Pick up a lavender candle and you might expect one smell. In fact, the word lavender can point to two different plants. One is true lavender, often called English lavender. The other is lavandin, a tougher cross used on a much bigger scale. They smell alike at first, but not the same. Here is what sets them apart, and how to tell which one your nose is picking up.
What a lavender candle really smells of
True lavender has the Latin name Lavandula angustifolia. It is the soft, low bush you see in many British cottage gardens.
Lavandin is a cross between true lavender and spike lavender. A published study of lavender oils calls it a sterile hybrid, which means it cannot grow from seed. It also quotes earlier figures showing lavandin gives about three times more oil per hectare. That helps explain why lavandin oil tends to cost less.
The same study says true lavender oil goes into perfume and cosmetics. Lavandin oil is more often used in cleaning products and detergents.
Why does some lavender smell sharp?
The usual answer is camphor. The US safety body OSHA describes camphor as having a penetrating, aromatic smell. Lavandin carries far more of it than true lavender.
The numbers behind lavender scent
Lavender oil is a mix of many natural materials. The study lists the ranges set by international ISO standards, which are rules for what a pure oil should contain.
- True lavender: 0.5 to 1% camphor
- Lavandin: 6 to 8% camphor
- Both: around a quarter to a third linalool
So lavandin can hold up to sixteen times more camphor. That is a big part of why the two smell different. Linalool and linalyl acetate make up much of both oils. The study uses all three as signs of quality.
How to tell them apart with your nose
You do not need a lab. Smell the candle before you light it. This is called the cold throw, which means how it smells unlit.
If it smells soft, sweet and rounded, it leans towards true lavender. If it smells brighter and sharper, with a cool, almost medicinal edge, lavandin may be in the mix. Many candle scents are blends, so the label will not always say which.
Quick answers
Is English lavender the same as lavandin?
No. English lavender is true lavender, Lavandula angustifolia. Lavandin is a hybrid of true lavender and spike lavender. It gives more oil and usually carries much more camphor, so it smells sharper.
Why is true lavender oil more expensive?
True lavender plants give less oil. Earlier figures quoted in a published study put lavandin at about three times the oil per hectare. Less oil per field usually means a higher price for true lavender.
Lavender is a summer scent for many of us. As winter draws in, warmer notes take over. The Glow Collection 2026 Advent Calendar brings 12 Christmas fragrances in 24 tealights, from Festive Fir to Clove Actually, so you can test your nose all through December.
Related reading
- Candle Perfume Notes Explained: Top, Heart and Base: the basics of how a scent is built.
- Aromatherapy Candles: What the Label Can and Can't Tell You: reading a candle label with a clear head.
- Sandalwood Candle Scent: Often Made in a Lab, Not a Forest: another classic note with a surprising story.
