Private Label Perfumery manufactures private label scented candles in Istanbul, Turkey. The minimum order is 500 units per fragrance and per vessel. Wax system, fragrance load and wick are approved together, because changing one alters burn behaviour. Production runs 4–6 weeks from the point approvals close.
Key facts
| Available sizes | Fill weight and vessel dimensions are confirmed during vessel selection |
|---|---|
| Formats | Container candles and selected gift-set formats |
| Incoterms | EXW, FOB, DDP |
| Markets served | United States, United Kingdom and European Union |
| Commercial basis | Specification, quantity, components, Incoterm and named place |
| Production lead time | Approximately 4–6 weeks after approvals for standard products |
| Minimum order quantity | 500 units per fragrance |
Product and component system
Wax chemistry, fragrance load, wick construction, vessel diameter and cure conditions influence flame behavior, melt pool, soot and scent throw. Every approved combination should complete controlled burn testing in the intended vessel.
The working bill of materials normally covers wax blend, fragrance, wick, vessel, warning label, dust cover or carton. Each component must be identified by supplier code and approved finish. Compatibility is evaluated against the intended formula, filling method, storage conditions and distribution route rather than assumed from visual similarity.
Building a decision-ready specification
A useful manufacturing brief identifies the customer, destination market, sales channel, target retail position, quantity range, packaging direction and required launch date. It also separates items that are fixed from items that may change. A reference image can explain visual intent, but it is not a technical specification. Dimensions, materials, finish standards, artwork files, tolerances and approval samples must be recorded in writing.
Component availability should be checked before the brand commits to photography or launch communication. Stock components can shorten the sourcing path, while custom colors, decoration, molds or specialty closures may introduce separate supplier minimums and longer procurement sequences. The commercial quotation should distinguish formula development, samples, components, decoration, filling, packing, testing, documentation and freight so buyers can compare equivalent scopes.
Samples and approval control
A candle sample is a burn test, not a scent test. The coded reference is assessed alight in the intended vessel: cold throw against hot throw, how the melt pool forms across successive burns, flame behaviour and whether the wick keeps up with the wax as the vessel empties. A fragrance approved on a blotter tells you almost nothing about any of that.
Wax, wick, vessel and fragrance load are approved as one system, because changing any of them changes the burn. Where a project includes several vessel sizes, each size is burned and approved separately — the same wick rarely serves two diameters.
Quality and production release
Release checks the finished candle as an assembly: fill weight against the approved specification, wick centring and anchoring, surface appearance including sinkholes and frosting, adhesion between wax and vessel wall, and the vessel and lid against the approved decoration.
Burn performance is verified against the approved reference rather than against a general standard, since the acceptable melt pool depends on the vessel that was signed off. Batch records tie released goods to the approved wax, wick, vessel and fragrance load, so a later burn complaint can be traced to a specific run and component set.
Where a project includes several vessel sizes, each size carries its own release criteria, because a melt pool that is correct in one diameter is not evidence for another.
Packaging artwork and claims
Artwork should move to print only after the destination markets, responsible economic operators, formula data, nominal content and packaging dimensions are confirmed. The available design area is not the same as the printable or legally usable area. Barcodes, warnings, ingredient information, responsible-party details and batch coding must remain legible after production.
Claims such as natural, clean, long-lasting, non-toxic or sustainable require evidence and context. A supplier statement about one ingredient does not automatically substantiate a finished-product claim. The brand remains responsible for ensuring that marketing language is accurate, supportable and appropriate for the market in which it appears.
International shipment planning
Candles are wax and glass: heavy, breakable and temperature-sensitive. Sustained heat in transit or storage can soften the surface, shift the wax against the vessel wall or affect appearance, so the route and season are part of the plan rather than an operational detail.
Weight rather than volume usually drives the freight cost, and vessel weight is fixed at component selection, so it belongs in the cost conversation early. Carton configuration and internal protection are agreed before production release. Quotations are issued EXW, FOB or DDP.
Lids, boxes and any gift-set configuration are confirmed before production release, since a set that is assembled after packing adds handling and changes the carton count the freight was quoted on.
Project pathway
- Brief and feasibility. Confirm product, market, quantity, channel, price position and packaging direction.
- Development and sourcing. Prepare formula or fragrance options and confirm compatible components.
- Approval. Record the approved sample, components, artwork, pack configuration and quotation.
- Production and shipment. Manufacture, inspect, release, pack and coordinate the agreed delivery route.
Market-specific planning
Candle projects require product-safety and warning-label planning appropriate to the destination. Fragrance documentation supports mixture assessment, but it does not replace finished-candle burn and safety evaluation.
Regulatory roles should be assigned before artwork approval. The manufacturer can provide agreed production and formula documentation, but the brand, importer and appointed Responsible Person retain the duties assigned to them by the destination market. Current requirements should be verified with the relevant authority or qualified adviser before launch.
Frequently asked questions
How is a candle sample approved?
By burning it in the intended vessel. Cold throw, hot throw, melt pool formation across successive burns and flame behaviour are assessed — a blotter evaluation does not predict any of them.
Can the vessel be changed after approval?
Not without re-testing. Wax, wick, vessel and fragrance load burn as one system, and the same wick rarely serves two vessel diameters.
What fixes the size of a candle?
Fill weight and vessel dimensions, confirmed during vessel selection rather than set in advance.
What are the common appearance defects?
Sinkholes, frosting, wet spots where the wax pulls away from the glass, and off-centre wicks. These are checked at release against the approved reference.
Does transport affect candles differently?
Yes. Wax is temperature-sensitive and glass is breakable, so route, season, carton configuration and internal protection are agreed before production release.
How many vessel sizes can share one wick?
Usually none. Wick performance depends on vessel diameter, so each size is burned and approved on its own even when the wax and the fragrance load are identical.
What does fill weight actually fix?
It fixes the quotation, the burn time the product will be judged on, and the freight weight. Vessel weight is set at component selection, so it belongs in the cost conversation early rather than at quotation.
Related buyer guides
- Scented Candle Product Development
- Candle Fragrance Load And Scent Throw
- Home Fragrance Gift Set Planning
- Fragrance Sample Approval Process
Request a product quotation
Send the destination market, estimated quantity, preferred format, fragrance direction, packaging reference and target date. The response can then separate confirmed scope from decisions that still require samples or supplier quotations.
Start a projectRelated formats
Candles are commonly paired with the other home formats in a single seasonal range. See room fragrance, car fragrance and private label perfume.