The smell of freshly lit candles often fills the air in the month of December. But did you know that scented candles that are made of paraffin are actually doing more harm than good?
In fact according to the Daily Telegraph in the UK-“A study carried out by Professor Alastair Lewis of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of York found that an ingredient commonly used to give candles their scent mutates into formaldehyde upon contact with the air.” Which is an alarming fact considering that most candles do have some sort of scent included in their ingredients.
According to Treehugger.com “A study at South Carolina State University compared non-scented, non-pigmented, dye-free candles that were made from either a petroleum-based wax or a vegetable-based wax. They concluded that “the vegetable-based candles didn’t produce any potentially harmful pollutants [but] the paraffin candles released unwanted chemicals into the air.” Chemistry professor Ruhullah Massoudi stated,”
“For a person who lights a candle every day for years or just uses them frequently, inhalation of these dangerous pollutants drifting in the air could contribute to the development of health risks like cancer, common allergies and even asthma.”
Fortunately, there are much safer alternatives this December, choose a candle with a cotton, hemp or a paper wick and choose a candle made of soy, beeswax or coconut oil. They do offer a warm glow. Last but not least only choose candles that are unscented like the beeswax candles or are scented with natural essential oils and not chemicals.
