Healthy candles- Why not soy, palm or paraffin candles?
Why not use other types of wax for your candles?
The short answer is your family's health, and the planets.
There has been a huge amount of research done on candles and the effects they have on your health. We feel that using 100% (nothing added) beeswax candles is an important part of reducing your exposure to the dangers shown below.
Firstly, there is a major problem with fragrances and additives:
From the Australian and State Government funded site Health Direct:
"About 1 in 3 people report having health problems when exposed to products with fragrances. Those problems include asthma attacks , hay fever, head acre, migraine, dizziness, breathing problems, rashes, congestion, nausea and seizures."
This matches up with what our customers say. That is, they have changed to our beeswax candles as the fragrance from candles were causing health issues, most commonly migraines.
These same studies show that when soy and paraffin candles are burnt they release formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, toluene, benzene, and acetone, carcinogens that can lead to cancer and other health problems.
This is another article which gathers a considerable amount of sources together about the concerns of different candles and fragrance:
Article on cancer concerns for other candles here.
Other reasons for not using soy wax?
Soy is not a natural wax. It is a heavy metal hydrogenated oil. To quote Wikipedia:
Hydrogenation – meaning, to treat with hydrogen – is a chemical reaction between molecular hydrogen (H2) and another compound or element, usually in the presence of a catalyst such as nickel, palladium or platinum. The process is commonly employed to reduce or saturate organic compounds.
96% of soybeans grown globally are Monsanto genetically- modified (GMO) soy beans. PLUS there is a huge amount of pesticides and other chemicals being used in soybean farming which may stay with soy when processed.
Many soy candles add palm oil to make them firm/hard or so they don't melt in the summer heat.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) expresses the effects on using palm oil on the planet the best:
They point out that soy plantations are causing a huge problem with deforestation. We believe soy should not be used for candles to add to this problem.
Why not use palm wax? (as above and more...)
Sadly the increased use of Palm oils/products has caused a rush in plantations which has meant the massive destruction of forests. This in turn has effected so many animals, including the orangutans. See here for WWF description of the problems faced:
Deforestation issues with palm oil industry
These are just some of the reasons we will not use soy and palm waxes for candles. They are not "natural" and cause huge damage to the planet.
Why not use paraffin wax?
Paraffin has been used for decades and are usually the white candles you can still buy in shops. Paraffin wax is a waste product of petroleum fuel, so when you light one of these candles you are basically creating toxic fumes that fill your rooms. Not good for your health in any way.
As mentioned above, studies show that when soy and paraffin candles are burnt they release formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, toluene, benzene, and acetone, carcinogens that can lead to cancer and other health problems.
So that is why we only use 100% Australian beeswax.
We go one step further for your health, we also offer candles that are made from Australian certified organic (ACO) beeswax, ensuring that the candles are free from synthetic agricultural chemicals including pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. More information on this here.
Ready to try beeswax candles without the toxic chemicals?
Here is a range of candles to suit every home. Click here 🐝
The ten benefits of beeswax candles and why to switch is shown here.
Important updates:
If you have got this far, thank you for reading what we feel is important information. We have quoted research (see the links) that we feel backs up our own experiences and the experiences of others.
If you have any information that would be useful to this debate PLEASE send it through... and yes that means research that gives a different view on what we, and our sources, have said.
If you would like any further information please see our series of blog posts about candles and health here (link).
Latest blogs are on How to reduce the chemical load in your home is here (click, and Why we don't make scented candles is another deep dive into fragrances and perfumes.(click).
Regards
Peter