Which Scented Candles Are Safe?

Generally, scented candles are placed in the bedroom, living room and bathroom. But the aroma depends on the mood. Different aromas will make a space more joyful or quiet. Not all scented candles are safe and healthy, so it is particularly important to know which candles are poisonous and which can be burned safely.

Natural vs Paraffin Wax

Natural scented candles are made from natural waxes, such as soy wax, beeswax or flower wax. All natural waxes are renewable, sustainable and biodegradable.

Soy wax is made from soybean oil. When soy wax melts, the odor it releases is not particularly pungent.

Beeswax is secreted from the glands of the bee's belly. When burning, beeswax releases negative ions and cleans the air by eliminating the positive charge of air pollutants.

Flower wax is a plant wax extracted from flowers. Paraffin wax is extracted from sludge waste after refining crude oil into gasoline. When paraffin burns, it releases up to 11 carcinogenic chemicals, including benzene, carbon tetrachloride, toluene and naphthalene.

Synthetic Fragrances vs Natural Aromas

Aromatic candles may be made with petroleum-based synthetic oil instead of natural essential oils. This is another source of exposure to petroleum-based smoke. Compared with natural scented candles, paraffin candles with artificial fragrances are very cheap to manufacture.

Paraffin wax is prepared from waxy fractions of petroleum or shale oil by cold pressing or solvent dewaxing. Many articles point out that paraffin candles are toxic because they produce soot. Soot is a product of incomplete combustion. Unless the wick is properly burned and burned, all candles will form soot. If scented votive candles are smoking, please extinguish and cool down.

How to Choose Scented Candles?

Simply put, the best scented candles must use vegetable wax and soy candles, so as not to cause harm to the human body. Don't choose those cheap aromatherapy because of the outer packaging, because some fragrance candles are particularly pungent when they are lit, and some even emit black smoke. The pungent smell is a kind of torture. Inhaling black smoke is hurting your body.

The most important thing about fragrant candles is the ratio of wax to fragrance. In particular, brands that use soy wax are more difficult to handle than brands that use paraffin wax, and they must constantly experiment with their proportions. This cannot be done by handmade candle brands. There is also a difference in the quality of flavor raw materials and the quality of candle wicks. But sometimes homemade scented candles can not only create beautiful memories, but also create a romantic atmosphere.

Many scented candles contain lemon olein(for example, lemon scented candle), which makes the candle emit a pleasant citrus odor. This ingredient is harmless in itself, but after volatilizing into the air, it will chemically interact with ozone to form carcinogen formaldehyde. Although scented candles may be harmful to health, if you place some plants with strong absorption of pollutants in the house, such as ivy, geranium, lavender and various ferns, you can effectively eliminate the harm. 

Personally, I prefer light fragrances to strong scented candles. Lavender scented candle enhances resistance, prevents disease and reduces high blood pressure. In addition, pay attention to ventilation when lighting candles.