Why Can’t I Smell My Candle?

Have you ever lit a candle and wondered why you just did not smell anything? It smelled great when you took the lid off, but now? Nothing. This is very common and usually it is not due to the candle itself. Before you give up on that new candle you were so excited about, or that old scent that just doesn’t seem the same, lets go over the top four reasons why you can’t smell your candle.

1. Small candle, big room. Are you trying to use a tiny candle in a large room? That just might be your problem. Smells/Odors will try to fill the space that they are in. If you have one little candle trying to fill the space of a large living room, it just won’t be able to get the job done. Try using a larger candle or lighting multiple of the same candle when trying to fill a larger room. Don’t make that little guy do all the heavy lifting!

2. You’ve gone nose blind. I’m sure we’ve heard this phrase before, the other reason you may not be able to smell your candle is that you’ve gone “nose blind”. This can happen a number of ways. You lit your candle and have been in the room with it the whole time, maybe you’ve been using the same scent over a number of days. Sometimes our noses just don’t wanna work with us. But what happens is that your nose has become so used to the smell that it cannot detect it anymore. Before you blame the candle ask a friend to check and see if they can smell it, if they aren’t around it as much they might be able to let you know if it’s your sniffer or not. After that there are a couple cures we can try for this ailment and I will list them below –

• This is a simple one. If you’ve been in the room since the candle has been lit, leave the room for a little bit. Explore some new smells. Once your nose has had some time to clear itself out go back into the room and try smelling once again.
• Mix it up a little. If you just aren’t smelling it like you used to, try lighting something else for a bit. I know! Leave your familiar scent?! It sounds crazy, but maybe just crazy enough to work! This is the same type of thing as our first cure. Giving your nose and home some time to experience something else for a few days can make a world of difference. After a few days try that candle again and see if the smell has come back.

3. Some scents have a stronger profile than others. Something else that is important to keep in mind with candles is that some have a stronger scent profile than others. Some floral fragrances are lighter than say a coffee fragrance might be. So the smell just might be a little more subtle.

4. The candle is not being lit properly. Candles must be cared for properly if you want them to reach their full potential. We have a full blog on candle care tips so you can be sure you’re doing what you can do keep things burning properly!

And there are you! The top reasons why you might not be smelling your candles. Comment below and let us know if any of these tips worked for you!