You are so concerned with the air quality outside (and rightly so with wildfires surging through the western states), but have you considered the toxins emitted inside just by traditional candles?
Putting artificial fragrance aside for a minute, paraffin wax is a petroleum waste product! Like, the nastiest of the nasty sludge at the bottom of the drums. It is the last thing to come out even after asphalt.
Paraffin emits benzene (ring a bell from the recent sunscreen recalls?), toluene (used in jet fuel), and formaldehyde (aka embalming fluid) and are all widely known carcinogens that spread into the air when burned. Yuck!
The “soot” produced is the byproduct of incomplete combustion due to the low burning temp and can stain walls and build up on surfaces in your house.
Now let’s talk soy candles… soy wax is MUCH better than paraffin wax. BUT, it is generally too soft to make candles from unless it is held in a jar. That means that pillar candles have to be made with a “blend” of waxes (aka paraffin). Then consider that even jar candles contain up to 10% fragrance oils (and that’s a whole separate topic, but I think I’ve drilled you enough on the nasties of artificial fragrance).
But then there’s Beeswax candles… beeswax is the CLEANEST burning wax because of the high burning temp. It is “nature’s air purifier” (think in-home ionizers) because it releases negative ions into the air. So, what? Well, impurities floating in the air such as dust, hair, mold, etc are all positively (+) charged static electricity. They bind the negative (-) ions from beeswax, neutralize, and the particles fall to the ground (so bee sure to wipe the counters after a good beeswax burn sesh).
Need a few organic beeswax candles to replace your toxic ones? Gotcha covered of course! I make them unscented or with organic lavender and eucalyptus essential oils. Save $5 when you get two!
Note: Not all beeswax is created equal! We use only certified organic beeswax that supports organic beekeepers across the United States and the the scent is like no other. So, when I say “unscented”, I really mean the bee-utifully sweet and subtle smell of organic honey is allowed to shine through.
Sincerely,
Brooke
Your bee-powered BEE-OCH
