Should I Add Fragrance While the Mixer Is Already Running or Add the Full Amount First and Then Begin Mixing?

The order matters less than what the wax is doing when the oil lands

This question usually comes from makers who have recently started using a mechanical mixer, or who are about to. On a 1 kg jug the sequence never mattered: pour, stir, done. At 15–25 kg in a deep melter, the choice between adding oil into already-moving wax and adding the full amount before starting the mixer changes how the oil first spreads. That first spread is what the rest of your mixing time has to finish.

For most setups the better default is to have the wax already moving gently, then add the oil steadily into the moving flow, then continue mixing for a defined time. The reason is simple. Oil poured onto still wax lies where it lands, forming a layer or pocket that the mixer then has to find and break up. Oil poured into a moving stream is carried away from the pour point immediately, so it begins dispersing as it enters.

That default comes with conditions. It only holds if the mixer is at a low, controlled speed during the addition, if the pour is kept well away from the rotating shaft, and if the mixing continues long enough after the last of the oil has gone in. Get any of those wrong and the “better” sequence can give you splashes, trapped air or an under-mixed batch.

Running mixer versus stopped mixer: what each sequence risks

CSI does not sell mechanical mixers, and many makers reading this will be stirring by hand. The same logic applies: moving the wax with a paddle as you pour is the hand-stirring equivalent of adding into a running mixer.

Notice that the stopped-mixer sequence is not wrong. It is simply more dependent on what happens next. If you add everything first, start slowly, and mix for long enough at full depth, the batch can end up just as uniform. The difference is that there is less margin for a short or shallow mix.

Worked example: a 15 kg Gardenia batch in CSI 468

A maker pours 200 g coconut-soy jars using Premium Coconut Soy Wax CSI 468 with Gardenia at 8% of total weight. A 15 kg batch is 13.8 kg of wax and 1.2 kg of oil, filling 75 candles before losses.

Material cost first. CSI 468 is cheaper per kg from 5 kg, so the maker buys one 10 kg pack at ₹6,370.00 and one 5 kg pack at ₹3,185.00, which is ₹9,555.00 for 15 kg, leaving 1.2 kg over for the next batch. Gardenia for 1.2 kg is one 1 kg pack at ₹4,332.00 plus two 100 g packs at ₹433.00 each, so ₹4,332.00 + ₹866.00 = ₹5,198.00. The 13.8 kg of wax actually used is worth 13.8 ÷ 15 × ₹9,555.00 = ₹8,790.60, so this batch carries ₹8,790.60 + ₹5,198.00 = ₹13,988.60 of wax and oil.

Temperature matters here more than usual. The Gardenia product page states a flashpoint of 98°C and tells you to add it below 98°C. The CSI 468 page states a melt point of 50–53°C and a pour temperature of 58–60°C. Your addition temperature has to sit comfortably below the flashpoint and above the point where the wax starts to thicken, and it must be read on a separate thermometer because the melter display carries a stated ±10°C deviation.

In the first batch the maker poured all 1.2 kg onto still wax, then switched on the mixer at a high setting for a short time. Candles from the start of the pour showed small bubbles at the top and uneven cold throw. For the second batch the maker changed one variable, the sequence: mixer on low first, oil poured steadily into the moving wax halfway between the shaft and the wall, then continued mixing at the same low setting for a defined period. If the beginning, middle and end candles then match a 1 kg control, the sequence is validated for that batch size and that oil.

How to add oil into a running mixer safely

If you stir by hand, and what to do with a doubtful batch

For hand stirring, the running-mixer principle translates directly: start moving the wax before the oil goes in, pour with one hand while stirring with the other, or have a second person pour while you stir. Two people is safer at 15 kg and above. Stir at full depth, scraping the base, and keep going for a defined time after the last oil.

If you already have a batch made with the “add everything, then mix briefly” sequence and you are unsure about it, hold the candles before labelling. Pull candles from the first, middle and last part of the pour, cure them alongside a fresh 1 kg control, and compare cold throw blind and then hot throw. Burn tests need the usual care: never leave a burning candle unattended, and stop any test that smokes or flares. If the three positions match, release. If they do not, sort by pour position and either rework or downgrade the out-of-range candles rather than raising the load for the next batch.

Whichever sequence you settle on, write it on the SOP: mixer on before or after oil, speed during addition, speed during main mix, time from last oil. Sequence is part of the method, and a method that is not written down will drift.

If you are unsure whether your addition temperature suits a particular oil, send the oil name and wax to CSI on WhatsApp at +91 7397976926 and we will share what the product page states.

Where this page fits

CSI already has guides that cover parts of this question. This page covers the failure investigation for the question above; these go deeper on the rest:

Three things to buy for this job

Frequently asked questions