Here it is the low down on candles. A question I hear all the time is “Are candles bad for you”? The truth is YES burning scented candles is in fact bad for us.

Let me summarize for you here in this post.

FREE DOWNLOAD! The Top Chemicals Found In Candles Cheatsheet!

Before we dive into the what and why candles are bad. I made this PDF Cheatsheet for you. You can grab it here. Leave your name and email and I will send it over to you in an email to download.

Why Are Candles Bad For You?

OK, let’s get into it. I choose to write this post now because Tis’ the season and this is everyone’s favorite time of year to head to our favorite smelling stores (like Antho, Bath & Bodyworks, Homegoods, etc) to buy those holiday scented candles and air fresheners.

Also, I also want to say that I am not judging anyone for using candles because I used to be a total candle addict. Especially during this time of year. I had a whole box of my favorite holiday candles that I would take out of the closet every year and put all around the house. Anyway, I was for sure a user and lover of candles. Additionally, I would spend so much money on candles especially this time of year.

My favorite Capri Blue Antro Candle goes for $34 each, giant ones are around $99. I wouldn’t even blink an eye at this. My favorite thing to do was to burn them all weekend long and at night after dinner for all the cozy vibes. Doing a quick cost analysis made me realize that when you need only a few drops of essential oils in your diffuser it ends up being so much more cost-effective to diffuse instead of burning candles.

It wasn’t until 2-2.5 years ago after I purchased my essential oils starter bundle that I started to learn about why diffusing is so much better for you than burning candles. If you have not seen the beautiful Aria diffuser, you will not miss the look and feel of burning candles with this beauty, it’s a showpiece for your home. It’s the best-looking diffuser and if you are looking for all the candle vibes, this is it in a diffuser.

What Is In Candles? Why Are They So Bad?

1. Fragrance – It’s literally n everything these days on the market. If you look at product ingredient labels and see Fragrance (usually listed as the first “ingredient”) it actually means a BIG question mark. It’s an umbrella term that people use and the FDA allows it and it can be classified as thousands of ingredients. Manufacturers don’t have to disclose that ingredient list. That is why there is abig discussion these days about trying to go”fragrance-free”. Unless your candle is 100% beeswax and homemade, then you can be sure that there is fragrance in it.
2. Phthalates – I read that 70% of the time that is a product includes fragrance it also includes phthalates. The reason being it has some kind of aromatic strengthen, it helps to enhance the aromatic strength of the scent. So that is why they go hand in hand with fragrance. They are known endocrine disruptors and chemicals that are just not so great for us.
3. Parrafin Wax – It depends on the candle and the wax used. Some will be soy-based but even those tend to also have some paraffin wax in them. The reason this is found in candles is it helps with having the candles burn longer. So companies love to include paraffin wax because they can now market it to you and their customers stay happy and satisfied that their candle is going to burn now for 80 hours. You are now getting your money’s worth! We know that paraffin is a petroleum-derived ingredient and when paraffin wax is burned it releases chemicals into the air. Those chemicals are Toluene and Benzene which are known carcinogens. So when I say burning candles is also polluting the air in our homes that sounds really harsh but it is the truth.
4. Lead Wicks – This is much less common today and much less of an issue these days but worth mentioning. Back in 2003 they kinda pout a stop in being able to have lead wicks in candles. The way the law goes now is that it has to have less than .06% of lead in it. It is still a very small amount. Lead core in candle wicks is wanted because it helps with the strength of the wick as you are burning it.

The Day I Boxed Up All My Candles

So as soon as I dove into all of this, I boxed up all of my candles one day and gave them away for free on our neighborhood FB For Free Page. And honestly, I could not imagine burning a candle in my home again. If you have small kids, I mean it’s literally a fire hazard so why would I have an open flame in my house somewhere with the kids around.

Once you start detoxing your brain and your sense of smell from those strong fragrances you cannot go back. They can give you strong headaches, migraines sometimes. I find I am way more sensitive now to artificial fragrances.

Why Diffusing Essential Oils Is Actually Good For Us

How you diffuse essential oils you are diffusing pure plant juice. Why wouldn’t anyone want that instead of burning candles? Another thing there are endless possibilities with essential oils and diffusing. One day you might feel like doing more spring vibes and florals or maybe you want something more bright and uplifting with citrus oils. Its the fall right now so I’m reaching for more cinnamon bark and close oils. The possibilities are endless and you are not limited to one scent.

You can cater to the season you are in or your mood or time of day. How cool is that?!

These little molecules/water droplets break down and they can get straight to your olfactory systems which are responsible for your emotions. You can access your emotions through your sense of smell. Did you know that? This is why I think it is really great that you can use these oils to help support your body: immune system support, sleep support, emotional support. I do not know anyone who does not need this in their life.

You can really train your brain to smell lavender and cedarwood and then diffuse that combo every single night. Then every time you turn on your diffuser before bed it tells your brain and body that it is time to fall asleep.

That is pure science. It’s not made up, that is the way the body works, and that is pretty amazing!

Why I Love And Only Recommend Young Living

When I am talking about essential oils here on my website and blog I am only talking about Young Living Essential oils. You never want to buy oils from your corner store or food store. You do not know what is actually in them, since there is no regulation on them. A company only needs to put 5% pure essential oil in them to label them as pure and the rest could be fillers. That’s scary to me.

Young Living has something called the Seed To Seal Promise. This ensures and gives me peace of mind that what I am buying is the real deal. They actually control the entire process from planting the seed to harvesting with ethical practices to distilling the plants into oils to botting of the oil.

They are an almost 30-year family-owned company and they actually own their own farm that you can go and visit anytime. How amazing is that? For these reasons I only trust Young Living Essential oils.

Special Ditch Your Candles Bundle

I put together a special bundle of oils for you if you are ready to dive into diffusing oils.

This is a collection of some of my favorite oils and diffusers you can pick from that will recreate any of the best smelling oils out there. Select what you want from this list and add them to your cart. Spend 100PV or higher from this list and I will also send you a free diffuser to help you get started in ditching those candles. My gift to you!