Understanding Fragrance Oil Flash Points: A practical guide for candle makers
If you’re a candle maker – whether you’re just starting or have years of experience—you’ve probably come across the term flash point when choosing fragrance oils. It’s a technical concept that’s often misunderstood, so we’ve put together this guide to explain what flash points really mean, what they don’t mean, and how they affect your candle-making process.
What Is a Flash Point?
Most liquids, including fragrance oils, give off vapours. These vapours are created when a liquid begins to transition into a gas. In general:
Warmer liquids release vapours more easily
Cooler liquids retain vapours more effectively
The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid produces enough vapour that it could briefly ignite if exposed to an open flame. This ignition is usually a quick flash rather than a sustained fire—hence the term flash point.
It’s important to note that:
A flash point requires a true ignition source, such as a naked flame
Heat alone does not cause ignition
For example, when you add fragrance oil to hot, melted wax, the wax temperature may be higher than the fragrance’s flash point—but because there is no open flame present, the fragrance will not ignite.
What a Flash Point Is Not
A fragrance oil’s flash point is not the temperature at which the fragrance ‘burns off’ or loses its scent.
Simply heating a fragrance oil to its flash point does not cause rapid evaporation or scent loss. Unless your candle-making process involves holding an open flame over the fragrance oil (which it shouldn’t), flash point is not something that will negatively affect your finished candle.
Flash Point vs. Boiling Point
Fragrance oils lose scent through evaporation, which occurs at their boiling point, not their flash point.
The boiling point is the temperature at which a liquid rapidly turns into a gas
This is the temperature where significant fragrance loss could occur
In real-world candle making, this is rarely a concern. When fragrance oil is blended into the wax, the resulting mixture behaves differently from either component on its own. The wax helps stabilise the fragrance, meaning it won’t simply evaporate away under normal pouring conditions. As long as you:
Add fragrance at the recommended temperature
Use the correct fragrance load
You don’t need to worry about fragrance oils igniting or losing their scent throw.
Where to Find Flash Point Information
You can find the flash point of any fragrance oil on its Safety Data Sheet (SDS). These are available on our website for every fragrance.
To access them:
Go to the Fragrance Oil product page
Open the ‘Technical Data Sheets’ tab
Click the link to view the SDS document
Remember, the flash point listed on the SDS indicates ignition risk in the presence of an open flame—it’s not a guide for wax mixing temperatures.
Checking Fragrance Compatibility
This is very important. The easiest way to check whether a fragrance is suitable for your specific application is directly on the product page.
On each fragrance page, you’ll find usage recommendations within the product description, including:
Suitable wax types
Application compatibility (such as container candles, melts, or gel wax)
Any important usage limitations
Always refer to these recommendations before testing a new fragrance, especially when working with specialist waxes.
Special Considerations for Gel Wax Candles
Gel wax candles require extra care.
Our gel wax can only hold up to 6% fragrance oil
Not all fragrances are suitable for gel wax
Only non-polar fragrances with a flash point above 77°C should be used. Using incompatible fragrances can be hazardous.
Key points to be aware of:
Unscented gel wax has a burn pool temperature of around 130°C
While this is well below the typical flash point of gel wax (around 227°C), adding fragrance oil lowers the overall flash point
If the wrong fragrance is used, the wax could ignite
For this reason:
Only use fragrances explicitly recommended for gel wax
Always test gel candles in a safe, controlled environment
You can find out which of our fragrances and essential oils are suitable for gel wax by checking the usage recommendations on each fragrance’s product page.
In Summary
Flash point refers to ignition risk from an open flame, not scent loss
Fragrance oils do not ‘burn off’ during normal candle making
Boiling point—not flash point—is related to evaporation
Compatibility information is clearly listed in each fragrance’s product description
Extra caution is required when working with gel wax
By following recommended usage guidelines and testing appropriately, you can work confidently and safely with fragrance oils in all your candle-making projects.
If you’d like more guidance on adding fragrance oil to candles, be sure to check out our dedicated resources on candle formulation and testing.