Candle lovers are almost sure to come across the frequently tossed around term, "triple spotted." The term is used by many candle makers who hand pour their own candles. A triple spotted candle sounds fantastic. Who would not want one? From the sounds of the term, if I purchased a triple spotted candle, my thinking would be that I have purchased a super strong candle right? I may even venture to say that if I've bought such a candle it really means that other candles that are not advertised as "triple spotted" are not as strong and that my candle has something that other candles do not have. So what, exactly, does triple sighted mean in the candle world? I'll let you be the judge.
If you've ever followed a recipe to bake a cake, you know that the results of your cake will vary depending upon the ingredients you use. Here's an example. Your recipe calls for three eggs yet small, medium and large eggs will each produce different results. Likewise, the fragrance oil used to make a candle will vary in thickness or density and will each produce different results given the use of a measured amount (such as three ounces). One fact to consider is that all candle wax is not created equal and each will only hold a limited amount of fragrance oil. Therefore, it is important to understand that a candle maker can not go over that specific amount of oil that a wax will hold unless they want their customer to end up with a really smoky candle. So given that the density of the fragrance oil varies just like the size of the eggs will vary for a cake recipe, the amount of oil used in making a candle will vary based on the two factors mentioned: how much fragrance oil the wax will hold and the density of the fragrance oil.
Realistically when examining the facts, a denser oil gives one result and a fragrance that is not asense produces another result (given that we are using the same measured amount in both). Does this mean that the candle that you added more fragrance to is triple spotted? Before you answer, let's look at this example. Say I'm making a decadent chocolate cake candle and the fragrance oil I'm using is denser than that used for a pancakes and maple syrup candle, I will use more of one to reach the same scent level than I will the other. So if I've used more in the chocolate cake candle to reach the same scent as the pancakes candle, that would mean that my pancakes candle is not triple spotted?
I think the bottom line here is that regardless of the density of the fragrance oil used in a candle, the most important thing in determining how good a candle was would not be the candle's claim to be "triple scented" but, instead, how well all of the elements of the candle work together to produce a product that you will love, one that offers a strong scent throw and burns evenly.
