Before you burn those candles to make your home smell better or to create atmosphere, you should consider this information from a post written recently by Leslie Burton-Dallas.
This time of year, I had candles burning all the time...until I learned this.
In addition to cigarette smoking, candles provide another indoor pollution mechanism that is hard to replicate.
Most commercially sold candles are made from Paraffin (petroleum based) and emit toxins and carcinogens like benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein and soot into the air.
The ‘bargain' candles produced both here and overseas are even more dangerous.
We would not consider burning a diesel engine in our living room, but Paraffin candles emit many of these same dangerous particulates. Gel candles are also petroleum-based, and therefore just as polluting.
If ambiance is your middle name, then candles are probably your best friends.
However, the only good options are made from either Soy
http://www.soy-wax-candles.com/why-soy.html
...or Beeswax
http://www.candlebeefarm.com/
Of course, anything you burn will create smoke, but burning soy and beeswax does not emit those same toxic chemicals.
Real soy and beeswax candles should be clearly marked but exercise caution. Some manufacturers destroy the benefits of beeswax and soy by adding... you guessed it... petroleum-based Paraffin.
It is also important to buy candles with a cotton or paper wick. Shiny wire wicks can contain metals like zinc and lead.
One alternative to burning the high-polluting aromatic and scented candles
... is to create a ‘scented soup'.
Bring a few cups of water in a saucepan to a mild simmer, uncovered.
Add a tablespoon of cinnamon,
...a teaspoon of whole cloves,
a teaspoon of vanilla,
...some orange peel
Or any other aromatic spice you particularly like. After an hour or so last night's fish dinner will be nothing more than a memory.
Breathe easy and enjoy life all you can.
______________________________________________________________________________
Professional Home Staging services for the New Hampshire Seacoast
Portsmouth Rye Greenland Hampton North Hampton Exeter Dover Stratham
603.661.8524
I love candles.... :)
Thanks for sharing this info. I never thought about candles being a problem.
Jim: I do too, but I think I will love their visual appearance and not their air pollution from now on.
Renee: One more thing to worry about!
Soon there won't be anything left that's ok. LOL Seems most of the things we do or eat are bad for us now.
OOOOh Sharon, thanks for the info. BUT I'm so upset. I love candles but the comment about a diesel engine got my attention. I even make candles and recycle candles...but now???? Will have to check the label at the craft store looking for soy and no parafin.
Like Janice, sometimes I wonder how I've lived this long.
Sharon, Wow, this is an eye-opener! I had no idea that non beeswax and soy candles were toxic!! I guess I'm lucky that I'm not much of a candle person, but I'll keep this in mind and tell all that I know! Thanks for this.
Sharon-thanks for reblogging. I love candles too so will have to take a closer look at the labels.
Sharon
I found the post very informative thanks for sharing your thoughts,
Good luck and success.
Lou Ludwig
Sharon ~ I found some vanilla-scented real wax battery-operated candles at Costco just before Christmas and decided to give them a try, even though I was very skeptical. WOW -- they are fantastic!! They're made of real wax but of course you don't light them. The light within the candle is very, very authentic looking. It flickers deep inside the 6" candle and you cannot tell it's not really lit! Unfortunately, when I went back after Christmas to pick up more of these, they were sold out and not intending to reorder. However I highly recommend them as a great candle alternative! They even have a timer on the bottom which you can easily set to go on and off at the same time every day.
Janice: So true! It's getting pretty old isn't it!
Ginger: I was disappointed when I read this too. But, anything you can do to reduce the toxins in your home is well worth it. There are too many other areas where you can't really get around it...at least this one we have control over.
Nancy: Most of my candles are for decorative purposes, and I only light them occasionally. I have many for staging purposes, but those aren't lighted.
Kathy: More labels to read! As if food labels weren't enough!
Lou: Glad it was helpful!
Maureen: Those sound ideal! I'm especially impressed by the timer feature. Too bad they were sold out. Now we all have to search around and see where else they are available. Thanks for the info!
Great post ... very informative ... now I know why I have asthmatic reactions to some.
Thanks Sharon.
Hi, Sharon. Most scented candles are so cloying that they make me ill so I never light them.
Any time I use citrus fruit such as an orange, a lemon or a lime in cooking, I put the squeezed rind into a ziploc and stick it in the freezer, to be brought out and boiled as "scented soup."
Liz: For better health you really need to stop burning those candles!
Leslie: Very good idea. I use a wedge of lemon every morning and I have never thought of saving the rind. Thanks for that idea!
I am a big candle burner and this was so shocking. I have a huge supply of candles and now I am afraid to burn them. I will have to start finding new candles to burn.
Debra: I feel your pain!
Good suggestions...the biggest challenges can be a house that is an estate and closed up for a while...I think one house used a ton of charcoal...lemons....you don't want the "new smell" to be overwhelming or appear to be hiding something...but the "locked up" odor really permeates the nostrils.
Sally & David: Odors of all kinds are a challenge and many times the solution that sellers choose can be just as offensive as the original problem. It's best to stay natural or to use something that eliminates odor instead of trying to mask it.