The Hidden Dangers in Candles

              Scented candles, ah, love them, the scent, the glowing light, the ambiance, the relaxation. And that’s me slowly being poisoned. Yes, most scented candles are poisonous; tragic but true. I was so very sad to learn this. I used to love scented candles. They can create such a wonderful relaxing mood and make a room smell like a field of flowers, or clean, fresh pressed linens. And there are so many wonderful ways to decorate your home with them, so may different colors and even shapes. It's difficult to think about giving them up. But you may not have sacrifice all. There are some safe alternatives to scented candles. It will be a little more expensive in the beginning, but eventually worth it in the end, especially if you don’t have to deal with all the results of inhaling poisonous fumes.

Poisonous?

Candles, unscented, and scented, even birthday candles, can have horrible side effects. So, why exactly are candles harmful? What is this poison? First, most candles contain something called paraffin wax, or paraffin oil. This substance is derived from petroleum and is used for all sorts of products, fuel, medicines, skincare, cosmetics, and adhesives. This stuff begins as a grey-black color and is then bleached with 100% strength bleach to make it appear white (for reference the bleach used for cleaning and laundry is 10%). This fills the wax with dioxins, which are poisonous, and then more chemicals are added to make it solid.

And as if that wasn’t enough, yet more chemicals are added, (one of them is formaldehyde). These chemicals produce toluene and benzene when they are burned, which are poisonous as well. Then of course synthetic dyes for pretty colors are added, and synthetic fragrances for that lovely smell. What happens if you inhale these chemicals, synthetic dyes and fragrances? These are a few potential side effects of inhaling these chemicals: allergies may worsen, lack of concentration, fogginess of the brain, headaches, irritability, difficulty breathing, cancer, central nervous system damage, etc. 

It might sound a bit harsh, saying that scented candles are poisonous. Perhaps you’ve used scented candles for many, many years and never experienced any problems. To be sure, everyone is different and will experience different problems at different times. Some people do not burn candles as much as others, some may not feel the effects as strongly, or even notice them. But they are there. I strongly encourage looking for alternatives especially since those alternatives have so many benefits that far outweigh the bad. 

The Wick

Besides the wax, the wick of the candle is often another culprit. Most wicks contain lead and release a dangerous amount of it into the air for us to inhale. Lead is highly poisonous. Wrapped in a deceptive envelope of cotton these lead wicks can be hidden from sight and seem harmless. It is impossible to tell a lead core from the other types, zinc and tin. You can only discover this if the product label informs you and most often the lead wick candles do not have that written in the ingredients list. The best candle to get is one with either a cotton wick wrapped around a paper center, or else a braided cotton wick. My thought is: if you can’t discover what kind of wick, best to not purchase. The safe wicks will most likely be clearly advertised as those manufacturers often understand the importance of such a wick.

Not Quite Safe Alternatives

              There are several candles that will tout the fact that they are natural and a safe alternative to paraffin wax candles, sadly I believe that most of these are still not safe. Aromatherapy candles and soy candles are among those unsafe candles. Essential oils are added to some of those aromatherapy candles, and, while these essential oils can potentially be beneficial for inhaling via a steam diffuser, or nebulizer, when they are burned in a candle not only do their healing qualities become null and void, but they are transformed into toxins including benzene, toluene, and acetone. And, as mentioned above, both benzene and toluene are also found in paraffin, so with essential oils in candles there can possibly be double the amount of toxins. One can lead to cancer, the other can cause damage to the central nervous system. All those toxins can either be inhaled, or else can land on your electrical switches and ceiling fans and all sorts of places, like the walls. Ever noticed that gummy, sooty grey stuff that’s so hard to clean? Not only is it gross, it's poisonous 😞

Soy candles are another option that are touted as good choices for safe candles; in my humble opinion, not so much. Soy may be a natural ingredient to begin with, but soy wax is often bleached with chlorine, and treated with hexane. And most candles that are “soy candles” are actually a blend of paraffin wax and soy. But soy is natural, it should be safe… I'm not so certain. Just because something is natural does not mean it is safe, and then even if it is good for one person it may not be healthy for another as we are all very different. Soy though, I do encourage to everyone to avoid, unless of course they can get it from an Asian country and combine it with some seaweed, even then I would suggest not having it on a regular basis. 

Soy in Asian countries is generally not grown the same as in America, and seaweed counteracts many of the bad effects of soy. In America, however, soy is a usually a GMO crop, and also sprayed with pesticides. The candle wax that is used in soy candles purchased in America is exclusively produced in the same country and is sprayed with insecticides and pesticides. Anything a plant is sprayed with while it is growing can get absorbed into the plant, and then may potentially be absorbed into your body, if you ingest, touch, or inhale it. Soy is also the cause of many hormonal issues in both men and women. More research would have to be done to understand if inhaling the fumes of a soy candle would be the same as ingesting or using soy topically, I am not yet certain in this area, but I choose to avoid it as much as I can in the meantime. Ingesting it, and using it topically can cause reproductive issues, hormonal imbalances, which can cause extreme pain during a woman’s menstrual cycle, a testosterone imbalance in men, infertility, and on and on. And so, even though soy is a “natural” product I choose to avoid eating, inhaling it, and using it topically. Soy, even 100% soy candle wax is processed with paraffin so carcinogens are released.

What Are the True Non-Toxic Alternatives?

You may be wondering, is there anything at all I can use? Will I never be able to use scented candles again without the negative side effects? Scented candles, probably not. But safe, unscented candles are a possibility. Candles made from beeswax are perfectly safe to inhale, I just like to make sure that they are made from organic, filtered beeswax. I don’t always insist upon organic ingredients, but I do believe that where honey and beeswax are concerned it is very important. Some candle makers who use beeswax often like to mix it with a carrier oil, which I believe is perfectly fine if it is something like coconut oil (as long as you're not allergic), but I like to make certain it is not soy, vegetable shortening, or paraffin wax that they have used instead. 

Beeswax has many wonderful qualities. Some evidence shows that beeswax candles produce negative ions. (This may sound bad as the word is “negative” but positive ions are actually the harmful ones.) Positive ions are found in dust and pollen, those culprits that cause allergies. So beeswax candles suck those nasties into a "vacuum" as they burn, or else help them fall to the ground where you can use an actual vacuum cleaner to dispose of them. Many air purifiers use this same system. Beeswax candles do run quite a bit higher in cost than regular candles, but apart from the health benefits, one thing to keep in mind is that beeswax candles are slow burning and will last at least twice as long as regular candles. I like to burn a blend (beeswax+coconut oil), instead of only beeswax because the 100% beeswax candles tend to burn very, very hot. There is also a safe alternative for birthday candles, so you don't have to miss out on those magical birthday wish moments! And you can definitely make your own candles, I will warn you though, it's time consuming, and you have to use a TON of beeswax, and the result is a pretty small candle. That one pictured below is my first beeswax candle, combined with coconut oil, and I think it turned out kind of amazing! If I do say so myself. And it's a beautiful glowing flame that burns bright on a cotton wick. I get the ambiance, and although it's not scented the beeswax does offer a faint, sweet honey scent. 

The only disappointing part to all of this is that if you add those beautiful essential oils to the wax the candle becomes unsafe once again. When essential oils are exposed to a flame, not only do they lose all the beneficial properties, they also become toxic. So, sadly, these candles must also be unscented. However, there is something else you can do and it’s benefits are numerous. An aroma diffuser, though expensive at first purchase, is a wonderful investment to my mind. It will puff out the scent of your choosing and essential oils each have their own individual qualities. (Please note that I strongly encourage caution when using essential oils, these are extremely concentrated substances and can interact with different medications, and are not appropriate for all ages or species, please do your research, and talk to a licensed Essential Oils Coach if you can). A diffuser can run from $40 - $100 depending on which one your choose, and essential oils can be expensive, but my thought is that if I calculate money saved on things like air fresheners, candles, and even medicines for headaches and allergies, and doctor bills for the effects of inhaling toxins, it just might even out.

To Sum-Up

              I'm afraid this is all a bit expensive at the start, switching to something new often is, but I personally try to view it as an investment and think about the cost, both monetarily and emotionally of trying to remedy the damage done by those harmful chemicals, it is invisible, but it occurs, silent and sure. I would like to encourage everyone switch to these safe alternatives. Sadly, even wickless candles have the same effects. Just be sure to check the labels, look for words like: paraffin, soy, lead, metal, emulsifying wax and vegetable. If a candle doesn’t have the ingredients written on the label, I don’t buy it. I opt for beeswax candles and cotton wicks. I believe that the benefits far outweigh the health risks. I think we so often discount the invisible and quiet culprits that find their way into our lives and create mayhem because they don’t cause immediate, or great pain, all at once. They will act quietly and over time they will build up, and perhaps one day explode. Sounds dramatic I know, but I believe that it’s the normal, everyday things that we do, things we take for granted, that can help to make life even harder than it already is. Scented candles are beautiful, and they are easy to use, they can be inexpensive, and there so many reasons to use them, but so many side effects can occur as a result. I would like to encourage you to give them up, and maybe give that diffuser and those beeswax candles a try.

Thanks for taking the time to read! I hope it was helpful!

* This Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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