How to use Wax Melts

Wax melts are really popular at the moment and I see why. They are a great way of trying out a new fragrance in a different form to a candle. You can get loads of different styles such as snap bars, clam shells, tarts and pods. Ours come in dome shapes and each weigh around 20g which will give you fragrance for around 10 hours each.

It's all well and good them looking and smelling lovely, but many of you are new to this wax melt business, so let me fill you in on how to actually use them.

Firstly, you're going to need a vessel to melt them in. You need to ensure you find a proper wax melt burner. They are usually made from glass or ceramic. Please make sure you are purchasing one from a reputable seller and you're not paying pennies for them (inexpensive can sometimes mean they've been made cheaply with materials that aren't of great quality). At the end of the day, your burner is going to get very hot so it's important you choose one that is safe to use and from a retailer you trust. Here is an idea of what a burner looks like.

Next, you will need to find some tea lights. Four hour burn ones are best as we don't recommend using your burner for more than four hours at a time (they get hot). As soon as your tea light burns out then that's a good indicator to stop. We also highly recommend unscented tea lights as you don't want the fragrance to get mixed with the wax melt scent.

Once you have lit your tea light, place it in the base of your burner and pop one of your melts on top in the well. This is where the wax will melt for the next few hours. You don't have to do much else after this, apart from place your burner well away from the hands of little children or pets. We also suggest you don't put the burner anywhere near a draught or open window, or anything flammable. I often place my burner on a coaster or a surface that won't get damaged by any heat from the base.

You will notice your wax melt starting to melt and perhaps some white vapours coming from it. This is totally normal and just the fragrance being released into the air. They have a lovely strong smell but if you prefer a more subtle scent, next time you can always cut your melt in half and use a smaller amount on your burner.

Here is a time lapse video of me using one of Olivine and Ruby's melts.

Olivine and Ruby soy wax melts also contain dried botanicals that are purely for aesthetics. We hope you like how they float in the melted wax!

Once your tea light has burnt out or been blown out, wait for the wax to completely cool and harden before you move your burner. As I've noted before, each melt will give up to ten hours of fragrance so you don't have to replace this melt until another couple of burns. Once you notice the fragrance start to disappear on the subsequent burns, it'll be time to use a new one. 

To remove old wax from your burner, you must wait until the wax is completely hard and cold. Then simply use your thumbs to pop out the wax and dispose of it in the bin. Never use a knife to remove the wax as this may damage your burner and cause small cracks in the well. Simply wipe away any remaining wax with a tissue and you're ready for a new wax melt.

We hope this little guide is helpful when using your wax melts. If you're interested in the Olivine and Ruby range, you can browse them here.

Take care and thanks for reading,

Charlotte