wax melt.
Best selling masculine wax melt scents
Forever - This is a dupe of Eternity for men by Calvin Klein, it has strong sage, cedar, geranium and sandalwood.
Call of the Wild - Fresh and rugged with strong eucalyptus and menthol.
Rock Salt and Drift Wood - Gorgeous oceanic fragrance with salty drift wood, this wax melt is strong and fresh.
Our customers favourite floral wax melts
Blossom Tea - a posy perfect for a tea party with lovely floral notes accompanied by a spicy and sweet green tea.
No 5 - Another favourite from our designer wax melts. This soy melt is a dupe of the classic Chanel No 5. Strong in orange blossom, this wax melt absolutely transforms the space once it starts to melt and round off.
Karma Violets - Take me to the candy shop, these strong wax melts smell just like those nostalgic purple sweets!
For spicy best selling wax melts
Spiced saffron and mandarin - Soft and subtle citrus with a warm and peppery spice. (one of my favourites!)
Cinnamon Stick - This wax melt might remind you of the Big Red chewing gum.
And then there was Oudh - A very strong wax melt with lots and lots of character.
Best selling clean and fresh soy wax melt fragrances
Fresh linen - Gorgeous and incredibly strong wax melt that will give you laundry day every day.
Sea spray - Ocean breeze type scent with deep fresh watery notes, sea salt and a beautiful lemon and bergamot top note. This is another very powerful and strong wax melt.
Wild Venus' most delicious sweet and bakery wax melt scents.
Blueberry Muffin - Sweet and cosy like a delicious warming hug that only a trip to the bakery can solve.
Salted Caramel - It’s got the sweet to salty ratio just right and it might just make you hungry.
Fortune Teller - Smells quite like Turkish Delight with rose and praline.
Skull Candy - Deliciously wicked like jaw breaking aniseed balls!
And there concludes Everything You Needed to Know About Wax Warmers, I bet there’s still loads I haven't answered so if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and I’ll include it in the 2nd edition!