We thoroughly tested our essential oils for performance in candles and found that even though some are perfectly safe for candles, they smell very unpleasant when burned. For example, we found that even though our bergamot essential oil performs beautifully in soap, lotions, and diffusers, the hot throw of a candle smells unpleasant, similar to a fuel smell. While an essential oil can be perfectly safe for use in candles, we only recommend essential oils that smell pleasant when burned.

Exposure to a flame is the cause of the unpleasant smell, so essential oils that are not recommended for use in candles may still be good candidates for wax melts and other applications.