Burning with Eco-Friendly Love: For Green Candles, That Is

I love burning candles in the house. I like to welcome guests to the sweet smell of cinnamon and vanilla or apples and cranberries. It adds to the atmosphere, and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

But lately, I’ve been finding myself getting headaches when I light the candles and so I wanted to look to see why that is. And it’s no wonder, I’ve now discovered. Most candles are made with chemical fragrance oils, many of with are petroleum based. So they actually contribute to indoor air pollution and can make health issues such as asthma and other respiratory diseases worse. I’ve been hearing more and more about people with fragrance sensitives, and I am lead to believe that by and large, they’re sensitive to these chemical fragrances. What’s the alternative? Non-synthetic fragrances are those created using essential oils and without the use of chemical solvents.

Another contributor to candle-related health problems is the wax conventional candles are made from. Most are formulated with paraffin, a petroleum-derived wax. And when they’re burned, they emit all kinds of air pollution, such as carcinogens and neurotoxins like toluene, xylene, benzene, acetone, lead, and trichloroethene. Though I’m not entirely sure what all of these are, health experts tell me that I should really try to stay away from these fumes.

Consequently, I’m in the process of phasing out my paraffin wax, synthetic fragrance candles in favor of healthier varieties made from soy or beeswax and scented with natural essential oils. A trip to my local natural foods store the other day showed me that there are lots of options. They’re a bit pricier than conventional brands, but then perhaps I’ll have to curb how often I burn candles to be able to afford them.

- Lucy