If you are a lover of candles, you might be wondering if the burning of candles in your home all the time is safe, or if candle smoke could be harmful to human health?
Candle wax is toxic to humans if ingested, but the candle smoke toxic levels are not typically enough to be a health threat, and the organic compounds and particulate matter released is no more than what you breathe in from other sources such as car fumes outside.
To put your mind at ease, we've composed an informational guide below which will take you through some unsupported claims and myths about scented candles, which candles are safer as well as how to keep safe when burning them.
Modern candles nowadays have to reach a certain safety standard to be burned and are not reported to have any effects on health when the smoke is breathed in, however, there are many myths about candles being toxic.
We've gone into more detail about whether or not an actual candle can be toxic to human health below.
Many people get worried about lead-containing candles, lead wicks used to be found in candle manufacturers designs way back and gave off candles toxic fumes, they have however been banned in modern candles for a very long time, meaning lead-containing candles no longer exist on the market.
The national candle association way back banned candles toxic lead wicks in 1974, the best way to tell if a candle has a lead wick is by rubbing the wick on white paper, if it turns grey there is lead inside.
Many people are concerned about the safety of candles that are scented like Yankee candle designs.
A scented type of candle does contain chemicals for it to be fragranced but these fragrances have to meet a certain health standard before they can be used, scented candles can indeed cause some acute health issues in people with asthma, however.
There was a study released a while ago that paraffin candles gave off toxic fumes, however, this scientific study was never confirmed and candle wax such as beeswax, paraffin and soy has never been proved to have any negative health side effects when burnt.
At the most, exposure to candle smoke will give off fragrance, carbon dioxide and water in low concentrations which is not harmful to breathe in.
Candles do indeed release VOC's and particulate matter but they are not enough for negative health effects, you find a huge amount of other VOC's and particulate matter in your home from other objects which are breathed in daily.
All candles are safe to let burn in your home, but some people prefer to burn natural candle options such as soy and beeswax rather than paraffin candles which are not natural.
The best types of candles if your looking for cleaner smoke would be soy made candles, however, these natural candles options do still release particulate matter even though they are the healthiest candles.
Although we now know that candles do not release any toxic chemicals, they can trigger allergies if they have synthetic fragrances.
Scented smells such as pine trees or sweets can cause allergic reactions in people such as coughing and runny noses.
The best candles to choose if you have allergies are -
Is paraffin wax bad to breathe in?
Paraffin wax is not bad to breathe in, the chemicals released are too low in concentrations to do any damage to your health, soy and beeswax candles are the healthier options to burn, however.
Do candles release particulate matter?
Yes, candles do release additional particulate matter into the air, however, there are already high levels in most homes.
Which type of candles is the healthiest to burn?
Soy candles, coconut wax, beeswax and other natural candles are the best to burn as they do not release soot when burned through, make sure they have natural wicks too.
Looking for answers Are Scented Candles Bad? Check out this article.
To conclude, candle wax is only toxic to human health if ingested, in terms of burning the wax, there are no current reports of any negative health effects from burning candles unless you have an old lead wick candle.
If you are worried about burning candles in your home due to the wax we suggest avoiding paraffin candles and sticking with natural options such as beeswax and soy candles which do not emit harmful fumes.
We have also written an article in which we thoroughly researched Diptyque candles, and find out whether Are Diptyque Candles Toxic. Check out also our article if Yankee Candles Toxic Or Bad For You!
