What Are the Main Concerns?
Scented candles are more popular than ever, and that popularity shows no signs of slowing down. Yet some people are afraid to burn scented candles because they fear they are polluting their homes with toxic chemicals. So, what’s the truth behind these concerns?
Well, when it comes to scented candles and toxins, there seems to be a jumble of facts, myths and rumors swirling around out there. Several studies by different researchers have been done on this type of candle and the results range from no toxic danger to warnings that paraffin candles contain dangerous levels of some chemicals that may pose a health risk. These mixed results make it more difficult for those seeking a definitive answer to this question.
As creative and prolific makers of some of the world’s finest scented candles, we want you to know that we would never produce a candle product that introduces dangerous chemicals into your home. We simply don’t operate that way, and like many candle makers, we adhere to high standards of quality — that includes choosing the safest ingredients for our products.
Still, we understand that you may want more information about what causes candles to become potentially toxic, and what can be done about it.
Toxic Soot and Lead Wicks
According to a 1999 report issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USDA), the main toxic culprit consumers should worry about when burning candles are soot and lead wicks. It’s a fact that scented candles tend to produce more soot than non-scented varieties. Soot residue may contain harmful chemicals such as benzene and toluene. Benzene is a cancer-causing agent and toluene may cause headaches or drowsiness. If you were wondering why Goose Creek makes clean-burning candles, this is why. Reducing the formation of soot lowers your exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
Lead is widely known to be a seriously harmful toxin, and in the early days of candle making, candle wicks commonly contained lead cores because manufacturers didn’t realize the dangers. Thankfully, contemporary candle makers, including us, know better than to use dangerous lead. Our wicks never have, and never will, contain any amount of lead because any toxins inside the wick would also be released into the air. Our wicks are made of 100 percent cotton, a natural material.
What About Paraffin and Fragrances?
You may wonder why we choose to use paraffin for our candles instead of soy. We’re confident that our paraffin is safe because we use only non-toxic, food-grade, refined paraffin approved for use in consumer products by the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA). As for fragrances, we use fragrance ingredients deemed safe by the National Candle Association (NCA).
Easy Ways to Reduce Candle Toxins
Even though our candles are made to be highly clean burning, you may still want to take precautions to reduce the risk of air toxins. This is easy to do when you choose premium candles produced in the U.S. like ours. Keep candles covered when not in use, burn one jar candle at a time and trim wicks before each use.