Non Toxic Candles

Candles

What are non-toxic candles made of?

Generally, a candle that calls itself non-toxic should have 100% disclosure about its ingredients. It should be made with either no scent at all, or scent that doesn’t have allergy or toxicity data showing it’s potentially harmful. It should be solvent and phthalate free. The scent should be in beeswax or 100% plant or bio based undyed wax, with a lead-free cotton or wood wick.

Does beeswax really burn cleaner than other types of candle wax?

Maybe, but it’s more likely that the quality of the wick and fragrance are what makes a candle burn cleaner rather than the type of wax. How much draft there is also seems to make a difference: more draft = more soot. There is very little research on the topic, but here is what we know:

• Beeswax and soy wax produced less soot than paraffin wax in a University lab study in 2002.

• A single 2007 study funded by the candle industry found that paraffin, soy, and beeswax all created nearly equal emissions.

• A publicly funded 2021 study, with candle manufacturers as project partners, burned five unscented pillar candles in drafty conditions. The worst, a paraffin candle, released about 27 times more soot than the best, a palm stearin candle, plus far more fine particles (PM2.5) and cancer-linked PAHs. A second paraffin candle with a different wick had the second-lowest soot, though, which suggests the wick may actually matter more than the type of wax. Drafts were the most important element by far, though: still air cut soot by 60 to 1,700 times.

I would love to see more studies done by completely independent groups and with a focus on beeswax. Is it safe to assume that beeswax burns cleaner than paraffin? Almost certainly, since paraffin is petroleum-derived and we do know paraffin candle burning emits VOCs including formaldehyde and compounds like toluene and benzene, as well as PAHs from incomplete combustion.

Do beeswax candles emit negative ions that purify the air?

No. All flames, including ones made by paraffin candles, release small amounts of charged particles (ions) because that is a normal part of normal combustion. However, they make both positive and negative ions, and the vast majority recombine very close to the flame. They don’t fill the room, and they aren’t overwhelmingly negative.

The idea likely comes from air ionizers, which emit a steady stream of negative ions so that airborne particles get “charged” enough to stick to walls and surfaces: this really does happen. But a candle flame doesn’t work like an ionizer. And even if it did, candles add way more particles to indoor air rather than they could theoretically charge them with ions and make them fall down.

Are soy candles non toxic?

Soy candles can be a healthier choice, but what the wax is made of is just one part of a non toxic candle. It depends on what the soy is blended with (dyes, scents) and what type of wick it has. That’s because

Why is paraffin wax in candles bad?

There are a few reasons to avoid paraffin wax candles:

• Petroleum origin: paraffin is extracted from petroleum as part of the oil refining process, then treated with solvents and processed to adjust hardness or add color.

• Volatile chemical release: when burned, paraffin candles emit VOCs including formaldehyde and compounds like toluene and benzene, as well as PAHs from incomplete combustion. These chemicals are detectable in candle emissions studies, though whether concentrations from typical residential use reach levels associated with health effects is not well established.

• Soot release: soot is a specific type of PM 2.5, which is a size of particle. It is a carbon-rich particle made by incomplete combustion. Paraffin has a higher carbon content because of its petroleum origin, so it’s more prone to incomplete combustion than natural waxes like beeswax or soy, which have simpler fatty acid compositions that tend to burn more cleanly. That said, fragrance load and wick type also influence soot output, so paraffin without fragrance can perform better than a heavily scented natural wax candle.

A note on labeling: "coconut wax blend" or "soy wax blend" likely means blended with paraffin. If wax composition matters to you, look for a single-origin wax with no blend language.

What is a tallow candle?

Tallow is rendered animal fat, typically from beef or sheep, and is what candles were made from before petroleum-derived paraffin became the standard.

Like other natural waxes, its fatty acid composition is simpler than paraffin's, which is the basis for the assumption that it burns more cleanly. But tallow-specific emissions research is limited, so that is a guess.

What dyes should I avoid in candles?

Benzidine-based azo dyes are the most clearly problematic class — the issue is less the dye itself than its breakdown products, which can include aromatic amines with carcinogenic properties. Benzidine-based dyes are restricted in the US and EU, but azo dyes broadly still dominate synthetic colorants, and a fraction of that family carries the same aromatic amine concern. How much of this translates to inhalation risk from burning a dyed candle specifically hasn't been studied — the toxicology research on azo dyes is largely about occupational skin and dust exposure, not combustion. So this is a precautionary argument rather than a fully characterized risk.

Undyed candles remove the variable entirely. If you want color, natural dyes with disclosed sourcing are the most transparent option.

I like my unhealthy candles. What can I do to make my candles less toxic?

If you already have a candle, incense, or fragrance oil you like, and it isn't very healthy, there are a few things you can do to minimize harm:

• Burn them very infrequently or on special occasions only. I know this won't work for everyone, but it is what I do: I burn my Christmas-scented incense cones once a year, and enjoy most of my fun-shaped and perfectly-colored candles just as decoration year-round.

• Open the windows while you burn candles or incense to let out harmful fumes while still enjoying ambience.

• Use an air purifier that removes both PM 2.5 and VOCs after you're done.

• Switch to a candle warmer that heats the candle and releases scent without burning

Finally, if you must use a synthetic scent or combustion on a regular basis, just take good care of your health in other ways. Regular exercise, good nutrition, and not worrying too much are also healthy.