A photo of a wax melt smoking in a wax burner

Here Are The Reasons Why Your Wax Melt Is Smoking!

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lots of us are now choosing to fragrance our homes by using wax melts and burners. I have been doing so for around 5 years and I still love testing out lots of new scents and fragrances.

Since setting up our own candle and wax melt business, me and my wife have received many questions about the use of wax melts from worried customers.

I decided to create this website to start answering some of these questions to help everyone enjoy wax melts safely and worry free.

Today I will be answering quite a common question that gets asked and that is, why is my wax melt smoking?

So if you have a wax melt or burner that is smoking have a read and see if this article answers your questions.

A photo of a wax melt smoking in a wax burner
Have you ever seen what looks like smoke coming from a wax melt?

Why is my wax melt smoking?

So straight off I am going to answer the question. I will then talk about some of the less common causes that you should be wary of.

So why do wax melts smoke? Well put simply, wax melts do not smoke. What you are actually seeing is the evaporation of the fragrance oil which can look like a fine mist just like smoke. This mist is actually what is providing your home with the scent and is completely normal. Different fragrance oils release different amounts of mist.

If you notice what looks like smoke coming from the melted wax pool take a closer look and you will see they are actually really small mist like droplets. Sometimes this can also happen with spitting and popping if the wax melts have got damp, leading to a more visually burning effect.

It is totally normal and is usually more noticeable when you put a new melt in that has just got to temperature.

This is because it has still got its maximum amount of fragrance oil in the wax. The longer the wax is in the burner the more fragrance oil will be released and slowly you will notice less mist or smoke being emitted.

But do not worry it is completely normal.

When to worry about smoke from a wax burner.

Although it is completely normal for the wax itself to look as though it is smoking there are a few times when you need to act if you see your burner smoking. I am going to go over these now.

  • If you have an electric wax burner and notice smoke coming from your actual burner and not from the wax pool switch it off immediately. Turn off the power and remove the plug. It could be that it is just a build up of dust that is burning on the heating bulb but it could also be the internal wiring on the burner.
  • If you have a tea light wax burner and you see smoke coming from the burner itself blow out the candle. I have heard stories before of them over heating on cheaper burners and the painted on surface starting to heat up and smoke. Given time this could cause a fire, so if you notice it I recommend getting a different burner.
  • Always check the surrounding area of a tea light was burner if you see or smell smoke. It is not unknown for there to be imperfections in the tea light candle wick which can cause it to spit. Make sure that if this happens the hot ember has not landed on any furniture ect.

If you would like more information about using wax melts have a look at my how to use wax melts guide. There is some great information.

Final thoughts

If you see smoke from your wax melts it is more than likely just the fragrance oil that is in the wax evaporating. This is the magic that fills your rooms and home with wonderful scent.

if you actually smell smoke though it is certainly worth investigating further as this could be a sign that you have a faulty wax burner.

If you have enjoyed this article why not check out another. My guide on if wax melts expire and how to keep them fresh is very popular.

Andrew Scents and Aroma
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