When Changing Fragrance Oil, What Should I Retest: Percentage, Hot Throw, Cold Throw, Wick Behaviour, Discolouration, Sweating, Storage Stability and Full-Life Combustion?
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What is not in the title but should be? Scent identity (NEW), jar heat and soot (REPEAT), documents (NEW) and cost per candle (NEW). Wax, jar and fill stay KEEP.
How many candles? 12 in one pour: new oil × 5 (3 burn, 2 storage), scouts at 6% and 10%, and 5 controls.
What does it cost? ₹3,385.00 for the new oil, wax, wicks and jars; the controls use your old oil.
Why a fragrance change touches all eight
It is tempting to think of fragrance as the one ingredient that only affects smell. In general candle-making practice it is more than that. The oil is burned along with the wax, so it is part of what the wick is feeding on. It sits inside the wax structure, so it is part of what the surface looks like after weeks on a shelf. Some fragrance materials can shift the colour of wax with time or light. And the whole reason it is there — throw — depends on how that particular oil releases from that particular wax. So when the oil changes, each of the eight lines in the title has a reason to move. The question is how far.
CSI publishes no measured data for any oil on any of these lines: no throw figures, no wick behaviour, no discolouration tendency, no retention or sweating data, no storage-stability data. That is not a gap peculiar to CSI; per-oil performance in your candle cannot be published by anyone, because it depends on your wax, wick, jar, load and storage. Every verdict below is therefore about what to test, not what to expect.
The checklist: each line, its verdict and why
This is the verdict for the most common case — a replacement oil at the same load, with wax, wick, jar and dye unchanged. KEEP means the old result is still valid, CONFIRM a short side-by-side check against a control, REPEAT the full test again, NEW a test your old formula never needed. The table covers the eight lines in the title first, then the lines that belong on the same checklist even though the title does not name them.
| Line | Verdict | Why | Escalate when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage (load) | CONFIRM | The old load was optimised for the old oil. A one-candle scout two points either side tells you whether it is still about right | The scout beats the old load, or the old load is weak → NEW (full ladder) |
| Hot throw | REPEAT | The customer-facing result, and entirely oil-dependent. Scored at fixed times in a fixed room against the control | — |
| Cold throw | REPEAT | Release from solid wax differs between oils; score at fixed cure checkpoints | — |
| Wick behaviour | REPEAT | The oil is part of the fuel: flame, melt pool, mushrooming and soot can all move | — |
| Discolouration | CONFIRM | Oils can tint wax differently, sometimes only with time or light; CSI publishes no per-oil discolouration data | Dyed or 'white' SKUs, or any visible shift → REPEAT |
| Sweating | CONFIRM | A wax can hold one oil and not another at the same load | Load rises, or any surface oil appears → REPEAT |
| Storage stability | CONFIRM | Scent fade, surface and colour over your holding period | Stock held long or in warm places → REPEAT |
| Full-life combustion | REPEAT | Halfway and end-of-life problems cannot be seen in top-of-candle burns | — |
| Scent identity | NEW | Is it still the product on the label? Blind strips, then cured candles | Reliably picked out → sell under a new name |
| Cure checkpoints | REPEAT | A different oil can develop on a different curve | — |
| Jar heat and soot | REPEAT | Safety lines: no worse than control on every burn | Any line worse → reject at this setup |
| Wax, jar, fill weight | KEEP | Unchanged | Only if the load changes beyond the wax's ceiling |
| Documents (MSDS, IFRA) | NEW | The old oil's paperwork does not cover the new one | — |
| Cost per candle | NEW | New price per gram × W × L | — |
Each line has a page of its own in this cluster. The load question in depth: the new lavender that is weaker in wax, the replacement that works at 6% instead of 9% and the stronger sandalwood. Wick and full-life: the coffee that mushrooms, the oud with a deeper melt pool and the wick that struggles halfway. Colour: the vanilla that darkens. Sweating: the candle that started sweating.
The verdicts move with the kind of change
"Changing fragrance oil" covers several different situations, and the checklist shifts with each. A new bottle of the same approved oil is not the same event as a new oil from a new supplier, and neither is the same as changing the load. The table below gives the default verdict for the eight lines under each common change.
| Line | New lot, same oil (lot check passes) | Replacement oil, same load | Same or new oil, new load | One oil in a blend replaced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | KEEP | CONFIRM | NEW | CONFIRM |
| Hot throw | CONFIRM | REPEAT | REPEAT | REPEAT |
| Cold throw | CONFIRM | REPEAT | REPEAT | REPEAT |
| Wick behaviour | CONFIRM | REPEAT | REPEAT | REPEAT |
| Discolouration | CONFIRM | CONFIRM | CONFIRM | CONFIRM |
| Sweating | KEEP | CONFIRM | REPEAT if higher | CONFIRM |
| Storage stability | KEEP | CONFIRM | CONFIRM | CONFIRM |
| Full-life combustion | KEEP | REPEAT | REPEAT | REPEAT |
| Where it is worked | reformulation / lot check | supplier change | lower load | two-oil blend |
The first column is the only one where most lines stay KEEP — and it only applies after a lot check against a retained sample has found no difference. If the lot check finds one, that column becomes the second column. Even a small change to one component of a blend sits in the last column rather than the first, because the finished blend is a new fuel.
One pour that answers the whole checklist
Running each line as a separate test is how retesting becomes a month of pouring. A single pour can cover all eight if each candle has a job. The design below is a working practice: the new oil at your approved 8% — three candles to burn (one of them to the end) and two to store (normal shelf and the warmest spot your stock really goes) — plus one scout candle each at 6% and 10% to answer the percentage line, and five controls of the old oil laid out the same way. All are 200 g in a White Matte Glass Jar of Luxury Soy Wax Chunks (rated up to 13%), so every rung is inside the wax maker's stated ceiling.
| Candle | Load | Oil | How many | Lines it answers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New oil · burn | 8% | 16 g | 2 | Hot throw, cold throw, wick behaviour, jar heat, soot |
| New oil · full-life | 8% | 16 g | 1 | Full-life combustion (plus all burn lines) |
| New oil · storage, shelf | 8% | 16 g | 1 | Storage stability, discolouration, sweating |
| New oil · storage, warm spot | 8% | 16 g | 1 | Sweating, discolouration under stress |
| Scout · low | 6% | 12 g | 1 | Percentage — is less enough? |
| Scout · high | 10% | 20 g | 1 | Percentage — does more help? |
| Control · old oil | 8% | 16 g | 5 | The same five jobs, as the reference |
| Total | 112 g new oil | 12 |
| Checkpoint | Date | Lines answered |
|---|---|---|
| Pour | Thu 1 Oct | Pour notes: mixing, surface, colour photo |
| 48-hour cold throw | Sat 3 Oct | Early cold throw (scout only) |
| 7-day cold throw, first burn | Thu 8 Oct | Cold throw; hot throw and wick begin |
| 14-day cold throw + storage check | Thu 15 Oct | Cold throw final; percentage scouts read; sweating, colour |
| Full-life finished (example rate) | Thu 15 Oct | Full-life combustion (about 8 cycles at 7 g an hour) |
| Storage check at 28 days (example) | Thu 29 Oct | Storage stability, discolouration, sweating — continue weekly as needed |
The master scoring sheet
One sheet, every line, new oil against control. Throw is scored 1–5 relative to the control; everything measurable is measured. The pass rules are working rules for you to adjust — but set them before the pour, not after.
| Line | Measure | New oil | Control | Pass (working rule) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scent identity | Triangle test, 3 rounds | Odd found in _ of 3 | — | 0–1 of 3 for same name |
| Percentage | Scouts at 6% / 10% | ref. | Old load still the lowest that matches | |
| Cold throw | 1–5 at 48 h, 7 d, 14 d | ref. | ≥ control at 14 days | |
| Hot throw | 1–5 at a fixed time, fixed room | ref. | ≥ control | |
| Wick behaviour | Melt pool Ø and depth, flame, mushrooming | ref. | No worse | |
| Jar heat, soot | Jar-side reading, glass soot | ref. | No worse; within your jar supplier's guidance | |
| Discolouration | Photo in the same light, each checkpoint | ref. | No visible shift you would not sell | |
| Sweating | Tissue wipe, shelf and warm spot | ref. | None | |
| Storage stability | Surface, colour, cold throw over holding period | ref. | No worse | |
| Full-life combustion | Zone scores, end-of-life behaviour, wax left | ref. | No worse in any zone | |
| Consumption | g lost ÷ hours | ref. | Record; restate burn time if it moves |
CSI publishes no numeric flame-height or jar-temperature limit and this sheet does not invent one. Safety lines pass when they are no worse than your approved control and within your jar supplier's guidance and the candle fire-safety standard you work to — ASTM F2417 is a commonly cited one. Better throw never pays for a hotter jar.
The priced checklist kit
The new oil for all seven new-oil candles, scouts included, is 112 g; with a 5% allowance for weighing and pour loss (a working assumption) that is 117.6 g. The wax covers all 12 candles with the same allowance. The controls' oil is your old oil and is not priced.
| Item | Need | Buy | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil | 117.6 g | 1 × 100 g + 2 × 15 g | ₹708.00 |
| Luxury Soy Wax Chunks | 2,318.4 g | 2 × 1 kg + 1 × 500 g | ₹1,497.00 |
| Eco Candle Wicks Thin C1 | 14 (incl. 2 spare) | 1 × pack of 20 | ₹118.00 |
| White Matte Glass Jar | 12 jars | 3 × pack of 5 | ₹1,062.00 |
| Kit total | ₹3,385.00 |
If the checklist passes and you move to production, the oil in one 200 g candle at 8% costs ₹80.00 at the 100 g price (₹5.00 a gram) and ₹77.47 at the 1 kg price (₹4.84 a gram) — one of the smaller real steps on CSI's list. The cost line of the checklist is NEW for exactly that reason: it has to be recalculated with the new oil's price per gram × W × L, and the cost-comparison page shows how to compare it with the old oil when the loads differ.
| Pack | Price | Per gram | 200 g candles at 8% (16 g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 g | ₹104.00 | ₹6.93 | 0.94 |
| 50 g | ₹270.00 | ₹5.40 | 3.12 |
| 100 g | ₹500.00 | ₹5.00 | 6.25 |
| 500 g | ₹2,500.00 | ₹5.00 | 31.25 |
| 1 kg | ₹4,842.00 | ₹4.84 | 62.50 |
| Pack | Price | Per kg | 200 g candles at 8% (184 g wax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 g | ₹299.00 | ₹598.00 | 2.72 |
| 1 kg | ₹599.00 | ₹599.00 | 5.43 |
| 5 kg | ₹2,995.00 | ₹599.00 | 27.17 |
| 10 kg | ₹5,999.00 | ₹599.90 | 54.35 |
The decision rule, the release and the record
Written before the pour: release the new oil at the old load only if every REPEAT line is no worse than the control, every CONFIRM line passed without escalating, the scent identity check supports the product name, and the documents are on file. If a CONFIRM line escalated, finish that line's full test first. If any safety line is worse than the control, reject the oil at this setup — no score on any other line outweighs it.
| What the checklist shows | Decision | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Every line passes at the old load | Release | Record as a formula revision |
| Scouts say a different load | Escalate: percentage NEW | Full ladder — lavender page or lower-load page |
| Colour shift or sweating in storage | Escalate: REPEAT | Full storage test; colour page / sweating page |
| Passes, but reliably picked out on strips | Release under a new name | Keep the old SKU's identity |
| Any safety line worse than control | Reject | Try another oil |
The record is part of the release. For every fragrance change, file: the old and new oil with supplier and order dates, the load, the unchanged wax, wick, jar and dye, each line's verdict (KEEP, CONFIRM, REPEAT, NEW), the scores and dates, the documents received, who released it and the first production batch. Keep a sealed retained sample of the new oil and one unburned candle from the first batch. The formula-record and change-control-form pages later in this series give templates you can copy.
The cluster, line by line
This page is the hub for the fragrance-oil change pages. If your change is a near-identical swap, start with the discontinued-lavender page or the supplier-change page. If the oil is out of stock and you are working to a date, the bestseller stock-out page covers the pressure case, and the backup-supplier page shows how to avoid them next time. For what a fragrance change costs per candle, the cost-comparison page works the maths.
CANDLEMAKINGSUPPLIESINDIA supplies raw materials, not finished candles. This checklist asks you to buy test sizes, not production quantities, and allows that the result may be a lower load or a different oil. It states plainly that CSI publishes no throw, colour, sweating, storage or wick data for any oil.
Oil and wax prices are CSI live pricing pulled on 24 September 2026; wick and jar prices were verified for Blog 760 on 10 September 2026 and rechecked on 25 September 2026. Candle quantities use oil = W × L; the kit uses only listed, in-stock sizes; dates are counted from an example pour on Thursday 1 October 2026.
The verdicts, the 12-candle design, the ±2-point scouts, the checkpoints (48 hours, 7, 14 and 28 days), 3–4 hour cycles, the 7 g/hour example rate and the 5% allowance are working practices you may change. CSI publishes no flame-height or jar-temperature limit. For MSDS and IFRA documents or help planning the retest, message +91 7397976926 on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
- My Lavender Fragrance Was Discontinued and I Found Another Lavender That Smells Almost Identical — Can I Use the Same 8% Formula and Wick?
- I Changed Only My Fragrance Supplier but the Scent Profile Is Nearly Identical — Do I Still Need a New Burn Test?
- My Replacement Sandalwood Fragrance Is Stronger than the Old One — Should I First Optimise Its Fragrance Load Rather than Automatically Using My Previous Percentage?
- My New Vanilla Fragrance Darkens the Candle Much More than the Previous Version — Should Colour Stability Be Revalidated Even If Burn Performance Is Unchanged?
- My New Lavender Smells Stronger from the Bottle but Weaker in Wax — Should I Optimise It as a Completely New Fragrance Rather than Treating It as a Substitute?
- My Fragrance Supplier Reformulated an Existing Oil but Kept the Same Product Name — Should I Repeat Candle Testing Before Using the New Batch Commercially?
- I Changed Fragrance Oils and My Candle Started Sweating — Should I Test Lower Loads Before Changing Wax?
- I Changed Fragrance Oils and the Wick Now Struggles Halfway Through the Candle — Should Full-Life Burn Testing Be Repeated for Every Replacement Fragrance?
- My Original Fragrance Costs ₹5,000 per Kg and the Replacement Costs ₹3,500 — How Do I Compare Them When They Require Different Fragrance Loads?
- I Need to Replace a Bestseller Fragrance Immediately Because My Supplier Is Out of Stock — Should I Delay Production Until the Substitute Passes Testing?
Customer reviews: The six reviews at the top of this page are genuine, published Judge.me reviews left by CSI customers on the product pages named on each card — Eco Candle Wicks, Premium Candle Wicking Needle and Bamboo Wick Holder. They are general product reviews, not assessments of the guidance set out here. Names, star ratings, dates and products are as recorded by Judge.me and wording is unedited. "Verified buyer" appears only on the three reviews Judge.me recorded as verified — Monika Deep, Subhankar Roy and Sneha Tamang; the reviews from Ashwini, LJ and Lalitha Jagan are published but not recorded as verified, and carry no badge.
Figures pulled 24 September 2026, CSI live pricing: Japanese Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil ₹104.00 / 15 g, ₹270.00 / 50 g, ₹500.00 / 100 g, ₹2,500.00 / 500 g, ₹4,842.00 / 1 kg. Luxury Soy Wax Chunks ₹299.00 / 500 g, ₹599.00 / 1 kg, ₹2,995.00 / 5 kg, ₹5,999.00 / 10 kg (rated up to 13% fragrance load). Figures verified 10 September 2026 (Blog 760), wick packs rechecked 25 September 2026: Eco Candle Wicks Thin C1 ₹59.00 / 10, ₹118.00 / 20 (₹5.90 each); White Matte Glass Jar ₹354.00 / 5 (₹70.80 each).
Non-price figures and assumptions: Load is a share of the finished candle (oil = W × L); 8% is the reader's approved load. The verdicts, 12-candle design, ±2-point scouts, checkpoint schedule, 3–4 hour cycles, 7 g/hour example rate, example pour date and 5% allowance are working practices or examples. The White Matte jar's fill weight is not published — confirm 200 g by a weighed pour. CSI publishes no throw, discolouration, sweating, storage, wick-per-oil, flame or jar-temperature data per oil. Diwali 2026 falls on 8 November. Prices and availability change — the linked product pages are always authoritative.