Wax melts are a fusion of wax and fragrance but with a difference! These wickless candle cubes are quite popular for home fragrances.
If you are new to the world of wax melts and don’t know what wax melts are and how to use them, then don’t worry, as we lay bare every bit of it in this informative discussion.
Go Flameless With Wax Melts: Personality And Characteristics
Why use wax melts when we have scented candles? Well, scented candles are gorgeous and timeless beauties that have their distinct personality.
However, these do come with a few downsides that some people may wish to avoid. Wax melts do the same job, without the downsides of candles like an open flame.
What Are Wax Melts: Considerations Of Contemporary Wickless Scented Candles
To define them simply, wax melts are wickless cubes of scented wax.
Imagine the wax of a scented candle, but without a wick to burn it. It’s perfectly okay to cut up a scented candle and use it as wax melts.
Although to be fair, this is just a rude description. While it helps to paint a picture for the uninitiated, it shouldn’t be forgotten that wax melts are capable of standing their ground on their own.
You may call them wax melts, wax cubes, or wax tarts. The ingredients that go into making wax melts are wax (paraffin or organic like soy wax, palm wax, or coconut) and scent (essential oil or fragrance oil). Like scented candles, wax melts are available in a wide array of fragrances.
These are available in different designs, shapes, and colors. Usually, these come in either small cubes or the shape of a chocolate bar. When it’s in the chocolate bar form, break a cube from it each time you need a wax cube.
The Working Mechanism Of Wax Melts
These passive chunks of wax are functional through special devices created for them. Wax melts require gentle heating to unlock and emit the scent around. And wax warmers are the devices that are used to heat them.
These devices are often called candle warmers, wax warmers, and wax melters. Wax warmers are typically available in two designs: electric or the traditional tealight warmer.
Unlike scented candles, when you heat a wax melt in a wax warmer, the wax does not evaporate. The wax melts and the fragrance oils locked in the wax are now free to slowly evaporate with the heat.
You can mix and match two wax melts with different scents and create your signature scent too. For intense aroma, place two wax melts into the well of the warmer.
Usually, a wax melt can deliver a scent for up to 12 hours, though the exact time can depend on numerous factors, including the size of the wax melt.
We recommend that you melt your wax tart for not more than 3 to 4 hours. A few hours of heating gives a robust scent diffusion. Plus it helps your wax melt last longer.
Once you feel the room is permeated with scent, turn off the warmer. Let the molten wax cool down and solidify. You can reuse the wax melt a few more times, until the scent completely fades away. And you are left with a mere unscented chunk of wax.
This unscented wax must be removed from the warmer before you add a fresh piece of wax melt into the wax warmer. Read on and learn how to remove it from the wax warmer.
Removing Unscented Wax From Wax Warmer
It is best to remove the unscented wax from the warmer first before adding a new one. This ensures that the leftover wax doesn’t alter the scent throw of the fresh wax melt. Besides, there’s no point heating up wax that doesn’t have any scent left.
- Never use abrasive cleaners to wipe the residual wax sticking to the heating plate.
- The best way to clean the heating plate is by simply warming the solid wax to the point that it scoops out on its own.
- Gently wipe the residual wax with a soft tissue.
- Refrain from using any pointed object like a knife to pull the wax out from the heating plate.
Having known how wax melts work, it’s time to take a close shot at the kinds of wax warmers.
Wax Warmers: The Ideal Way To Use Wax Melts
When using wax warmers, you can choose the one you like out of the two popular options.
Electric Wax Warmer
As the name suggests this works through the electric current. You place the wax melt on the ceramic plate fixed at the base of it and plug in the socket. As the plate heats up, the wax cubes melt, unlocking the scent of your choosing.
An electric wax warmer comes with a variant using an incandescent bulb. When plugged in, the bulb heats the wax melt slowly and this releases the locked scent. The bright glow of the bulb mimics the candle flame “glow”. This lets you enjoy the visual ambiance of a burning candle.
Tealight Wax Warmer
Wax warmers with a tealight are an aesthetic way to heat the wax melts. While the burning tea light melts wax tarts, you get a bright glow of a dancing flame. These warmers come with a provision of a small window at the base of the warmer, where you put the tealight.
There is a heating dish, usually a ceramic one right above the small window where you put the wax melts. As you light the tealight it slowly heats the dish plate which in turn melts your wax cubes into a fragrant liquid.
Safety Measures And Tips To Make Your Wax Warmer last Longer
Usually, you get a user manual with a wax warmer that guides you on its working mechanism. In case you missed it then scroll down and learn all about its safety measures.
- Don’t run your wax warmers consistently. Ideally, give a break after 10 to 12 hours.
- Never leave a tea light burning unattended.
- Keep wax warmers away from soft furnishings and out of the reach of children and pets.
- Always let the heating plate cool down first before you touch them. These can be very hot.
- Replace the solidified wax with fresh wax melts, once it’s done away with the scent.
- Keep the wax melts in an air-tight container in a dark place, away from sunlight.
Advantages Of Using Wax Melts With A Wax Warmer
- These are a convenient method to get fragrance.
- Wax melts are reusable.
- You can regulate the intensity of the scent by the number of wax melts.
- Wax melts are slightly better for your room environment. No soot and smoke emission.
- Wax melts can provide you with aromatherapy benefits when infused with essential oils.
Enjoy The Best Of Wax Melts With Wax Warmers
Wax melts or little blocks of fragranced wax have earned a huge fan following recently. In a nutshell, you may call wax melts an improvised version of scented candles!
And If you are new to wax melts then this discussion can be quite informative for you. It offers you insights into what are wax melts and how to use them.
A good fragrant environment is important for our well-being and is a feel-good factor. The market of home fragrances offers you many avenues to welcome scent. And using wax melts is one such modern, instant, and hassle-free way out of many.