Can Scented Candles Be Environmentally Friendly?

 People sometimes worry about using scented candles at home because they  are often  manufactured from paraffin wax, a by- product of oil refining,  meaning they  unfortunately are not the most environmentally friendly item you can come across. So,  what is the solution if you  would like to have  fragrant candles at home but you would prefer not to use paraffin wax candles?  The good news is  this is no longer a major problem. There are  plenty of new - and improved - waxes which manufacturers of scented candles can use and which  have sound eco friendly credentials. The  most commonly used of these waxes are probably soy wax and beeswax.  A large number of  luxury candle  manufacturers such as true grace candles,  and yankee candles actually make their own custom made wax blends. These waxes are  made  from recurring, renewable resources  which means that they satisfy the modern consumer’s preference for  wholesome eco friendly products. However, on closer inspection, without being consciously aware of it, we have been making use of   eco friendly wax for candle making for many years - long, long before  concerns about the effects of various substances on the environment. We are talking, of course, about beeswax. Beeswax candles are  created from wax collected by honey bees which is probably the purest and most refined of all waxes. Unlike paraffin wax, beeswax burns very cleanly and - far from creating dirt and soot in the air - it actually has certain naturally occurring properties which help ionise and cleanse  the air as the candle burns . So if beeswax has so much going for it  why do luxury candle makers not just use it for their candles ? Unfortunately, it is expensive ~ and so {it's use in modern candle making tends to be restricted to being part of a blend of other waxes, rather than pure beeswax | when it is used by candle makers these days it is usually mixed with other waxes to create a blend of waxes, rather than being used on its own. For example , luxury brand Joya Studio has a proprietory blend of wax for  some of its scented candles which includes a percentage of beeswax. If you are really lucky  you may come across some candles which are made  entirely out of beeswax. One such range of candles is the "Journey of the Bee" collection made by the environmentally aware company Paddywax candles in the USA. Apart from beeswax there are other vegetable based waxes out there which are used by scented candle manufacturers. The best known of these is probably soy wax which is created by hydrogenating soya bean oil to create  a solid mass, in the same way other oils are hydrogenated to create butter-type spreads. Soy wax is relatively inexpensive and creates great scented candles which is why it is so popular as an eco friendly choice. The other matter  to think about  when it comes to choosing a environmentally friendly candle  is the means by which each candle gets its aroma. Good quality  brands will create scented  candles using essential extracts from plants and flowers. These are to be commended from an environmental standpoint. Cheaper factory produced candles use synthetic fragrancing agents and are thus are best avoided






The author is owner of The Scented Candle Store which supplies a range of scented candles  including True Grace candles