What Are Wax Melts? Wax Melts 101: A Complete Beginner's Guide
What are wax melts? Wax melts are pieces of scented wax with no wick. You place one in the dish of a wax melt burner, warm it with a tealight or an electric burner, and as the wax melts its fragrance fills the room. The wax is warmed, not burned, so when the scent has faded you simply let it set, pop it out and add a fresh piece.
Ours are hand-poured from soy wax and fragrance oil, vegan and cruelty-free, in more than 200 scents. Perhaps a friend has a burner bubbling away in their living room, or you have spotted colourful snap bars and wondered what all the fuss is about. If you have never used one, it is not always obvious how they differ from a candle, so here is the complete beginner's guide.
This guide explains what a wax melt is, what ours are made of, whether wax melts evaporate or disappear, the different types of burner, how long melts last, how to store them and how to use them safely.
What is a wax melt?
A wax melt (sometimes called a wax tart or wax cube) is simply wax that has been blended with fragrance oil and poured into a mould, ready to be snapped or popped out and warmed. Because there is no wick, a wax melt cannot be lit on its own. It needs a burner (also called a warmer or wax melter) to provide gentle heat from underneath.
Wax melts come in a few common shapes:
- Snap bars: a bar divided into sections that you snap off as you need them. This is the format we make.
- Clamshells: a plastic tray of cubes you push out one at a time.
- Shapes and cubes: individual pieces, often moulded into hearts, stars or seasonal designs.
Whatever the shape, they work in the same way: a little heat, a little wax and a room full of fragrance.
What are wax melts used for?
Wax melts are used to fragrance a room: freshening a hallway before guests arrive, adding a cosy scent to the living room in the evening, or creating a seasonal atmosphere at Christmas or in autumn. Because you choose how much wax to use, they suit small rooms and larger spaces alike.
How are wax melts different from candles?
The main difference is the wick. A candle burns its wick, and the flame melts the wax around it. A wax melt has no wick, so the wax is warmed rather than burned, and the heat source sits underneath the dish.
- No wick to trim or tunnel. You never have to worry about an uneven melt pool or a drowned wick.
- You control the strength. Use one section for a soft background scent or more for a bolder one.
- Change scents whenever you like. You do not have to burn a whole candle before trying something new.
- A candle gives a flickering flame. Many people love candles for the glow and ritual, and use both.
Are wax melts better than candles?
Neither is better for everyone. Wax melts suit people who like to switch scents often and control the strength, while candles offer the glow of a flame. Many of our customers enjoy both. Our guide on how wax melts differ from scented candles goes into more detail.
What are wax melts made of?
Every wax melt has two main ingredients: wax and fragrance. Waxes used by different makers include soy, paraffin, rapeseed, coconut and blends of these. Each behaves a little differently, so it is worth checking what any brand uses.
Our wax melts are hand-poured using 100% soy wax and premium fragrance oils. They are vegan and cruelty-free, and some scents also contain dye and/or biodegradable glitter. There are more than 200 fragrances across the wider range, from fresh linen and citrus to sweet bakery and cosy winter scents.
Our melts come in two sizes:
- Snap Bar (80g): our standard bar, £6.00 in most scents and ideal once you have found a favourite.
- Mini Snap Bar (50g): a smaller bar at £3.75, perfect for trying a new fragrance or building a mix-and-match collection.
How do wax melts work?
When the wax is warmed in the burner dish, it turns liquid, and the fragrance oil blended into it is released into the air from the surface of the melted wax. The warmer the wax and the larger the melted surface, the more noticeable the scent. When you switch off, the wax cools and sets again, holding on to whatever fragrance is left until next time.
What happens when wax melts?
The solid wax softens and turns into a clear or coloured pool of liquid wax in the dish. Soy wax melts at a relatively low temperature, which is why the gentle heat of a tealight or electric warmer is enough. As it cools, it sets back into a solid. How long that takes depends on the amount of wax and the room, so leave it until it is completely firm.
For a full step-by-step walkthrough, see our guide on how to use wax melts.
Do wax melts evaporate?
No, the wax itself does not evaporate. What does evaporate is the fragrance oil. Each time you warm a melt, some of its fragrance is released into the air, and over several uses the scent gradually fades. The wax stays behind in the dish, looking almost exactly as it did when you started.
That is why a melt can look "full" but smell of very little. It is not that the melt has stopped working; the fragrance has simply been used up. At that point, let the wax set, remove it and add a fresh piece.
Do wax melts disappear?
Not in the way a candle does. A candle gets smaller as the wick burns, but a wax melt stays roughly the same size because the wax is not consumed. You may notice a very slight drop in the level over time, but the wax will not vanish. If the dish looks empty, the wax has most likely spilled or soaked into a liner rather than disappeared.
So the sign that a melt is finished is your nose, not your eyes. When you can no longer smell it, it is time to change it.
What are wax warmers and burners?
A wax warmer (also called a wax melt burner or wax melter) is a holder with a dish on top and a heat source underneath. You will need one that is designed for wax melts. The main types are:
- Tealight burners: a ceramic or glass burner with space for one tealight beneath the dish. They give a cosy glow, but have an open flame, so never leave them unattended.
- Electric burners: warmed by a bulb or heating element, with no flame. Many have a switch or timer.
- Plug-in burners: compact electric burners that plug straight into a wall socket, handy for hallways and smaller rooms.
We do not make burners ourselves, but we stock a curated range. Our guide to choosing electric, plug-in or tealight burners compares them side by side.
Explore Electric Wax Melt Burners
Why are wax melts so popular?
- No wick to manage. No trimming, tunnelling or soot from a wick.
- Choose your strength. Add or remove sections to suit the room and your mood.
- Mix your own blends. Combine complementary scents, such as two fresh fragrances, in one dish.
- Easy to switch. Change from a morning citrus to an evening vanilla without waiting.
- Good value. One snap bar is split into several sections, and each section can be warmed over more than one session.
- Huge choice. Small bars make it easy to try lots of fragrances.
As with any home fragrance, how much you enjoy wax melts comes down to the scent, the room and how you use them, so it is worth experimenting.
How do you use wax melts?
In short: place your burner on a stable, heat-resistant surface, snap off a section or two (we normally recommend beginning with two), put them in the dish, then light one unscented tealight or switch on your electric burner. When you have finished, switch off and let the wax set before you move the burner or change the melt.
Our step-by-step guide on how to use wax melts covers tealight and electric burners, how much wax to use and how to change melts.
How long do wax melts last?
There is no single answer, either for how long the scent lasts in use or for how long unused wax melts keep. It depends on the fragrance, how many sections you use, your burner, the size of the room and how often you warm them. When you can no longer smell the melt, it is time for a fresh piece. Our guide to how long wax melts last explains more, and if a melt seems weak from the start, see why can't I smell my wax melts.
How should you store wax melts?
- Keep unused melts in their packaging, or in an airtight container, to help hold on to the fragrance.
- Store them somewhere cool, dry and dark, away from direct sunlight and heat sources such as radiators.
- Keep strongly scented melts apart so the fragrances do not mingle.
- Keep them out of reach of children and pets, as they are designed to be melted, not eaten.
For more detail, see do wax melts expire and our guide on how to store wax melts and candles.
Are wax melts bad for you?
You may see wax melts described as "toxic" or "non-toxic" online. We do not think a simple label like that is helpful, and we do not describe our melts as non-toxic. As with any scented product, the sensible approach is to use wax melts as directed, keep the room ventilated, read the safety information on the product and burner, and stop using a fragrance if anyone in the household finds it uncomfortable. If you have a health condition that is affected by fragrance, ask your GP or pharmacist for advice.
How to use wax melts safely
- Only use wax melts in a burner designed for them, and follow the burner's own instructions.
- Place it on a stable, heat-resistant surface, away from curtains, draughts and anything that can catch light.
- Never leave a lit tealight burner unattended, and put it out before leaving the room or going to bed.
- Follow the burner's guidance on how long to use it in one session, keep the room ventilated, and do not overfill the dish.
- Never move a burner while the wax is liquid.
- Keep burners and melts out of reach of children and pets. If you have pets, read our guide on wax melts and cats and dogs.
Wax melt FAQs
Are wax melts the same as wax tarts?
Yes. "Wax tarts" is another name for wax melts, usually used for round, tart-shaped pieces. They are used in the same way.
Can you use wax melts without a burner?
Wax melts need gentle, controlled heat to release their fragrance, so use them in a burner designed for wax melts. Do not warm them on a radiator, hob or in a microwave.
Are your wax melts vegan?
Yes. Our wax melts are made from soy wax and fragrance oil, and they are vegan and cruelty-free.
Are wax melts safer than candles?
An electric wax burner has no open flame, which many people prefer. A tealight burner does have a flame, so treat it like a candle and never leave it unattended. Whichever you use, follow the safety tips above.
Can wax melts lose their smell?
Yes. In use, the fragrance is gradually released until the melt no longer smells. Unused melts can also slowly fade if left unwrapped or in a warm, bright spot, so store them well. See do wax melts expire for more.
Can wax melts be remelted and reused?
Yes, until the fragrance has gone. Let the wax set between uses and remelt it next time. Once you can no longer smell it, replace it.
Where can I buy wax melts?
You can browse our full range in our wax melts collection, hand-poured in more than 200 fragrances across the wider range.
How do you get old wax out of a burner?
Let it cool and set completely, then pop it out. Our guide to cleaning wax melt burners shows how.
Can you mix different wax melts?
Yes. Combining complementary scents is part of the fun. Just keep the total amount to what your dish is designed to hold.
Find your first wax melt
Wax melts are scented wax with no wick, warmed gently in a burner so their fragrance fills the room. The wax does not evaporate or disappear; the fragrance does, so when the scent fades, simply swap in a fresh piece. With a suitable burner, a sensible spot and a section or two of wax, you are ready to go.
Our wax melts are hand-poured with 100% soy wax and premium fragrance oils, with more than 200 fragrances across the wider range, in 80g Snap Bars (£6.00 in most scents) and 50g Mini Snap Bars (£3.75). Free UK delivery on orders over £45.