If you've just picked up your first wax melts, welcome. They're one of the easiest ways to fill a room with fragrance, with no flame and no soot. Here's everything you need to know to get the most from them.
What is a wax melt?
A wax melt is a small piece of scented wax with no wick. Instead of burning it, you warm it gently in a wax burner so the fragrance oil releases into the air. Because nothing is burning, the scent tends to be cleaner and truer than a candle, and the melt keeps going long after a tealight would have given up.
What you'll need
- A wax burner, either electric or tealight-powered
- An unscented tealight, if your burner isn't electric
- Your wax melt, snapped into pieces
How to use a wax melt, step by step
- Place your burner on a flat, heat-resistant surface, away from curtains, shelves and anything a curious pet could knock over.
- Snap off one or two cubes from your snap bar and pop them into the dish at the top. Start with less than you think you need. You can always add more.
- Light your tealight underneath, or switch your electric burner on.
- Give it five to ten minutes. The wax will pool and the fragrance will start to travel.
- Never leave a lit burner unattended, and put it out before you go to bed or leave the house.
How long does a wax melt last?
It depends on the burner, the room and the fragrance, but a single cube will usually scent a room for around eight hours of use, often spread over several sessions. When the scent fades, the wax hasn't disappeared, it has simply given up all its fragrance oil. That's your cue to change it.
How to change your wax
The easiest method is the cotton pad trick. While the wax is still liquid and the burner is off, drop a cotton pad into the dish, let it soak up the wax, then lift it out and bin it. Give the dish a quick wipe and it's ready for the next scent.
If the wax has already set, switch the burner on for a minute to loosen the edges, then pop the disc out in one piece. Never pour melted wax down the sink.
Getting a stronger scent throw
A few small things make a big difference. Close the doors to the room you're scenting so the fragrance concentrates rather than drifting off down the hall. Keep melts out of direct sunlight and away from radiators when you're storing them, because heat degrades fragrance oil over time. And rotate your scents. Your nose adapts to a fragrance you smell every day, so switching between two or three keeps everything feeling fresh.
Staying safe
Always use an unscented tealight so it doesn't compete with your melt. Keep burners out of reach of children and pets, never move a burner while the wax is hot, and let it cool completely before handling.
Ready to pick a scent?
Every VeraScents melt is hand-poured in small batches, so you get a strong, honest fragrance with no shortcuts. Browse the collection and find your new favourite.