Can't Stay Away from Candles? All you Need to Know About Choosing your Next One!
- Kristy Browman
- Nov 6, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 26, 2023
With winter encroaching in on us, it’s safe to say the cozy-season-aesthetic has officially been activated! And with it, we begin to hermit back into our homes, snuggle in with a warm cup of tea and a good book, and reach for our favorite candles to set the hygge vibe.
But wait…
All seems right with this picture but one thing… are the candles you’re lighting in your home filled with synthetic fragrance, poured with paraffin (aka, a petroleum waste product) and containing benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, or other harmful toxins (which are known carcinogens and hormone/nervous system disruptors)?
I’ve completely deviated from burning candles for yeeeears because of the harmful effects they have on our air quality in the home, and health within our bodies. Typical candles are laced with toxins. Although unseen to the naked eye, these toxins quickly get embedded into our walls, couches, draperies and more! Soot alone is found to contain heavy metals like lead, tin, zinc, etc. and when airborne is extremely damaging to our respiratory system... think secondhand smoke; but enclosed in your home and masked by a “pretty scent”.
(And by the way, that scent you found and fell in love with more than likely is a completely synthetic fragrance, adding even more toxins into the air you’re breathing!)
This may not seem like much, but over time the effects of burning your typical candle has been linked to disrupting hormones, weakening the immune system, and causing chronic respiratory symptoms. Not to mention that many carcinogen-linked chemicals like formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, toluene, benzene, and acetone are released while burning soy and paraffin candles.
Like I said, for years I’ve cut out burning candles in my home all together and strictly used diffusers when wanting to fill my home with a fresh scent. However, there’s something about the soft glow of a candle that just can’t be beat!
Determined to find that “happy medium”, I began doing more research this fall to see if I really could get the best of both worlds — regain the cozy ambiance of a flickering candle’s glow, while also resorting to a healthier option for my home (and more sustainable option for the earth!).
What I found was surprising… Beeswax candles are actually the best, most clean option for a candle wax base. But not only are they significantly more sustainable than soy candles (the next leading recommendation for “clean” candles), but they also help PURIFY the air as they burn!
Beeswax vs. Soy Candles
Now in terms sustainability, I did some digging into the soy industry and learned quite a bit…
First off, soybean production has caused a significant increase in deforestation globally. The soybean industry has cleared thousands of acreages in forests around the world, destroying habitats and eroding soil along the way. And as the demand for soy products continues to climb, this is expected to only get worse. Additionally, because of the nature of soybean’s source, they are often grown from genetically modified seeds (GMO) to protect the produce from the harmful chemicals farmers use to grow the soy plant (ie: herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers). These harsh chemicals pollute both the environment when used during the growing season, but also appear in trace amounts of the soy wax’s final product when burning in your home!
With beeswax, however, there is significantly less environmental strains during the process of forming the final product. Beeswax is a natural byproduct of the beekeeping industry. Honeybee’s regularly produce beeswax — meaning there is significantly less direct risk of pesticide or other chemical exposure. And because it is a naturally occurring process, it doesn't require deforestation or long-term havoc on our environment!
Beeswax candles are also better for your home environment. When melted, beeswax releases negative ions into the air. Most environmental toxins such as pollen, dust, dirt, or other things floating around the air in your home are positive charged ions. When the negative charge from the beeswax comes into contact with these positive ions, they neutralize the ion and depletes it from the air. Like, WHAT?! How cool!
Okay, now that we have the wax base established, what else do you need to look for when shopping for your candles?
If you’ve hung around the #SimplyRootedBlog this long, you’re probably already familiar with the importance of avoiding synthetic fragrances in your home, and it’s also true when looking for your replacement candles. You never want to be bringing unnecessary toxic additives into your home — and that’s included in your candle selecting!
When looking for a beeswax candle, make sure all scents are naturally sourced and contain no toxic synthetics.
I also like to be selective in what the wick material is for the candle. Wooden wicks are much more environmentally-friendly in comparison to cotton since one single tree can produce thousands of wicks for candle burning use. Not only that, but cotton wicks require some kind of additive to help keep its stiffness and form while burning. From an environmental view, wood wicks are far superior, but they also create less soot than conventional cotton wicks when burning in your home! Not to mention the added aesthetic wood wicks bring with soft crackle they give off when burning! ;)
I didn’t know it when I started, but I quickly became passionate about the topic of candle making... So much so, I decided to try my hand at pouring my own handmade beeswax candles — ensuring they are all-natural, sustainably sourced, and safe to burn in my home… and yours!
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