While soy candles are often seen as natural, you might avoid them due to concerns about chemical processing (using hexane, bleaching) from genetically modified crops, potential respiratory irritants (VOCs, synthetic fragrances, phthalates) that affect sensitive individuals, environmental impacts like deforestation, and practical issues like inconsistent performance and poor fragrance throw, often requiring additives like paraffin.
Are 100% Soy Candles Safe? Yes, 100% soy candles are safe to burn. They are free from petroleum byproducts and burn with minimal soot, making them ideal for homes with children, pets, or anyone with respiratory sensitivities.
Soy wax candle disadvantages include weaker scent throw, higher cost than paraffin, potential for "frosting" (white crystallization) and sinkholes, a softer texture that can warp, and environmental concerns about large-scale soybean farming and chemical processing (like hexane use), plus potential VOCs from fragrances, though they generally burn cleaner than paraffin.
Wax Type: Beeswax is the best for clean burning and air purification, followed by soy and coconut wax. Wicks: Opt for 100% cotton or wood wicks to avoid toxic byproducts. Fragrances: Choose candles with 100% essential oils instead of synthetic fragrances.
Taking into consideration sustainability, health, and burn quality, it's clear that soy and coconut waxes emerge as the top contenders for the healthiest candle waxes to burn. While beeswax offers a clean burn, concerns about its impact on bee populations make it a less sustainable option.
Paraffin Wax Candles
Paraffin wax, being a by-product of crude oil, emits harmful chemicals when burned. Research has shown that these candles can release toxic substances like formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene— all known carcinogens.
The 84 Candle Rule is a popular guideline for aspiring candlemakers, suggesting you make and give away roughly 84 candles to build mastery, test formulas (waxes, wicks, scents, vessels), and gather feedback before seriously starting a business, preventing burnout by focusing on craft first. It's not a strict number but a method to gain experience and confidence, learning from mistakes (tunneling, poor scent throw) on free products rather than customer orders, ensuring a high-quality, consistent product.
The worst candles to burn are typically inexpensive, paraffin-based candles with synthetic fragrances and dyes, especially those with hidden lead-core wicks (though rare now) or made with cheap materials, as they release carcinogens (benzene, toluene), VOCs, phthalates, and soot, polluting indoor air and potentially triggering asthma or allergies. Opt instead for natural waxes like soy, beeswax, or coconut wax with essential oils and cotton wicks for cleaner, safer burning.
Burn soy candles rather than oil based candles. Soy-wax candles burn cleaner and slower, are non toxic and do not emit petrol-carbon soot.
In addition to herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers are commonly used in commercial soybean farming practices. These chemicals pollute the environment, and traces of them may be found in soy wax. With beeswax, there is a less direct risk of exposure to pesticides.
Check For Artificial Scents
If the candle has an extremely strong scent, it's likely the candle was made with artificial and potentially toxic fragrance chemicals. “Fragrance” is a catch-all term for over 3,000 chemicals including: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
The best way to avoid headaches from candles is by choosing those made from natural ingredients, such as soy wax, coconut wax, or beeswax. These natural waxes burn cleaner, produce fewer harmful emissions, and are less likely to trigger sensitivities compared to paraffin wax.
Beeswax and soy candles burn much cleaner than paraffin wax, and don't contain the chemicals that disrupt our bodies. If you prefer a scented candle, those made with pure essential oils are a better alternative to artificial fragrance. Here are some great non-toxic options!
soy and coconut blended wax candles are not toxic when used in moderation, just like anything else. it has been shown that traditional paraffin candles do release more toxins when burning, including carcinogens like toluene, alkanes, and alkenes into the air.
Candles: The Hidden Hormone Disruptors in Your Home
When burned, it releases harmful chemicals like benzene and toluene, both of which are linked to hormone disruption. These chemicals can mimic estrogen, potentially throwing off your body's natural hormonal balance.
Each ounce of soy wax burns for roughly 7–9 hours.
So: 10-oz Signature = 70–90 total hours (average 50–60 when burned correctly) 17-oz 3-Wick = 120–150 theoretical hours (typically 75–85 hours due to higher flame output)
If you are after high-quality paraffin wax candles, Glasshouse candles are made from non-toxic food gradewax with lead-free cotton wicks. Glasshouse points out that their candles are safe to burn, even in the presence of babies or those with allergies.
The 8:10 rule for candles refers to using an 8-ounce candle for every 10 feet (or 10 square feet) of space to achieve an even fragrance throw, ensuring scents fill large areas without being too concentrated or weak, while also spacing them safely (about 3 inches apart) for proper burning. It's a guideline for "fragrance architecture" to create a consistent scent experience by matching candle size to room size.
The healthiest candles to burn are 100% pure beeswax, soy, or coconut wax candles, ideally unscented or scented only with pure essential oils, and featuring cotton or wood wicks. These natural options burn cleaner and release fewer toxins than paraffin wax candles, with beeswax being the purest and potentially air-purifying, while soy and coconut offer sustainable, clean-burning alternatives. Always look for transparency about paraffin-free and additive-free formulas for the best indoor air quality.
The "3-hour candle rule" refers to a guideline for proper candle care, suggesting you don't burn a candle for more than 3 hours at a time to prevent overheating, uneven wax melting (tunneling), and excess soot, ensuring a safer, longer, and better-smelling candle by allowing it to cool completely before relighting. For optimal results, burn it long enough for the wax pool to reach the edges of the container (around 3 hours) before extinguishing.
Sledd told KFVS-TV that it only takes an hour of burning a candle to produce the same harmful effects as smoking just one cigarette. He said soot from candles can pose a threat to our respiratory systems. That soot can contain particles of zinc, tin, and lead.
Candles made with clean-burning, natural waxes like rapeseed, coconut, or beeswax, and free from paraffin, phthalates, and harsh synthetic fragrance are considered non-toxic.
The "3-hour candle rule" refers to a guideline for proper candle care, suggesting you don't burn a candle for more than 3 hours at a time to prevent overheating, uneven wax melting (tunneling), and excess soot, ensuring a safer, longer, and better-smelling candle by allowing it to cool completely before relighting. For optimal results, burn it long enough for the wax pool to reach the edges of the container (around 3 hours) before extinguishing.
Limiting Burn Time to Prevent Overheating and Ensure a Safe Candle Flame. Candles should not be burned for more than four hours at a time. Extended burning can cause the wick to become unstable, leading to a larger flame and increased soot production. Always allow the candle to cool completely before relighting.
Candles are a staple in 7 out of 10 U.S. households, with over 95% of purchasers being women—factors like scent, color, cost, and shape influence buying decisions.