Are you trying to be more health conscious but you’re not sure how? Left wondering if beeswax candles help your health and add to your home? Here are the main reasons why you should purchase beeswax candles as a health-conscious consumer and make small but powerful changes to your life.
Candles have become an essential part of home design. Creating a cozy atmosphere, sweet scents and unique warmth that only candles can create. Thankfully, there is a huge market for consumers to choose from. Offering a massive variety of colors, sizes, shapes, decorations and of course, scents.
Candles are extremely important to many consumers, as it is not only the style that contributes to their living space. Scents can hold significant meaning and be associated with special memories. Therefore, a candle not only adds to their home but also to their personal feelings as well as lifting their mood.
But aside from this, what do these small decorative pieces have to do with your health?
Health implications of synthetic candles
Traditionally, beeswax was the most commonly used candle material in the pre-industrial era. Over time, cheaper substitutes for natural wax were found to lower the cost of candle production. This has encouraged the production of cheaply made, paraffin wax and gel candles and with a low price-tag, these types of candles are more readily available.
Less expensive candles that are normally made of artificial materials give less light and burn much faster compared to more expensive candles produced with natural substances, such as beeswax. So, even though the candles are cheaper, a higher quantity needs to be purchased in order to match up to the performance of naturally made candles.
Additionally, the paraffin used to produce these candles produce harmful toxins. Benzene, toluene, xylene and other compounds are as harmful as second-hand smoke. As well as the soot fumes, similar to that of diesel engines, that is produced by burning a synthetic candle.
Synthetic fragrances in candles also release phthalates. When inhaled, this chemical can aggravate allergic reactions, asthma and disrupt hormone levels. All of these chemicals have been linked to cancer, particularly in the lungs, and are dangerous to those with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease.
Unfortunately, manufacturers rarely warn customers about these threats and the potential health impacts connected with the use of cheap, man-made candles. Therefore, health-conscious shoppers should be aware of these effects when buying candles.
What Alternatives are there?
Thankfully, there a few types of candles you can purchase as an alternative to man-made and paraffin wax candles. These include beeswax and soy candles that are also made with cotton or paper wicks. These natural materials do not produce the harmful chemicals of synthetic candles and promote positive health effects.
Soy wax and beeswax pillars both release no petro-soot or other chemicals like paraffin wax candles do. As well as burning up 50% slower and longer than man-made chemicals.
Although these natural candles are much better for your health, manufacturers can still add chemical scents or dyes that release toxins. Therefore, choosing a health beneficial candle is more complicated than choosing just the main material.
Therefore, you want to be conscious of purchasing naturally scented and naturally dyed candles. Soy and beeswax candles can be scented with natural essential oils which provide aromatherapeutic benefits. As well as natural dyes that burn cleaner than artificial colorants from man-made candles or purchasing the natural cream color of the wax.
Health conscious consumers will also want to consider the wick material before making any purchases. Cotton, hemp or paper wicks burn much cleaner than wicks found in paraffin wax candles therefore, protecting your health.
As you can see, it is more complicated than just buying natural candles. All materials and their health implications need to be considered before purchasing candles, especially for those who are health conscious.
Why you should choose Beeswax candles
Beeswax is a purely organic product made by honeybees. In order to produce top-quality beeswax candles, honeycombs and caps that seal them are melted and filtered to obtain a homogenous mass that these candles are produced from.
However, beeswax is resource heavy and time-consuming product to produce. Honeybees need to eat about 6-8 pounds of honey to generate one pound of beeswax, during a period of several weeks. This explains why the price of beeswax candles can be quite high compared to man-made candles.
But the price should not put you off investing in natural beeswax candles.
One of the most significant benefits of beeswax candles over other natural and synthetic candles, is its ability to clean the air. Where man-made candles release harmful toxins when burned, beeswax candles products negative ions. These negative ions attach to positive ions, cleaning the air with this process.
Cleaning the air can also reduce asthma and allergic reactions which are usually provoked by synthetic candles. Therefore, natural candles prevent future health problems but also can help treat and reduce the symptoms of existing health conditions.
Beeswax candles also burn brighter and longer than many alternatives. Even though beeswax candles are more expensive, there is much better value in their brightness and burn time compared to synthetic candles.
However, when purchasing beeswax candles for these benefits, you must ensure that the candle is pure, 100% beeswax. Candles can often still be labeled as beeswax but not be 100% pure, sometimes containing up to 50% synthetic material like paraffin. Therefore, producing the harmful toxins you wanted to avoid.
Ultimately, beeswax candles offer the bright light, mood and atmosphere that any candle should. Alongside this, they also provide peace of mind for your health which is much more desirable than the worry that can come from synthetic candles.
Although, there are many factors to considering when purchasing a natural material candle including how the candle is scented, colored and the wick. Paying attention to the fine details of candles is important, and is definitely worth the time and financial investment.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
