If you’re like most people, the smell of vanilla will help you recall back memories of your kitchen’s sweet and savory smells full of warmth and goodness. The gentle aroma wafts over you as you reminisce the taste of your grandma’s or mother’s baked goods. With vanilla-scented candles, you can relive these precious memories anytime you want. Vanilla is such a great scent because it’s not too overpowering and overbearing. It’s meant to comfort and soothe.
Homemade candle making is an awesome hobby, and it makes a great gift, but you may be hesitant to do so because you don’t always know how oils and extracts can react to wax. If you want to make your own candles with a distinct vanilla scent, here are some things you should know:
Can you use vanilla extract for scented candles?
Yes, you can put vanilla extract in your candles. The more common, DIY way to add vanilla fragrance to your candles is by using vanilla extract. If you’re a beginner at making your own candles, this is the way to go because you may not want to invest in fragrance oils right away in case it doesn’t work out. But it would be best if you didn’t use vanilla extract in the candles you’re trying to sell.
The type of candle you’re using has a specific melting point that lets the oil be added directly. If the wax doesn’t allow for oils, you can still add flavor and scents by adding ingredients like berries, cinnamon sticks, citrus, cloves, nutmeg, peelings, petals, and more to make an aromatic blend.
How to make vanilla candles?
To make vanilla-scented candles using vanilla extract, you can pour a teaspoon of vanilla extract into the melted wax. Stir it with a stick or a chopstick to ensure that the vanilla extract is evenly distributed. If you’re using a beeswax candle, you can add a little bit of honey and vanilla to enhance its natural aroma.
You can also make combinations with vanilla by adding extra ingredients like coffee, cinnamon, and cloves. Add a few coffee beans, cinnamon powder, or clove powder after the wax starts to cool down but is still soft enough to be mixed. Remember that with each combination involving fresh ingredients, expect that the candle will have a shorter shelf life.
What type of wax mixes well with vanilla extract?
Though vanilla is one of the most common scents used today due to its comforting and warm sweetness – you can’t use it on all types of waxes. And it won’t have the same scent output on every type of wax.
Some candle wax offers a better scent when mixed with vanilla extract, while some won’t. The vanilla scent can hold much longer and give a stronger aroma when used with paraffin wax. Meanwhile, natural waxes like soy wax and beeswax give a subtle, soothing smell to vanilla that won’t irritate your senses.
Since paraffin waxes are now considered harmful to the environment, more DIY candle makers are using beeswax, soy wax, and coconut wax for their natural, vanilla-scented candles.
Can you add vanilla extract to a wax warmer?
Yes, you can use vanilla extract when using a wax warmer. When done right, it won’t cause any damage to your wax warmer. You need to put coconut oil on top of the wax warmer, then pour some vanilla extract into it. Repeat the procedure when the vanilla scent dissipates.
When warmed on a wax burner, vanilla extract can give your home a sweet and beautiful scent. You may want to choose this method if you want to avoid toxic, commercial candles.
But if you want to add a vanilla scent to your home using a wax warmer, you must not leave it as long as you leave wax in it. Vanilla burns quicker than wax, so it must not be left alone in the warmer too long.
What are other ways to add vanilla scents to candles?
In addition to using vanilla extract, you can also use vanilla beans to make your candle smell like vanilla. Start by melting your wax in a double boiler or in the microwave. Cut and glue the wick to the bottom of the candle votive or container. Then, pour a small layer of the melted wax and add some chopped-up vanilla beans. Stir the wax with a wooden stick or chopstick to mix the vanilla beans throughout the candle. You can also add a few vanilla beans on top of the wax before the candle fully hardens.
Since you’ll be using vanilla beans, then expect the candle to have a shorter shelf life. It’s great for personal use and for gifting.
How about vanilla essential oils?
Essential oils are one of the most popular ways to add some scent to your candle. You can use vanilla essential oils and even mix them with other essential oils to make a custom blend scent that you’ll love.
Vanilla essential oils are said to help ease depression and anxiety, lower blood pressure, relieve cramps, fight infection, and reduce inflammation. Its comforting scent makes it relaxing and beneficial for your sleep quality.
However, you cannot get a pure, 100% natural vanilla essential oil since it doesn’t exist. Vanilla fragrance is easy to manufacture synthetically in a lab, and the nature of vanilla bean doesn’t make it possible to undergo the distillation process that produces essential oils. Even if there are many products labeled as “essential oils,” it’s not a true essential oil because it doesn’t contain purely distilled oils from plant extracts. This is the reason why some aromatherapy enthusiasts and essential oil experts are reluctant to use products labeled as “vanilla essential oil.”
Most vanilla essential oils you can buy contain a blend of vanilla extract and carrier oil. It has the same oily feel as other essential oils, but it’s not pure.
Still, you can use essential oils for adding scents to candles, but it probably won’t pass your standards if you’re an essential oil purist.
What are vanilla-infused scents I can add to my candle?
Here are some vanilla blends recommended for adding scents to candles:
- Anisette and cream scented candle – 3 parts vanilla and 1 part anise
- Apple vanilla scented candle – equal parts vanilla and apple
- Baby powder scented candle – equal parts rose and vanilla
- Berries and cream scented candle – equal parts vanilla, strawberry and raspberry
- Boudoir scented candle – equal parts vanilla, musk, rose, and sandalwood
- Cinilla scented candle – equal parts cinnamon and vanilla
- Cherry vanilla scented candle – equal parts vanilla and wild cherry
- French vanilla coffee scented candle – 2 parts French vanilla and 1 part black coffee
- Harmony scented candle – equal parts vanilla, jasmine, cherry blossoms, honey, and sandalwood
- Lavender vanilla scented candle – 2 parts lavender and 2 parts vanilla
- Lemon pound cake scented candle – equal parts French vanilla and lemon
- Masculine scented candle – 2 parts clove, 1 part vanilla, 1 part sandalwood, and 1 part honey
- Peaches and cream scented candle – equal parts French vanilla and Georgia peach
- Sexy smelling scented candle – equal parts French vanilla, lilac, rose, lemon, and woodberry
- Spiced vanilla scented candle – 4 parts vanilla, 2 parts cinnamon, 1 part cardamom, and 1 part clove
- Strawberries and cream scented candle – equal parts French vanilla and strawberry
- Vanilla garden scented candle – equal parts vanilla, lavender, and rose
- Vanilla mocha scented candle – equal parts French vanilla and Irish mocha
- Vanilla musk scented candle – equal parts vanilla and musk