If you can’t smell your wax melts, despite what you might think, it doesn’t automatically mean they’re bad or “not working”. In most cases, it comes down to a handful of common factors - from burner temperature, room size, fragrance strength, or even your own nose.
Below are the most common reasons wax melts seem weak, and what you can do about it.
Burner temperature matters more than people realise
One of the biggest reasons people struggle to smell wax melts is burner temperature.
If the burner isn’t getting hot enough, the wax will melt but the fragrance won’t evaporate efficiently. On the flip side, if the burner is TOO HOT, the fragrance can burn off too quickly, meaning you get a short burst of scent and then nothing.
Ever had it where a wax melt has barely lasted a few hours and then the scent is gone? Yep, that can usually be because it's been way too hot.
Electric burners and tea light burners all run at slightly different temperatures, so results can vary depending on what you’re using.
Generally speaking, tea light burners get warmer than electric ones, so burn times might vary.
Room size makes a HUGE difference
Wax melts don’t magically fill every space.
A wax melt that smells strong in a small bedroom might feel weak in a large open-plan living room. Bigger rooms disperse scent more quickly, especially if there’s airflow from doors, windows, or ventilation.
Sometimes the issue isn’t the wax melt - you're just asking too much of it.
Naturally you can resolve this by simply using more wax if your melter can mange it. You might even need more than one output of fragrance - but that's probably if you have a MASSIVE room.
Fragrance load and oil quality
Not all wax melts are made the same.
Some contain very little fragrance oil, or use lower-quality oils that simply don’t project well when heated. In those cases, even the right burner in the right room won’t help much.
At Teddy Eva Scents, we use a 10% fragrance load with our wax melts - which is the legal maximum in most cases - so we try our very best to make sure fragrance load or oil quality isn't an issue.
Nose blindness is a real thing
This one catches people out ALL THE TIME. Even with us!
If you’re around a scent for a while, your brain can stop registering it.
This is known as scent fatigue or “nose blindness”. Other people might still be able to smell it perfectly well, even though you can’t.
It’s the same reason you stop noticing your own perfume after a few minutes.
It's also the reason reed diffusers can often feel like they're not working if they're kept in the same place as they're literally giving off the same fragrance all the time.
To help with nose blindness it's usually a good shout to mix up your fragrances or have different scents in different rooms.
Some scents are naturally more subtle
Not all fragrances are designed to punch you in the face.
Sometimes you just have a scent that's light and dainty rather than strong and overpowering.
Personal preference plays a big role here too. What smells strong to one person might barely register to another.
From my personal point of view, I don't tend to notice some of our bakery scents as well as others. It's just something that doesn't really vibe with me all that much and I often think they're really weak - but that's just me.
When a wax melt is actually finished
Sometimes the simple answer is that the wax melt has done its job.
Once all the fragrance has evaporated, the wax will still melt, but it won’t smell of anything.
At that point, it’s time to replace it.
Again, it'll kinda come down to personal preference on this one as some people will be happy having the scent linger until it's REALLY gone,. Meanwhile others might always want the scent to be strong so will want to change wax melts sooner.
What you can try if you can’t smell your wax melts
If your wax melts feel weak, it’s worth trying:
- A different burner
- A smaller room
- Using more wax
- Turning the burner off and on rather than running it constantly
- Switching scent styles
Often, a small change makes a big difference.
So… is it the wax melt?
Sometimes, yes.
Often, no.
Scent is subjective, environments vary, and noses are weird. If you can’t smell your wax melts, it’s usually a combination of factors rather than a single problem.
FAQs
How do I know if my wax melt is finished?
- If the wax melts but you can’t smell anything at all, it’s probably done.
- If you only get a tiny bit of scent right at the start then nothing, it may be on its way out (or your burner may be too hot).
Why do wax melts smell strong at first, then stop?
- Your burner might be running too hot and burning off the fragrance quickly.
- You might be going nose blind (especially if you’ve had the same scent on for hours).
Do tea light burners smell stronger than electric?
- Often, yes - tea light burners can get hotter, which can throw scent harder.
- But higher heat can also reduce how long the scent lasts.
What’s the easiest way to get stronger scent?
- Try a smaller room or close doors to reduce airflow.
- Use a little more wax (if your burner can handle it safely).
- Switch to a different scent profile.
For all other information about wax melts feel free to head to our hub post.
