Candles have been lighting our homes for centuries. Though many of us love them for a variety of reasons. What a lot of people don't know are the many benefits of candles and the fact that they can be really good for us when we choose the right ones. In this post, you will learn how to differentiate between the candles worth purchasing and the candles you should leave on the shelf as well as some tips on how to shop for premium candles.
Benefits of Using Natural Candles
1. Creates Ambiance
Candles have the ability to set whatever mood it is you're going for. Whether its a clean vibe, if you're feeling festive, setting the stage for date night or if you want to light a candle during a bath, first thing in the morning while you’re enjoying some alone time, or if you just need a little something to give the room a little extra something, there is a candle for anything. Candles add character to your home and improve the overall look and feel of your space.
2. May Encourage Cleanliness
If you're anything like me, once you've finished cleaning a room there’s just something about getting your home nice and clean and then topping it all off with a candle in every room. This makes the room feel complete. Candles have been known to not only encourage people to clean up their spaces but also encourages them to keep them clean.
3. Improves Sleep Hygiene
Candles are an excellent replacement for blue light. Consider turning out the lights and replacing them with candles once it's time to start winding down at the end of a long day. Eliminating any blue light will help your brain to realize that it is time for your body to begin winding down. You will find that it's easier to relax & you may even experience a better night's sleep. Consider candles that contain essential oils that promote sleep and restfulness, we'll get to more on that later.
4. Improves Your Mood
Depending on their ingredients, certain candles have the ability to create different feelings within the body. Some scents have the power to moderate your brain waves further supporting the science behind the benefits of aromatherapy.
Your sense of smell plays a major role in the physiological effects of mood, stress, and working capacity. So naturally scented candles have the ability to lower your cortisol levels, while others are designed to increase your serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain which helps to uplift your mood.
Candles have also been known to help with depression and anxiety and also assist with mental health issues and promote positive mental health.
5. Can Help Improve Memory
Aromatherapy candles can also stimulate the limbic system, which contains the part of the brain that is home to memories and emotions, improving and stimulating memory over time. If you've been experiencing brain fog, try buying candles that contain memory-boosting herbs and oils.
6. Candles, Herbs & Essential Oils
Depending on the herbs, essential oils, and scents used, aromatherapy has been known to add additional health benefits. For example, lavender and chamomile help to produce a sense of calm and reduce stress, and anxiety, and promote good sleep, eucalyptus can help helps with energy and focus. Others are known to increase sex drive, boost energy, help you focus, and so on.
ESSENTIAL OIL BENEFITS
Why Natural Candles?
It's important to purchase 100% natural non-toxic candles, as candles made with synthetic materials, waxes, and fragrances release toxic chemicals into the air and, when inhaled and absorbed into the body, can negatively affect the health of you, your family, and your pets. The healthiest candles are typically made up of either pure soy or beeswax without any added paraffin wax.
There are also unscented natural candles for those with very sensitive noses. These are the types of candles you want to be lighting in your home.
Though they typically cost more than synthetic candles, remember you are paying for health-conscious, premium products and better air in your home.
Benefits of Natural Soy & Beeswax:
The Risks of Synthetic Candles
Candles that contain paraffin wax, lead-core wicks, or synthetic fragrances are all incredibly toxic to the human body and are especially harmful to those with asthma, allergies, and chemical insensitivities.
What is Paraffin Wax?
Paraffin wax is a petroleum waste product that is bleached prior to use. Paraffin candles create two very toxic carcinogens known as benzene & toluene when burned releasing those chemicals and many others into the air.
The soot released into your home from paraffin candles is the same as the chemicals found in diesel fuel fumes. This soot is highly toxic to your family's health and is just as dangerous when inhaled as second-hand smoke.
The Health Risks
Many of these chemicals are linked to many cancers, birth defects, allergic reactions, central nervous system disorders, endocrine system disruption, and hormonal imbalances that can trigger weight gain and disease. The more these candles are burned in your home, the greater the health risks.
Led-Core Wicks
Some candle wicks have been known to contain led cores within the wicks which release 5x the amount of lead that is considered hazardous for children and greatly exceeds pollution standards for OUTSIDE air, meaning that the air INSIDE your home is worse than the outside air.
Though most candles no longer contain led cores, those coming from China and Taiwan are most likely to contain them. So you want to stick with candles that are hand-poured in the US.
You want to choose candles that have 100% natural wax candles are typically made with natural wood, cotton, hemp, paper, or flax wicks.
Synthetic Fragrances
Synthetic fragrances are known to contain phthalates. Phthalates are a group of different chemicals that help to bind fragrance to the wax and extend fragrance strength making the candles smell stronger for longer.
This is unfortunately done at the expense of your health. Once your candle is lit, phthalates are inhaled into your lungs and absorbed in your skin. This can cause allergy and asthma symptoms. Phthalates are also known to alter hormone levels. So you want to look for candles that use 100% all-natural fragrances or essential oils.
Quantity vs. Quality
Many of the large candle companies, are able to sell their candles at such low prices because they use low quality ingredients in their candle products,
When shopping for high quality candles, don't be alarmed by the fact that their prices will be higher. Candles that use pure wax, real fragrance oils and pure essential oils are more expensive to make which means they will be sold at a higher price point than candles that are made with synthetic materials and chemicals like paraffins.
Quality always costs more, but in the end it will always end up costing you less when it pertains to your health and quality of life.
Learning how harmful some of our favorite things are can be a little(or a lot) frustrating. It's important to know that there are almost always healthier alternatives that we can enjoy and also benefit from. We can still overindulge on our candle purchases just the same but now with pure and premium candles instead.
When it comes to shopping for natural candles be sure that the candles are made with premium ingredients. Natural waxes and oils should be free of any harmful chemicals or additives that can negatively affect you and your family's health. Knowing that different candles can provide different benefits can make candle shopping fun.
I highly recommend eScential S.O.Y., a candle company whose candles and wax melts are made up of 100% quality natural ingredients. Their wax, wicks, essential oils and fragrance oils are non-toxic, and free of any and all chemicals and carcinogens. They are also cruelty-free, vegan and fully sustainable. You can find their site at escentialsoy.com and their Etsy shop here.
I hope you found this post to be both helpful and beneficial to you and your home! Enjoy your candles!
I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to comment below or email me directly here!