I’ve read that staring at a candle flame can help to open your third eye, which might partially explain why candles are included in so many religious and spiritual rituals.
And unlike harsh electric light that can keep you up at night, the soft glow of a candle after dinner helps your body get ready for sleep. So, arguably, burning candles are good for you.
Of course, if you’re looking for “proof,” you aren’t going to find any research on the health benefits of candles (trust me; I’m such a nerd that I actually looked). In fact, if you do go down the research rabbit hole, you’ll quickly find that any research either maligns candles by connecting them with stress and exhaustion (think about the expression of burning the candle at both ends) or it considers the air pollution created by burning candles.
Which leads me to sort of answer the question of why we love beeswax candles: Because they have the cleanest burn, they’re the healthiest option – both for you and for the planet.
Here’s why:
Paraffin candles are by-products of the petroleum industry and release all sorts of nastiness into the air when they burn – much like car exhaust: acetaldehyde, acrolein, benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, and soot. Nice.
So why are they used? Paraffin is a left-over, so it’s cheap. (We really have to change our mentality about inexpensive things being good things, but I digress…)
What makes these cheap candles worse is that they are often perfumed with noxious fragrances made with ingredients like phthalates that are linked with reproductive cancers.
Soy candles are better, of course. Soy is natural, at least. And some chandlers are conscious of only using real essential oils to give them scent. But you might be surprised to learn that many raw material suppliers sell essential oil fragrances that have been adulterated or constructed in a lab.
And I don’t mean “naturally blended,” which simply involves pouring two or more essential oils together. No, I mean chemistry is involved. It’s not that candle (and soap, and body care) manufacturers are being intentionally deceptive. Many small manufacturers don’t know enough about botanicals to ask the hard questions of the raw materials suppliers. (Jane and I ask the hard questions!)
But as a consumer, I’m sure fake essential oil isn’t what you thought you were getting, especially when you pay more for (what you think are) essential oil products.
Aside from fragrance issues, soy candles smoke more than we like and burn a little too quickly, too. Plus, soy wax is so soft you generally see soy candles in a container. And we’re all about reducing consumption.
Now beeswax: It’s natural. We have an ample supply in Canada. It’s a hard wax so it can stand on its own. It burns slowly and cleanly. And? It smells scrumptious. It ticks all the boxes for us! We hope you agree.
Until next time!
Lisa