Sustainable Living: Are candles toxic?

I LOVE candles. As an introvert who hides away in her cozy nook often, I’ve created the dreamiest of all nests in my living room. Simple colors, soft textures, art and books and plants as decor … candles are the pièce de résistance to a cozy abode that will get you through any cold, Midwestern winter.

Early on, I knew that avoiding toxic chemicals in cleaning products and body care was a priority for me. Figuring out which candles to avoid was the next step.

There are three main types of candles found in stores today. Let me walk you through the options.

NO. 1 | PARAFFIN

Most candles you see in stores today are made from paraffin. Birthday candles? Paraffin. Your Yankee Candle Co. pumpkin candle that you love so much? Paraffin. That pretty one from Anthropologie? Paraffin. Those tea lights from Ikea? Paraffin. You get the picture.

So what is paraffin?

Paraffin is made from crude oil, a byproduct of the petroleum industry, and a petrochemical. One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make a whole slew of things from Vasoline (petroleum jelly) and mineral oil (nothing mineral about it) to plastics, surfactants (found in your soap and shampoos), perfume fragrances, fertilizer, and insecticides.

Oil tycoon and legendary rich man, John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, is credited as being the genius behind finding a market for petroleum byproducts. Hearing his mother’s voice say “willful waste makes woeful want” since childhood, he started finding uses for all of the waste that was created while making kerosene - his main product at that time. Gasoline was his first discovery. At the time, kerosene factories were dumping an unwanted, unused noxious substance (gasoline) into nearby rivers and waterways to get rid of it, which led to making Ohio’s Cuyahoga River flammable. It was said that if a steamboat threw away hot coals overboard, the water would catch fire.

Rockefeller was the first to start using gasoline as fuel in his distilling machines. Soon every waste product was considered an opportunity to make or save money and a new industry was created. In 1874, Standard Oil started selling paraffin wax for chewing gum and the company began manufacturing candles, dyes, paints, and industrial acids from its byproducts as well. Today over 6,000 types of items are made from petroleum byproducts.

Plastic has long been something I try to avoid when making purchases. Knowing that paraffin candles and plastic are born from the same stuff, it was easy for me to define those candles as something to avoid.

Why avoid petroleum products including paraffin? There are two reasons. In my opinion, we should be trying to curb our use of non-renewable fossil fuels. We should also be aware of their health risks.

In the case of paraffin candles, studies have shown that they release volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, into the air, creating an unhealthy environment when burned, especially in a closed area. Levels exceeding the EPA’s standards of acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, toluene, benzene and acrolein were found during studies conducted by the EPA. These chemicals can pose a risk to us, especially in the form of lung conditions.

I heard someone once say that a paraffin candle burning in the house, though it may smell like fresh laundry, is the equivalent to a diesel truck idling in your living room…I’ve never been able to shake that image.

If you want to stay away from paraffin candles, you need to buy only candles that tell you what wax they're using. The label might say soy or beeswax or another type of vegetable wax, but if it says nothing: it’s paraffin.

Many candles will say they are a blend. Soy wax blend. Coconut wax blend. Don’t be fooled. It’s easy to be tricked by the words “soy” or “coconut,” but the “blend” part is the most telling: “blend” means “paraffin base.” Since paraffin is relatively cheap compared to soy, coconut, and beeswax, candle manufacturers add a bit of organic material to the paraffin so they can charge more but keep costs down. It’s marketing—nothing more.

NO. 2 | SOY & OTHER VEGETABLE WAX

Soy candles are the most often seen "better than paraffin" candle option.

I believe that soy is better than paraffin, but it is not my favorite alternative. Soy is better than paraffin for one main reason: It's not bad for your health. Pure soy wax candles (and other vegetable waxes like coconut) do not release the same VOCs as paraffin candles according to studies. Yet there's a simple reason why it's not the best choice: soy is still not great for the environment. It's not great for farmland. Farmers. People who eat fish. People who drink water from the tap or from a well. Et cetera.

Soy is one of the most genetically modified crops in the United States. If you know much about GMOs, you've probably heard that genetically modified crops and seeds have more chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers) dropped on them than conventional crops (and obviously organic crops.) They are produced to survive a helluva lotta synthetic chemicals.

Soy just happens to be one of the most genetically modified crops in the U.S. with 94% of soybeans planted in 2016 being genetically modified varieties.

This is obviously an absolutely polarizing issue with emotional opinions on both sides, and I don't want to tell you what to think. Though my advice is this: if you already don't love the idea of conventional farming practices but haven’t yet thought about it in terms of candles before, don’t buy soy candles.

For me, the “to soy or not to soy” question comes down to the presence of synthetic chemicals (and the pollution and runoff associated with them) and the practice of monocropping. I don't love either, so I buy organic and local whenever I am able, and since I've never seen an organic soy candle…you get the picture. But if you HAVE seen an organic soy candle, let me know. I'd buy that over paraffin any day.

NO. 3 | BEESWAX

I believe that beeswax candles, in general, can be healthier and better for the environment than paraffin or soy wax candles. Buying beeswax candles does not support the fossil fuel industry. You don’t have to worry about contributing to toxic pollution. You have a greater variety of candle types. You have the opportunity to support local farmers and artisans.

And yet, beware of what beeswax candles you buy. Avoid candles that have been bleached, colored, and deodorized with petrochemicals by buying beeswax that is naturally colored and scented. I am able to buy beeswax candles from a couple local sources here in Minnesota. I love that I am supporting local people who are raising bees ethically near organic farms and creating small batch, sustainable goods.

You really have to watch your source for beeswax candles. As an animal activist could tell you, bees are usually treated terribly, and their numbers are decreasing at alarming rates due to modern farming practices. The queens are shipped in tiny boxes to the farmer, and to keep the hive from moving away (their natural tendency), the queen’s wings are clipped so they can't escape the hive, and she is killed after a year/season when a new queen is brought in.

When you’re on the hunt for a good beeswax source, local and smaller is almost always better.

And yes, beeswax costs more than paraffin or vegetable wax candles. As with most things that are better for you or more ethical, the price is higher. The good news? Beeswax candles last up to three times longer than paraffin wax candles and TWICE as long as soy candles of the same size.

A WORD ABOUT CONTAINERS

Sadly, the wax itself isn’t the only thing we have to worry about when considering the most sustainable option. Because glass containers of candles are often made from tempered glass, they are not able to be recycled. Since they are meant to withstand heat and heavy use, the glass is made differently and has a different melting point than regular soda-lime glass. If these two types of glass are melted together in a recycling plant they will contaminate the recyclable glass and possibly break machinery. It is best not to “wish-cycle” glass for this reason. Recycle glass that you know is recyclable or clean and reuse the containers you still have around.

I have decided that the simplest option for me is to use primarily beeswax tapers. I like them because they are container free and do not have the metal tabs that votives and container candles have which I would have to throw away.

In the end, are candles a luxury item? Yes. Do I consume too many of them? Possibly. Is making the effort to protect the environment and support local business worth it? Absolutely.