What Are Wax Melts & How To Use Them

We’ve added our beautiful fragrances from The Scented Home collection to a whole new home fragrancing format – wax melts.

Read on to find out more about what wax melts are, how they work and why you should give them a try!

What are wax melts?

Wax melts are pieces of scented wax, often designed in beautiful shapes, colours and sizes that when heated in the top of an oil burner release a beautiful aroma into the room. Unlike candles, you do not directly light wax melts as they don’t come with a wick. Depending on the shape they take, they are sometimes known as wax tarts or cubes – however, you’ll find ours take the shape of adorable little green hearts.

While candles use the flame of their lit wick to melt the wax, wax melts have no wick and need to be heated using an oil burner. Small but mighty, our wax melts are crafted from a highly-fragrance soy wax blend to ensure long-lasting fragrance release.

Popular, easy to use and low in price, wax melts are a wonderful way to fragrance the home.

How do you use wax melts?

To use wax melts you’ll need an oil burner or wax melt burner to heat them up and cause them to melt, releasing their fragrance. Add a couple of wax melts, depending on how strong you like your fragrance to be, to the reservoir at the top of your oil burner.

If you’re using an electric burner, follow the instructions to switch it on. If you’re using a tea light oil burner, place a tea light in the recess at the bottom of the burner and light the tea light. The heat from the flame below will gradually melt the wax, releasing the scent.

When you want to stop the fragrance release, just blow out the tea light or switch off your electric burner.

How long do wax melts last?

The length of time wax melts last varies by the size and number of melts used, our Earth Secrets tins contain 50 melts which last for up to 100 hours of fragrance while each The Scented Home Wax Melt lasts for up to 10 hours, giving up to 80 hours of scent per pack. If there’s melted wax left in the reservoir of your burner after use, you can also save this and reuse next time, extending the life of your melts.

When melting wax melts, make sure to check the safety instructions of the oil burner you are using for any guidance on how long the burner can be safely used for – some advise not to exceed a certain time period in one go.

How long do wax melts last before usage?

Wax melts usually last around 12 months before being used. If you’re not planning to use your wax melts any time soon, here are 3 things you can do to increase your wax melt storage life:

Keep Them Cool and Dry: Store your wax melts in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, humidity, and temperature fluctuations. Extreme heat can cause your melts to soften or lose their fragrance.
Airtight Containers: Consider using airtight containers or resealable bags to keep your wax melts protected from air exposure. This can prevent fragrance evaporation and maintain their potency.
Label and Date: To keep track of your wax melts and their shelf life, label them with the date of purchase or the expected usage period. This can help you rotate your melts and ensure you use the older ones first.

Do wax melts lose their scents if not used?

Like many fragranced products, leaving your wax melts unused for a long time can affect their scent and effectiveness. We recommend using our wax melts within 12 months of purchase to get the best scent experience.

If you are storing your wax melts for several months, we suggest storing them in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight or fluorescent light to avoid any negative effects of light or temperature on the wax.

What to do with old wax melts?

After several uses you’ll notice your wax melts start to lose their fragrance and need to be changed for new ones. Before adding new melts or changing fragrance, you’ll want to remove the old wax from your Oil Burner.

You should wait until the wax and Oil Burner have fully cooled before you start cleaning. The cooled wax disk may be popped out of the reservoir and disposed of or, for more stubborn old wax melts, use a spoon to carefully scoop away the leftover wax. Wash away remaining wax residue with warm, soapy water and leave your Oil Burner to dry before the next use.

How to change wax melts?

First, follow the steps for removing old wax melts from your Oil Burner – leave to cool, then pop out the disk of wax or carefully use a spoon to scoop away more stubborn leftover wax. After the majority of the old wax has been removed, wash away any leftover residue with warm, soapy water and a non-abrasive sponge. Once your Oil Burner is clean and dry, you can add new wax melts to the reservoir at the top and continue enjoying your favourite scents.