I'm Never Buying Another Candle Again

Candles are like malignant gaslighting psychopaths — ignore them and they burn your house down.

What could be nicer?

A few flames flickering away on a cold winter’s night. Calming candles release their scents as you luxuriate in the bath. The aroma of vanilla, bergamot, or Harry Styles.

Remember when you made that fish risotto, opened a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and lit a few candles for that romantic dinner for two?

What if you were inadvertently killing yourself and your loved one? ‘Burning the candle at both ends,’ takes on a whole new meaning.

Four Candles

Candles are made from paraffin wax, soy wax, palm wax, or beeswax.

Paraffin wax is a chemically bleached petroleum waste product that consists of a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules. When burned, it gives off the highly toxic chemicals of benzene and toluene.

These aren’t very good for you. The petro-soot released from paraffin candles is the same as those found in diesel fuel fumes. They’ll likely tickle your throat and give you cancer.

Soy wax is derived from the vegetable soybeans. Soy wax burns at a lower temperature and will last longer than paraffin candles.

“Oh goody — it’s made from wholesome veg,” you might think.

Palm wax comes from the carnauba tree, found in Brazil. The leaves are dried and beaten to release the wax, which is then bleached or refined for a variety of uses — it’s excellent for polishing cars.

Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the glands of honey bees. The hive workers use it to form cells for honey storage. Chemically, beeswax consists mainly of fatty acids and various long-chain alcohols.

“That must be good for you honey.” — But, there might be a sting in the tail.

What They Tell You

Search the internet and you will find an abundance of sites extolling the virtues of soy, palm, and beeswax over using the cheaper (and poisonous) paraffin wax.

• — environmentally friendly.
• — renewable resources.
• — burns slower than paraffin wax.
• — burns cleaner.

The problem is, all these sites are trying to sell you a candle.

The Truth Is

All candles emit some black soot while burning. Inhaling smoke will be harmful no matter the type of wax you burn.

Even when a label advertises the candle as “pure” it can sometimes mean only 51% of the ingredients. Thus, a “pure” beeswax candle can contain 49% toxic paraffin.

Unless it states “100% pure soy/palm/beeswax” the candle will be a cheaper and more dangerous mix.

Beeswax candles have been advertised for their ability to cleanse the air as it burns. Yet, when researchers burned a candle in a laboratory, it produced 675 million particles.

The greatest health concern is the potential for lead exposure. The metal was originally put in the wicks to help them stay straight as the candle burned.

Burning lead-based wicks resulted in increased lead concentrations in indoor air. While most candle manufacturers stopped using lead-based wicks 50 years ago, some countries still make and export them worldwide.

A lead-core wick releases 5 times the amount of lead considered hazardous for children. Even when unlit, evaporation from an uncovered candle can release pollutants. You can also absorb the chemicals through the skin by touch.

Synthetic Fragrances

The great appeal of modern-day candles is the wonderfully imaginative fragrances that are on offer.

Courtesy of Goop.com

But, people with asthma or allergies are more likely to be impacted by exposure to scented candles.

The fragrances in candle scents usually contain phthalates. As candles burn, phthalates are released into the air, where we inhale them like they have mystical healing powers.

But phthalates are industrial chemicals used as solvents in cosmetics and other consumer products and they can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and other functions.

These chemicals have been shown to affect the development of the male reproductive system of laboratory animals.

Recent studies also show that exposure to phthalates is associated with adverse impacts on a baby’s neurodevelopment, including lower IQ, problems with attention, and poorer social communication.

A Suggestion For Bubble-Bath Enthusiasts

A hot bath, a glass of wine, and a little candlelight are appealing to those who wish to relax after a hard day's work and wash away the stresses and strains of their day.

What you are actually doing is bathing your lungs in soot. The candles fill your bathroom with microscopic particles, invisible to the naked eye. Many of these particle matters are carcinogens.

Exposure has been tied to elevated levels of DNA mutations and reproductive defects. Prolonged exposure to soot particle matter increases the risk of dying from lung cancer or other heart and lung diseases.

Throw some rose petals into the water instead, or

• Cinnamon sticks
• Cardamom pods
• Whole cloves
• Star anise
• Citrus peels
• Fresh ginger
• Pine sprigs

— or the whole jar of potpourri.

Gotta be better than the alternative.