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On writing days, I wake up, make my blended coffee, sit at my desk, light a candle and let the writing begin. Candles add so much ambiance and they can bring a room to life. There are a plethora of candles to choose from on the market but (with most things) some are better than others. Here’s what to consider, how to decode labels and what to know to choose a clean one.
How to read candle labels
1. Fragrance/Scent One of the easiest ways to vet candles is to avoid ones made with “fragrance”. Here’s why. In most cases, when you look at a product ingredient label, you will see each ingredient listed individually. But under U.S. regulations, when it comes to “complex mixtures of many different natural and synthetic chemical ingredients”, AKA “fragrance”, these complex mixtures can simply be listed as “fragrance”. (source) This is because under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, the law is not allowed to be used to force a company to tell “trade secrets.” And that’s fine and all except these complex mixtures can contain thousands of components including allergens, VOCs, and phthalates. And these fragranced products can trigger adverse health effects in the general population. (source) Interpreting fine fragrance or high-quality fragrance or phalate-free fragrance or parfume I recommend looking for candles that are scented with essential oils only. This means that a product contains oils extracted from whole plants or plant parts. Transparent manufacturers and distributors will always have information about how the oil was made (steam distilled, CO2 extracted, absolute, etc.) and the country the plant material came from that was used to make the oil. But don’t get tripped up. You will also see terms like; fine fragrance or high-quality fragrance or phalate-free fragrance or parfume. Jessica Waters, founder and candlemaker of Terralite explains, “This means the product has been scented with synthetic fragrances or a blend of synthetic fragrances and essential oils. Many synthetic fragrances are 95% derived from petroleum. No matter how you brand it, unless it is described as being 100% natural, you can assume the candle contains ingredients that are not natural.” The other problem with terms like “fine fragrance” is the lack of disclosure and transparency. We want to know what’s in our products and with terms like “natural fragrance”, we are still left in the dark.
Interpreting natural fragrance Jessica continues, “Natural fragrance means that the product was scented with fragrances that were derived from natural plant sources. This is different than essential oils. Natural fragrance manufacturers typically do not disclose how their natural fragrances are made or what plant sources were used to make the fragrance so very little information is known about them other than they are “natural”. Since there is no official body regulating fragrances or natural fragrances, including no labeling requirements as to what is in fragrances, there is a risk that it could include synthetic ingredients unless otherwise stated.” Takeaway: Choose brands that use transparent language around what is in their candles. I recommend looking for candles scented with “100% essential oils” or “essential oils only.”
2. Wax Paraffin and petroleum derived candles release unwanted chemicals into the air. “For a person who lights a candle every day for years or just uses them frequently, inhalation of these dangerous pollutants drifting in the air could contribute to the development of health risks like cancer, common allergies and even asthma.” Fortunately there are other options like soy wax, vegetable wax, coconut wax and beeswax. But it doesn’t stop there. Sometimes brands will label their candle “made with soy wax” or “coconut wax candle” but these can also include paraffin too. Wax blends are very common in candle making and sometimes not all materials included in these blends are disclosed. Jessica Waters continues, “Unless a product or company states that their wax is “paraffin-free”, then most likely a petroleum additive was added to the wax to make the wax harder and increase the melting temperature (the temperature at which the solid wax becomes liquid).” Takeaway: Look for candles labeled “100% coconut wax” or “100% beeswax” for example. You can also follow up with the company to clarify if you do not see this language on the label.
3. Wicks Choosing a clean candle also requires wick label decoding. Here are some common terms that can trip people up. Terms like “Lead-Free Wick” This means that the wick does not contain lead. However, it’s kind of a greenwashing tactic at this point because the Consumer Product Safety Commission placed a national ban against manufacturing, importing, or selling candles with lead wicks as of October 2003. Terms like “Natural Cotton Wick” “Natural cotton wick” means that the wick is made from cotton but unless it says “unbleached cotton” the wick has gone through a chemical bleaching process.
Takeaway: Look for cotton wicks that are unbleached. This usually takes a follow-up with the brand to clarify. Questions to ask brands when shopping for clean candles Sometimes you can’t find all of the information on the candle label or the website. Jessica Waters adds, “The confusing thing is, not every company has the same ethics about labeling, so although a candle may say “natural”, there’s a chance that it might not actually be 100% natural.” Here are some questions for brands that will help guide you in the right direction: Does your wax contain paraffin? Is your cotton wick unbleached? Do you use fragrance or essential oils?