The Truth About Scented Candles from grace's blog

The Truth About Scented Candles

The Impact Of Fragranced Products

For many people, home wouldn't be the same without scents from candles, room sprays, plug-ins, incense sticks, and oils, filling the air. However, in addition to adding scent, they may also be adding health risks from:

• Paraffin wax

• Lead-core wicks

• Synthetic fragrance

While people with asthma, allergy, or chemical sensitivity are more likely to be impacted by scented candles, exposure to the chemicals they contain isn’t a great for anyone.

Toxins In Scented Candles

Most candles are made of paraffin wax (a petroleum waste product that is chemically bleached), which creates highly toxic benzene and toluene (both are known carcinogens) when burned. In fact, the petro-soot released from paraffin candles are the same as those found in diesel fuel fumes and can be as dangerous at second-hand smoke. In 2001, the EPA concluded that burning paraffin candles emit harmful toxins and increase health risks with multiple exposures.

Candle wicks can also be a source of toxins in scented candles. In the US, candle wicks are supposed to be made of cotton or paper, but lead-core wicks can still be found, especially in products manufactured in China or Taiwan. A candle with a lead-core wick releases five times the amount of lead considered hazardous for children and exceeds EPA pollution standards for outdoor air. You don’t even need to light the candle to be exposed to chemicals, simple evaporation from an uncovered candle can release pollutants into the air and touching a candle can cause absorption of chemicals through the skin.

Don’t want to give up the warm glow of candlelight? Make healthier choices and avoid the toxins in scented candles by opting for candles that are:

• Unscented

• Made from all-natural products like beeswax or soy

• Have paper or 100% cotton wicks

In addition, if you are burning candles to cover up an unpleasant odor, you may be masking a real problem, such as mold or mildew, that can impact your health. If there is a scent in your home that you find unpleasant, track down the source of the odor so you can remedy the problem and not just cover it up!

For more useful tips on improving the health of your home, get your free, personalized Hayward Score report today.

What Are the Benefits of Crystal-Infused Candles?

Crystal-infused candles help you relax, while filling the space with peace and love. But crystal candles do so much more than that.

Also known as intentional or gem candles, crystal-infused candles have been used for thousands of years. Being infused with the energies of various crystals, these candles have different benefits depending on the stones they contain.

Benefits of Crystal-Infused Candles

• Bring love and romance into your private life

• Reduce stress and anxiety

• Promote spiritual and emotional healing

• Bring calmness into your life

• Help you with sleep problems

• Help you feel more grounded and focused

• Elevate the energy of the space around you

• Protect you from negative energy

• Bring clarity of mind and deep peace

At the Village Rock Shop, we offer a wide collection of crystal-infused candles, each with its unique benefit.

• Forgive Tin Candle: contains Soy Wax, Juniper Berry, Bergamot, Frankincense, Myrhh, Thyme and Rhodonite crystals.

• Healing Tin Candle: contains Soy Wax, Ylang Ylang, Chamomile, Lavender and Bergamot Essential Oils, Clear Quartz, Lapis Lazuli, Lepidolite, Citrine and Amethyst crystals.

• Let Go Handmade Travel Candle: contains Soy Wax, Eucalyptus Oil, Lavender Oil and Plant, Rosemary Oil and Plant, Selenite crystals.

• Energy Clearing Tin Travel Candle: contains: Soy Wax, infused with Dragon's Blood, Sage, Palo Santo, Juniper, Rosemary and Cedar, Black Tourmaline, Obsidian, Hematite, Tiger's Eye Crystals.

Picking Your Perfect Diy Candle Container

Here at Assembly we love to DIY candles. There are so many options for personalization when making your own. Of course there's the scent to think about, but you can also get creative with the container!

If you're interested in making your own one-of-a-kind candles, join us for a future Soy Candle Making Workshop in the studio where we share all our insider tips and tricks. We also have a Soy Candle Making Kit to make your own at home!

Once you have your candle making equipment and supplies, one of the big decisions is the container for the candle. Curious about what’s safe and what’s not? We thought we’d help you out with some do’s and don’ts when it comes to picking one out! Because while that coconut shell looks like it would make a great tropical candle, it could in reality cause more flames than vacation vibes.

Stating the obvious, your container needs to be heat-safe. Most glassware, ceramics, and tin will work, but there’s a few things to consider:

Glassware

When picking glassware, keep in mind it needs to withstand heat, hold wax well, and is not likely to crack. A crack while your candle is lit could be disastrous! Some glassware can be too thin. Canning jars are a great option. Not only are they cute, but they also meet the guidelines of withstanding heat and holding wax well. Besides picking an acceptable glass, there are a few best practice precautions you can take to make sure your glass doesn’t crack.

Firstly, always pick the right size wick for your candle. Overwicking your candle can lead to too much heat on your glassware, potentially causing cracks. If you’re unsure of what size wick to use, check out this “Wick Guide” that generates the perfect wick for your candle based on the diameter of your container and the type of wax you're using. Secondly, make sure your wick is centered. An uncentered wick could cause an excess of heat on one point of the glass, potentially causing cracks.

Ceramics

You also want to make sure your container is not porous (able to absorb liquid). Ceramics are great to use for candle containers, but they need to be properly treated so that they are no longer porous. Porous, unglazed materials, such as clay flower pots, can actually act as a wick, making your flame grow to the rim of your container, and you could wind up with a much bigger flame than intended. So stick to something that doesn’t soak in liquids such as ceramic bowls and mugs.

Make A DIY White Concrete Candle Holder As A Gift

Here’s another sweet idea for a handmade Christmas gift- a white concrete candle holder for tealight candles.

Concrete decor has unlimited options in what types of handmade products you can make.

And this particular candle is especially versatile for use in home decoration because it can be made into an “anytime of year” candle instead.

Rather than decoupaging it with Christmas mesh, you could use any decorative mesh for a unique look.

You can also replace the tealight candle and just switch the color from red to any other color.

I bet you’re wondering —is concrete safe for candles? Yes, concrete is safe for candles. But it’s important to note that high heat can cause cracking with certain types of concrete cement.

However, a candle generally doesn't produce enough heat to cause cracking.

How do you seal concrete candles? You seal concrete candles the same way you seal concrete by using an acrylic based sealer.

Some sealers do a better job of sealing than others. I have found this concrete sealer to do a very good job of preventing oil from candle wax from staining the concrete.

Get started early this year and make this unique Christmas gift that people will never believe was handmade.

Did You Know You Can Make A Candle Last Longer?

Anyone who follows my Instagram feed won't be surprised to hear that I realized I’d become a bit of a candle connoisseur. Many of my close friends refer to me as the Candle Making Guru. What is it about candles that I love the most? Candles are equivalent to perfume as the last touch to make a personalized, complete, and welcoming space.

But, it's not just the scent that intrigues me. It's the size, shape, style, and ambiance only a candle can create that captivates me. Votives, tea lights, wax melts, tapers, you name it – we have some type of candle in every room of our home.

With so much a candle has going for it, many of us never give candle burn time much thought. But, if you want to make a candle last longer, there are a few things you should consider before purchasing or making a candle. Let's start with the average burn time for six candle types, where I've included a printable candle burn time chart for 14 candle sizes. Then look to five essential tips to make a candle last longer, including how to make a candle burn evenly.