Most scented candles available to buy – from the least to the most expensive – contain petroleum based paraffin wax, a by-product of the crude oil industry. As has been discussed in the press in the past year, when lit, they emit potentially harmful toxins into the atmosphere.
Burning an expensive candle should encourage a desired mood and enhance well-being, but sadly the synthetic fragrances may be masking undesired chemicals, such as alkans, alkenes and toluene, all reported to have harmful effects on humans.
We wanted to share this statement noted within a powerful paper from the South Carolina State University:
‘”The paraffin candles we tested released unwanted chemicals into the air. For a person who lights a candle every day for years, or just uses them frequently, inhalation of these dangerous pollutants drifting in the air could contribute to the development of health risks like cancer, common allergies and even asthma” said Massoudi, a chemistry professor in the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences. “None of the vegetable-based candles produced toxic chemicals” he added.’*
As expected from No Secrets, our candles are hand poured from soy wax.
Further reasons to use Soy Wax
Soy Wax is made from soy beans which are a natural renewable resource and bio-degradable.
A soy wax candle releases less soot than a paraffin based wax candle meaning the jar stays cleaner. They also have a longer burn time, for example, our large candle has a burn time of approximately 25 hours. Due to the slower burn time, the essential oils are released gradually meaning they create a subtle atmosphere and will be favoured by those who can find synthetic alternatives overpowering.
Why use Essential Oils?
Having chosen soy wax, it is an obvious step for scenting the candle to infuse the wax with natural essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances.
The use of pure essential oils contributes to creating an atmosphere according to the personalities and benefits of those oils.
* See: Frequent use of certain candles produces unwanted chemicals. (2009, August 24). Viewed 21st October 2019, from https://www.scsu.edu/news_article.aspx?news_id=832