Can You Use Mica Powder in Wax Melts?

Making your own wax melts is such a rewarding DIY activity. Not only do you end up with scented wax pieces in various sizes and shapes that, when melted, are a true gift to the senses, but it is pretty easy to design stylish, colorful variations that are super fun to create too. 

Once you’ve mastered melting wax and measuring fragrances, you may want to give your wax creations a bit of glamour and personal touch, so they also look beautiful when melting in a wax warmer or tart. To do so, the versatility, radiance, and even metallic shine of Mica Powders come immediately to mind. So the question is: Can you use Mica Powder in Wax Melts?

Yes, Mica Powder can be used in wax melts, and the shimmering effects while melting are simply out of this world. Since micas are inert mineral powders that don’t dissolve in Wax, the tiny sparkling particles spin delightfully as soon as the heat reaches the wax, producing a pleasing spectacle for the eyes. In addition, wax melts have no wick, so there is no need to worry about clogging them.

Now that you know Mica Powders are great for coloring your wax creations and producing a gleaming movement in the melts burner, you may be curious about: 

• How exactly to use Mica in wax melts?
• How much Mica Powder should you add to your wax projects?
• When exactly should you add the micas to the wax so you get the best results possible? 

No worries, in this article, you’ll find the answers to all those questions.

How to use Mica Powder in Wax Melts

There are primarily two ways to color wax melts using mica powders. You can choose one of them or use both in the same project. It’s never too much when it comes to adding beautiful colors and shimmery surfaces to your wax creations.

Dusting your Molds with Mica Powder

This technique is intended to embellish the surface of the wax melts. Using a conventional or makeup brush, you can apply Mica Powder to the walls of the silicone mold or any kind of mold you use for your wax creations. The powder will stick to the external surface of the wax melt.  

Mix Mica Powder with your Wax

By incorporating the Mica Powder particles into the wax and fragrance mixture, you’ll get colored wax melts with a sparkling swirling effect when melting. Adding the micas is by far the most satisfying part of this entire process of making wax melts! The movement and special effects you’ll witness before pouring your wax are incredibly gorgeous. So pamper yourself and enjoy the view ;-)

Since Micas are specially formulated to color transparent mediums, the wax will turn into a pastel color once it cools down because the medium itself is opaque. So the light won’t get to the mica particles directly, and the shine and pearlescence of the pigments will be only visible when the wax melts and become transparent again in the warmer.

How much Mica Powder in Wax Melts?

If decorating the surface of your wax melts, whether it is dusting the molds or brushing the surface of the wax melts once cured, you’ll only need a tiny little bit of Mica Powder for each piece to get shimmering silky results.

When mixing your Wax with Mica Powder, use up to 5% Mica Powder in the total amount of Wax by weight. For example, to color 100g of Wax, use up to 5g (~1/3 tsp) of Mica Powder. Since a little bit of these pigments goes a long way, and some micas are heavier than others, we always recommend starting with 1-3% and keep adding more mica powder if needed.

When to add Mica Powder to Wax Melts?

The temperature is critical when creating wax melts. Depending on the type of wax you’re using, there are different recommendations. So make sure you know what they are before starting your project, so your wax melts look and smell delicious.

Since Soy Wax is one of the most popular options out there, here are the temperature references to create Soy Melts:

• Once the soy wax is melted and reaches 78°C (172° F), add the fragrance oil of your choice and stir well for two minutes until it is thoroughly incorporated. 
• You can add Mica Powder to the mixture right after that. Since these mineral pigment powders won’t dissolve, the particles will blend but stay suspended, creating beautiful mica swirls. So gently stirring is highly recommended until the wax cools down and is ready to pour into your molds. 
• The constant stirring will prevent pigment particles from sinking to the bottom of the container at the time of the pour. 
• Allow the wax temperature to drop at least to around 50°-55°C (120°-130° F) before pouring the wax into the molds. Waiting until the wax is at a lower temperature and thickens slightly before pouring it into the molds will avoid irregular-colored wax melts due to pigment sinking.

Conclusions

Mica Powder is an excellent choice to color Wax Melts. Since these pearlescent pigments don’t dissolve in wax, they render a shimmering swirling effect when in the melts burner that makes your wax creations truly fascinating to watch. Micas are also great to enhance the surface of your pieces, making each design unique and beautiful with a vivid silky finish. Also, a little bit goes a long way. They are pretty easy to use and effortlessly incorporate into your wax and fragrance mixture. So, it’s a no-brainer! Just get a bunch of beautiful mica powders and start creating your own wax melts designs!

If you are interested in coloring other Wax creations like Candles with Mica Powder, we have all you need to know in this blog article.

Below is a Pinterest asset for your DIY boards in case you want to save this article.