A candle wax calculator that gives you precise ingredient weights for any size batch — whether you are making one container candle or a hundred. It covers soy (container and pillar), paraffin (container and pillar), coconut wax and beeswax, applying the correct density and fragrance load limits for each type.
How it works
Candle recipes are weight-based, not volume-based. A measuring jug full of soy wax and a jug full of paraffin do not weigh the same, so you cannot swap volumes between recipes without re-calculating. The calculator converts your container volume to a precise wax weight using the known density of each wax type.
The core formulae:
Wax weight (g) = container volume (ml) × wax density (g/ml) × fill percentage
Fragrance oil (g) = wax weight × (fragrance load % ÷ 100)
Total pour weight (g) = wax weight + fragrance oil
The wax density values used are industry-standard figures: soy container wax 0.90 g/ml, soy pillar 0.92 g/ml, paraffin container 0.93 g/ml, paraffin pillar 0.95 g/ml, coconut wax 0.88 g/ml, and beeswax 0.96 g/ml. These are approximate averages — specific blends from your supplier may vary slightly, but the figures are accurate enough for consistent batch production.
Fill percentage is set to 90% by default. This accounts for wax shrinkage on cooling and leaves a small gap below the rim. If you are topping up candles with a second pour you can reduce this to 80%.
Fragrance oil is added as a percentage of the wax weight. The calculator warns you if you exceed the recommended maximum for your chosen wax type, because overloading fragrance oil causes the excess to pool on the surface (sweating), weakens the wax structure, and can become a fire hazard.
Worked example
You want to make 6 soy container candles in 200 ml glasses, filling to 90%, with a 8% fragrance load:
- Wax per candle = 200 ml × 0.90 g/ml × 0.90 = 162 g
- Fragrance oil per candle = 162 g × 0.08 = 12.96 g (≈ 13 g)
- Total pour per candle = 162 + 12.96 = 174.96 g (≈ 175 g)
- For 6 candles: 972 g wax + 77.8 g fragrance oil = 1,049.8 g total pour
| Container | Wax | Fill % | FO load | Wax per candle | FO per candle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 ml soy | container | 90% | 8% | 162 g | 13 g |
| 300 ml soy | container | 85% | 10% | 229.5 g | 23 g |
| 8 fl oz paraffin | container | 90% | 10% | 222 g | 22.2 g |
| 250 ml coconut | container | 88% | 8% | 195.8 g | 15.7 g |
All calculations run in your browser — nothing is uploaded or stored.
Formula note
The fragrance oil percentage in candle making is always calculated as a percentage of the wax weight alone, not the total pour weight. This is the industry convention followed by fragrance suppliers and wax manufacturers when they state maximum fragrance loads. Some recipes express it as a percentage of total pour weight — the difference is small but matters when you are near the maximum load limit for your wax type.