Do you know what's in your scented candle?

Scented candles are a treat enjoyed by many of us. They’re perfect for relaxing with and filling your home with gorgeous fragrance. But it helps to know what’s in that dreamy fragrance that’s wafting through your home. Do you know what ingredients are in your favourite scented candle? Read on to find out!

There’s lots of information out there around candle toxicity but making the right choices in candle creation can help make candles safe for you and your home. Here at Aery living all the materials used in candle production have been carefully chosen to be kind to your body and the planet. Here are a few of the ways we’ve made our candles safe for the environment and for you… 

What’s in Candle Wax?

• Paraffin - Paraffin is the most popular base used in candles, especially in cheaper products. Paraffin is extracted from the ground as a by-product of the oil industry and because of this is extremely wasteful and not sustainable. Paraffin also gives off more black soot whilst burning which can irritate the lungs and aggravate the skin.
• Palm candles - Whilst candles made of palm oil may seem like a more eco-friendly alternative, they can also be problematic. Palm oil plants require mass amounts of deforestation to grow, and responsible certifications aren’t always accurate. Although this choice may seem kinder at first it is definitely worth looking further into.
• Soy and Rapeseed – A combination of soy and rapeseed wax is completely vegan, making it great for plant-based shoppers. It’s also our choice for wax! Our soy is not genetically modified, and rapeseed contains a low carbon footprint. Making this combo great for protecting the environment and the animals in it. As well as this these materials burn more slowly giving you more time with your favourite scent!

What's in the fragrance?

• Natural Fragrances – Natural fragrances often involve farming a large number of materials for a very small amount of fragrance oil. For example, one 15ml bottle of lemon scent uses over 50 lemons! Although natural may be a more inviting term, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better for the environment.
• Essential/Fragrance Oils- We combine essential and fragrance oils to scent our candles with. Essential oils offer a well-known host of wellbeing benefits and can be applied through different methods. They can be toxic in high doses, so we use them carefully and with consideration for the environment. Fragrance oils help to throw the scent further and more richly. They also help reduce the need for mass farming of plants or flours which makes them a win-win!

What's in candle wicks?

• Lead Based – Many candles use metal or lead in their wicks to help the wick stand up straight. Whilst this material is efficient, it gives off small amounts of lead which you can then breath in.
• Cotton wick – For our candles we’ve chosen a cotton wick as they don’t give off any chemicals and ensure a gentle and steady burn. Cotton wicks can also be found on most tapered style candles.

We believe that scent is key to making a house a home. But it helps to know what you’re burning when you let your favourite fragrance drift through your home. We hope this guide has helped you understand a bit more about what goes into making a candle. And how we at Aery Living make products safe for the planet and our customers. Did you know any of this before? Will this change what you look for in a scented candle in the future?