Cold Throw vs. Hot Throw: What Do These Candle Terms Mean?
Two ways to experience a candle’s fragrance
When shopping for candles, you may hear the terms cold throw and hot throw. These phrases describe how a candle’s fragrance is experienced at two different stages.
Understanding the difference can help you evaluate a candle more thoughtfully and choose a scent that works well in your space.
What is cold throw?
Cold throw is the fragrance you notice when a candle is unlit and the wax is at room temperature. It is the scent you experience when you remove the lid or smell the candle in a store.
Cold throw can help you identify the fragrance family and individual notes. You might immediately notice bright citrus, sweet vanilla, warm spice, fresh linen, or deep wood notes.
However, a strong cold throw does not automatically guarantee a strong hot throw. Heating the wax changes how the fragrance travels through the air, so the candle may smell slightly different once it is burning.
What is hot throw?
Hot throw is the fragrance released while the candle is lit and a melt pool has formed. As the wax warms, fragrance molecules evaporate and circulate through the surrounding space.
The hot throw may reveal notes that were less noticeable when the candle was cold. A fragrance that initially smells fruity, for example, may develop warmer vanilla, amber, spice, or wood notes as it burns.
Always allow the candle to burn according to its care instructions before evaluating its full fragrance experience.
What affects fragrance strength?
Several factors can influence both cold and hot throw:
The wax blend and fragrance formulation
The candle’s curing time
Wick selection and melt-pool development
The size and shape of the vessel
Room size, airflow, and ceiling height
The amount of competing fragrance already in the room
A candle that fills a small bedroom may seem lighter in a large, open living area. Drafts, fans, and open windows can also move fragrance away from the space where the candle is burning.
Choose fragrance for your space
At Alondra’s Candle Co., each premium soy-blend candle is carefully created and tested with its fragrance, wick, and vessel working together. We offer sizes for different spaces, including 4-ounce and 8-ounce candles and 16-ounce three-wick vessels.
Visit Alondra’s Candle Co. at 2420 28th Street SW, Wyoming, MI 49519, or call 616-574-2063. We would love to help you find a fragrance and candle size that feels right for your home.
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