Use Natural Candles

Quick Facts

Affordability

Cost Savings

CO₂ Reduction

We all know that burning the candle at both ends is bad for our health, but the toxic repercussions of burning many of the candles on the market – at either end – is not as widely publicized. Most candles are made with paraffin, a waste product from the petroleum industry, and many contain lead, as well as artificial scents and other chemicals that have unromantic side effects. But you do not have to forgo candlelit meals or baths, just ensure the candles you use are made with natural products so they won’t release toxins into your home.

Affordability

Natural candles can be expensive, but do not buy bargain candles. Dollar store candles are the worst offenders for chemical and lead ingredients. If you want to use candles, spend a little more and get 100% beeswax or soy candles. Some soy candle makers say that longer burn times mean soy candles actually cost less than standard paraffin ones.

Cost savings

Candles are not a cost-effective option. The cost of buying two natural candles is likely to exceed the price of energy for a dimmed CFL over the same period of time. However, they offer a way to change your lighting without increasing energy consumption for occasions where you want something different.

Health & comfort

Candlelight can make a room cozy or a meal more intimate. Ensure you always follow fire safe candle practices. Keep your wicks trimmed and never leave a burning candle unattended. Paraffin candles can release soot, formaldehyde, lead, benzene and other chemicals. These chemicals pollute the surrounding air.

Environmental considerations

Use candles made locally from products available in North America, like soy and beeswax. As well as keeping the air in your home free from toxic chemicals, using products made nearer to your home saves on the carbon of shipping overseas.

What you need to know

Lead

The wicks of many candles contain lead, which is said to make them burn more slowly and evenly. When the candle burns, the lead is released as vapours and dust. Ingesting lead can affect behaviour, learning and memory and is particularly dangerous for children and pregnant women.
Burning leaded candles in a home once a week can release enough lead into the indoor environment that a child’s lead levels could exceed federal health standards.
Tea lights, pillar candles and candles that melt into puddles are the most likely to contain lead. Any candles from dollars stores, especially those made in China, are particularly suspect.
Health Canada advises that you test candles you already own to see whether the wick contains lead: remove wax from the tip of the wick, separate the fibre strands to see if there is a metallic core, and if so, rub this metallic core on a piece of white paper. If it leaves a gray mark on the paper, then the metallic core is probably lead. Discard any candles that test positive.
There is currently no ban on leaded candles in Canada.

Other toxins

Paraffin candles can also release formaldehyde, benzene and soot as they burn.
Scented candles and soft candles are more likely to release oily black soot than other candles.
To see if your candles are polluting the indoor environment, check for oily deposits on your walls, window coverings and light switches or electrical sockets in areas near to where you burn candles.
Avoid scented candles and petroleum based gel candles as these are likely to produce soot.
Cutting your wicks and keeping candles out of drafts will reduce soot production and make your candles more fire safe.

Alternatives

100% beeswax candles are non-toxic and are said to actually clean the air of dust. Watch out for imitations that use only a percentage of beeswax.
Soy is another option for longer burning candles that do not pollute the air.
Most North American-made candles do not contain lead and candles from IKEA are all lead-free.

Fire safety

Never leave a lit candle unattended.
Candles with long or multiple wicks are an increased fire risk because the candles burn hotter and a taller flame may be blown by breezes. Keep your wicks trimmed to make them safer.
Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.
Across Canada the number of fires caused by candles has increased in recent years. Do not add to the statistics. Be fire safe.

FAQ

I have seen a lot of palm oil candles or palm oil blended with other ingredients. Is palm a good alternative to paraffin?
Palm is a good alternative in many ways: it burns with low soot emissions, it can be used to make all kinds and shapes of candles and oil palms can be grown without chemical fertilizers. However, palm is not without environmental implications. Most palm oil is imported from South East Asia. Tropical forests in Southeast Asia are being cut down to make room for more palm plantations to meet the increased demand for palm oil in all kinds of consumer products from food to fuel. As a result, much needed orangutan habitat is being rapidly destroyed and local communities have been negatively impacted. If you want to burn palm oil candles, only purchase them from Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified companies.