This year, get yourself and your loved ones candles that do not destroy the planet or your health.
Before Christmas, it’s as if a bag burst open with candles of all shapes, colors and scents. They are bought for the atmosphere at home and as attention for loved ones. It’s a good idea to check the label carefully before buying.
Too cheap?
How long can you stand in the scented candle department at the drugstore? Or maybe in the whole store, which is full of them. Paradoxically, you may last longer in the latter. This is because they will most likely be more expensive pieces and quite likely a little more attention was paid to the composition and procedures during their production. Therefore, try to look for manufacturers who work responsibly and have a certified composition. Good is the Green Chemistry approach, which ensures responsible work with natural and artificial ingredients.
Better wax
Most candles are paraffin, but if you are looking for a better option, choose candles made of other wax. Or make them yourself as nice gifts. You can buy alternative waxes on the Internet, in specialized stores, or even beeswax directly from the beekeeper. Even when they burn, soot and other substances are released, but not nearly as much as from paraffin.
- coconut
- canola
- bee (pay attention to the origin and ingredients here)
- soy
Watch out for the wick
Some wicks manufactured outside the European Union may contain lead or zinc. And you don’t want to smoke either at home. Therefore, always choose only a wooden or cotton wick, which does not emit harmful fumes when burning.
Smell problem
This is actually the biggest problem with scented candles. In the vast majority, they are perfumed with a chemically created scent. But during its burning, really dangerous substances are released into the air, including formaldehyde, and you definitely don’t want to breathe them. Solution? Candles without fragrance. And if anything, scented with natural essential oil.
Why say no to paraffin
It’s colorless and holds its shape well, and it’s also cheap. This is also why most of the candles you find in the store today are made of paraffin. But it is better to avoid him.
- It is created as a by-product of the oil industry. It is sludge that is still being cleaned with solvents. This means that it is produced from non-renewable natural resources and is therefore quite non-ecological.
- It is chemically bleached and cleaned before use, and thus produces more emissions than other candle waxes. It means more soot, but also volatile organic compounds, especially toluene and benzene. And if the candle is perfumed, so is formaldehyde. This means, at best, migraines and breathing difficulties, and at worst, a cancerous growth.
- Avoid palm wax candles too. It doesn’t destroy your health, but it harms the planet just like the infamous palm oil.
You could find this article in the magazine Recipe No. 12/25.
