I grew up with a candle loving mom! There was always a Yankee Candle burning at our house in the evenings and the scent always matched the time of year and mood. She passed her love of scented candles down to me and until this day I can’t resist the glow of a beautifully scented candle that I can change out with the seasons and whatever mood I am trying to create in my home. However, all these years later, we know that not all scented candles are created equal and some can potentially expose us to hazardous chemicals that are known hormone disruptors as well as cause health issues like headaches and respiratory problems. But there is hope for candle lovers! Knowing more about these three parts of a candle will help you find the safest, non-toxic scented candle that you can feel good about burning around your family.
The Wick
In order to ensure you’re burning a non-toxic scented candle, always make sure the wick is 100% cotton. Wicks can sometimes be fortified with metals like zinc, and although lead was banned in candle wicks in the U.S., if your candles are coming from another country it may not be.
100% cotton wicks burn clean without producing any chemicals during the burning process. They also produce less smoke and soot and burn more consistently, helping the wax in your candle to melt evenly and last longer.
The Wax
This is where it can get a little tricky. Here’s what we know about the most popular candle waxes being used today.
Parafin Wax
Generally speaking, paraffin wax usually ranks lowest as far as a non-toxic clean burning wax goes. It’s cheap to produce, can offput carcinogenic chemicals into the air and is highly unsustainable environmentally speaking.
Soy wax
Soy wax seems to be a step up from paraffin wax and is a popular choice for candle companies since paraffin wax has gotten such a bad wrap. It is also on the cheaper end and does burn cleaner than paraffin BUT- almost all soy wax comes from GMO crops which are often treated with pesticides and fertilizers. These can find their way inside your candles unless you can find ones made with ORGANIC soy wax.
Beeswax and Coconut wax
The general consensus on the cleanest wax for a non-toxic scented candle seems to be beeswax and coconut wax. Beeswax has been used for centuries in candle making, is environmentally friendly, and burns cleanly, possibly even helping to purify the air it comes into contact with.
Coconut wax is a newer candle wax that also burns clean, and is said to have an even better scent throw than most other clean waxes. It can be more expensive, but you can feel good about your purchase knowing that coconut wax is highly sustainable and eco-friendly!
And with even more cleaner options of candle wax cropping up recently there will hopefully be lots more non-toxic options available in the near future!
The Fragrance
One thing we know for sure is that repetitive exposure to artificial fragrance can cause a myriad of health issues since it is a known hormone disruptor and possibly carcinogenic depending on the source. It can also cause headache and neural and respiratory disturbances to those who are more sensitive.
That said, more companies are producing artificial fragrances from cleaner sources without the existence of phthalates, formaldehyde and other “dirty” ingredients commonly used in synthetics.
But why would anyone create synthetic fragrance that is cleaner when they can just use 100% pure essential oils that are generally known to be the safest and cleanest form of fragrance on the market? Because while essential oils are the cleanest form of fragrance that a candle can be scented with, they can also be common allergens for some people.
If you know you have an allergy to a certain spice, flower, or plant, it is best to stay away from that essential oil as well. But if you are generally tolerant of most things grown in nature, then a candle that uses 100% pure essential oils as its only source of fragrance (just because the label says made WITH essential oils doesn’t mean that’s the only fragrance source in it) is probably the best non-toxic scented candle for you!
Here’s a list of some of the cleanest non-toxic candles at the moment:
*Some of the links in this post are amazon affiliate links. That means that if you click on the link and purchase the item I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. And, as always, if I wouldn’t purchase an item myself, I would never recommend it to my readers!
Aira Soy Candles– Aira brand candles are hand-poured using 100% ORGANIC soy wax as well as essential oil fragrance blends and their wicks are 100% cotton. At the time of writing this, 20 oz candles are on sale for $31.90 on Etsy and they have 680 5 star ratings on Amazon.
Les Creme Candles– These are organic coconut wax and essential oil candles made by a company that only uses natural organic ingredients in all of their candles and skincare products. They are vegan and boast an even slower burn time than soy which means your candle lasts longer. At the time of writing this, an 8 oz candle costs $18 on their website.
P.F. Candle Co.– This candle company might be good for you if you are sensitive to essential oils. These candles are scented using synthetic fine fragrance oils that are paraben and phthalate free. The wax is 100% domestically grown soy wax and they use cotton-core wicks. At the time of writing this a 7.2 oz candle is $24 on their website and they have over 900 5-star ratings on Amazon.
