One of our customers messaged me to say that the wax melts I had sent her were not as good as the first one's she had bought a couple of months previously. As I had not changed the mix nor suppliers for the wax or oils I wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on. This lady had not been the first to make this comment and it just seemed odd that some people couldn't smell my scents as much as others. During a conversation with my husband he commented: "Are they using Electric Melters or Tea Lights?" I didn't have an answer so I asked the lady and she said that she normally uses tea lights but had bought a new Electric Burner and that's what she was using now. So this got us thinking.
What is the difference between an Electric Wax Melt and tea Light Burner?
We set up four burners, two Tea Light Burners from our range and two Electric Burners that use a Halogen lamp to melt the wax, one of these had three settings. We put the same melts in each and recorded the temperature of the wax pool once it had fully melted and here are the results:
Pearlescent Glass Tea Light Burner - 255ºF / 124ºC
Dalmatian Glass Tea Light Burner - 240ºF / 116ºC
Electric Burner (Large Green Crock/Glass) - 157ºF / 69ºC
Dimmable Electric - Level 1 - 139ºF / 60ºC
Dimmable Electric - Level 2 - 178ºF / 81ºC
Dimmable Electric - Level 3 - 195ºF / 91ºC
As you can see the temperature of the wax pool in the Tea Light Burners was considerably higher than the Electric Burners so, as the temperature of the pool is key to the 'throw' of the scent, this was the answer as to why the lady had less fragrance from her second melts purchase. She subsequently switched to a Tea Light burner and commented that she could now smell the new melts "just as much as before".
Obviously we were pleased to have got to the bottom of the problem but this has highlighted to us how important your choice of burner can be to the fragrance coming off your melts and we hope it helps you too.
In summary
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Safety: Electric Wax Burners totally eliminate the risk of an open flame, reducing the potential for accidents. This can make them a safer option, especially in households with children or pets.
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Fragrance: Tea Light Burners release the fragrance within the wax much more quickly. This can be a good option if you enjoy a strong scent from your melts but an Electric Burner will still release the fragrance just more slowly so the fragrance could well last longer.
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Aesthetics: Some people appreciate the ambiance of a real burning candle, including the flickering flame. Electric Wax Burners may not provide the same visual appeal but will still provide an ambiance.
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Environmental Impact: If environmental concerns are a priority, using Electric Wax Burners may be considered more eco-friendly since there is no combustion, and thus, no associated emissions.