When you are considering what candles to purchase you may not think about the impact to your health from them, but you should.
While all candles pose some health risk, if they are left attended and start a fire, some pose another risk that you may not know about - dirty air.
Regular paraffin candles are made of petroleum. When they burn they let of black soot. This is a carcinogen and is negatively affecting the air you breathe.
If you aren’t versed on carcinogens, generally these are elements that can cause a number of health issues, including cancer. There have been a series of research studies that show the carcinogens from the use of charcoal, candles and other petroleum items, that we regularly burn, can be major health hazards.
If you are burning regular candles you may notice this soot build up as a black oily substance on the inside of candleholders or around the sides of jar candles.
In homes where candles are burned regularly, some homeowners have even found that some of their furniture, or walls near the candle, have changed color. The dark colors came from the soot being discharged each time candles were lit.
While many people think that one candle or two won’t do any damage to their health, think of all the candles that you are burning over days, weeks, months and years. The soot may be collecting in your home, in the air and having an adverse effect on the air you breathe.
Another problem with common candles is the various chemicals that are used in the creation of these candles. These chemicals, while not meant to be a part of the candle, are going to escape into the air with the rest of the candle elements when it’s burnt.
According to the EPA, petroleum candles and the soot and smoke they emit can contain more than carcinogens. They also may have toxins that can harm the nervous system and others that can affect the reproductive system.
Think the air clears as soon as the candle is out? Think again. According to the American Lung Association those toxins that come off paraffin candles can reduce the quality of air inside your home substantially. Even after the candles are out, those toxins are still in the air for a long time. Your family and even the pets are breathing in those toxins every day.
So, what’s the solution? Soy candles. While they burn much like paraffin candles, the difference between paraffin and soy candles is that the soy candles do not release the same carcinogens when they burn.
Some candle makers claim that soy candles do not release any type of soot. Others say that as long as you are burning, there is some soot that is being released, but the important factor to look at is the type of soot that is being set free during the candle burning process. The soot from soy candles is in much lower quantities than the soot in other candles and is also white soot that does not have the negative health effect or darkening effect on the things it comes in contact with.
Even if you were to notice a small amount of white soot on something, it does not have the greasy and sticky consistency that the soot from paraffin candles has. It can be easily wiped away.
Soy candles are also all natural. The elements that go into the candles are natural, and when they burn off, there is no adverse effect to your health from them.
Finally, by choosing soy jar candles you not only get candles that are healthier for the air you breathe, but also better contained. This means they are less of a fire threat since they are hard to knock over because of their weight and construction.