Save Your Lungs and Stop Burning Candles!
Candles are a great way to set the ambience in your home with a scent of your choice. As well as a general ambience, they make for warm, intimate, and romantic lighting. However, candles are not all that they seem. While candles can emanate delicious artificial scents throughout your home, they are also a contributor to environmental and health issues.
Photo by @Elena Kloppenburg on Unsplash
Now it is important to note that not all candles are considered bad. More specifically, it is paraffin wax candles that are harmful for the environment and your health. Many name brand candles use this type of wax—so next time you walk into that certain candle store be conscious about your purchase.
What makes a paraffin wax candle so bad? Well artificial fragranced paraffin wax candles, when burned, can trigger asthma, for those who suffer with this chronic illness.
These types of “scented candles don't burn hot enough to destroy the dangerous molecules they spit out, and they're often lit in unventilated areas. That combination raises the risk of an asthma attack,” says clinical pulmonologist, Dr. Nicolacakis.
In addition, like most household products, paraffin wax candles are petroleum based. If you know anything about petroleum, it’s the environment's worst enemy. So when paraffin wax is burned it releases toxic compounds; Acetone, benzene, and toluene, all of which are known carcinogens.
So when looking into purchasing candles, opt for non-GMO soy or ethical beeswax candles that are solely scented with essential oils. If not, you may reap many harmful consequences that come from using paraffin wax candles.
What can you do?
Like mentioned, you can use non-GMO soy or ethically sourced beeswax candles to avoid paraffin wax. However, if you’re not willing to throw away your obsessive stash of candles, then you can burn them using a candle melter instead of lighting them directly. With a candle melt, the scent of the candle will still ruminate throughout your home without releasing the toxic compounds that come with burning the candle with a flame.
Here are some great non-GMO soy candles that you can replace once you rid yourself of your paraffin wax candles:
1. Public Goods | Lavender & Vanilla Soy Candle | $8
2. Bee Hive Candles | Aromatherapy Beeswax Pillar Candle |$28
Bee Hive Candles
3. Design Menagerie | Disciples Of Nature Beeswax Candles | $55
Design Menagerie
Next time you come by an artificial fragranced candle, check the ingredients. If it says paraffin wax, second guess your purchase and try opting for a candle that will better suit your lungs and the environment.
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