Your Candles Can Kill You!

Ok, maybe not "kill" you but they may be doing you harm.

I was recently in search of my favorite candle scent (cinnamon and clove) offer at Bath and Body works during the holiday season. They are of course sold out. I bought the last 6 at the after Christmas sale. However, I burn candles obsessively during the winter months, I have already burnt 2 of them and will go through the rest in a matter of weeks.

So as I said, on the search for more candles with that scent. I happened upon some beeswax candles with the same scent and the site talked about the benefits of beeswax. I was intrigued. I did more investigation….

http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/scented-candles-dangers-health-safe-solutions/

Here are some of the dangers of burning paraffin wax candles: 

According to the American Lung Association, "paraffin candles contain 11 documented toxins, two of which are known carcinogens. Protect the environment and your body at the same time by only using organic beeswax, soy or hemp candles.

Also, if you are doing your best to be eco-friendly/green did you know, 

According to green promise.com,  "Spending a little more money or time locating organic non-toxic candles appears to be worth it in regards to your indoor air environment and your health.

 Most conventional candles are made from paraffin wax, which is a by-product of petroleum, a non-renewable resource, which has been linked to poor indoor air quality. 

Paraffin candles release a petro-carbon soot that stains your walls, furniture and is circulated through your air ducts. 

Some paraffin candle makers are still using lead core wicks which when heated emit lead particulates into the air, which can then be inhaled. 100% of lead that is inhaled is absorbed into the bloodstream."

I read all that and I said, "EEEEKKKKKK! Why am I buying paraffin wax candles? But what are my options?"

Well, soy and beeswax candles are surprisingly easy to find! I also will add they are the same cost you would pay for a regular good quality candle. Maybe not as cheap as Walmart or a discount store, but very reasonable!

To read more about soy candles click on the link below this picture. There is some great info about soy vs beeswax candles.

http://empoweredsustenance.com/soy-vs-beeswax-candles/

I also learned that beeswax candles have lots of positive benefits including:

·   Improved sleep                     

·   Enhanced immune system

·   Relief from hay fever & allergies

·   Less severe asthma attacks

·   Improved concentration        

·   Balancing of hormones

·   Natural detoxification

·   Sense of wellbeing

Santafecandle.com says: Beeswax is good value.  It achieves a very efficient and complete burn (mostly to carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water vapor) and thus burns brighter, hotter, cleaner, and longer than any other wax.  When properly made and burned, beeswax candles are smokeless and dripless.  Measured by burn time, beeswax candles are usually a better value than boutique paraffin – even when they appear to cost more.

But make sure you look carefully when you buy: a candle may be labeled "beeswax" if it contains as little as 10% beeswax, who knows what the rest is...  Also a label saying "natural" is not good enough. If the label doesn’t say "100% beeswax" or "pure beeswax", it is probably not. 

Also, if you are being eco-friendly/green here is some great news!

Beeswax is all natural, non-toxic, non-polluting, non-allergenic, and has a great scent!  A perfect, renewable resource, beeswax is made by the female worker bee for honeycomb. To produce one pound of beeswax, the worker bees eat about ten pounds of honey (yum), fly 150,000 miles, and visit 33 million flower blossoms!  The process to make beeswax is amazing!

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/beeswax-uses.html

The most fascinating part of beeswax to me is that it is actually making your home more healthy!  Beeswax produces negative ions that can clean your air of odors, pollens, smoke, dust, dust mites, viruses and other allergens and hazards.  Increasing negative ions in the air and on the body, such as when one bathes in water, improves mood and sense of wellbeing.Beeswax candles actually act like a air purifier.  They also a great candle for anyone with chemical sensitivities or allergies. 

If you are really motivated, beeswax candles are fairly simple to make. However, if you don't want to take the time, hop on Etsy.com. You will find some great sellers. I just placed an order for 4 different beeswax candles from various Etsy shops. I will give all the candles a try and report to you with the results!