Why You Should Switch to Soy Or Beeswax Candles

One of my favorite home decor items is candles.  I have them in almost every room of my home and love to burn them, especially now in the winter months.  As many of my readers know, I'm always discovering new ways to improve on my healthy lifestyle.  Sometimes it feels like nothing is safe anymore, because chemicals are in everything!  Unfortunately, candles are no exception.  

A few years ago, I had a candle from Wal-Mart burning in my apartment.  I rarely shop there so this was my first experience with a candle from this store.  Everything seemed fine at first, but after a few days, I noticed there was a black soot film throughout my apartment.  I realized it was from the candle!  When I cleaned that week, I found even more of the black film.  By then, the candle was almost burned out so I threw it away.

This inspired me to look into candles and what they are actually made of.  It turns out, they are full of chemicals.  Every time we burn commercial candles, those chemicals are being released into the air of our homes and we're breathing them in.  This is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.  

In my research, I found a helpful article called Toxins in Candles: Sad, But True.  I'd encourage you to read it for yourself.  The author, Stephanie Langford, explains that "Paraffin is the major ingredient in most conventional candles and is a sludge waste product from the petroleum industry."  She goes on to say that some of the ingredients may cause cancer and affect the nervous system.  For me personally, the convenience of buying cheap candles is not worth putting myself and my family at risk.

Thankfully, there are healthy alternatives.  Soy and beeswax candles are made with clean ingredients that will not pollute the air in your home.  Yes, they can be more expensive, but it's worth it to not have to clean up soot and breathe in toxins.

Every time I go to Urban Outfitters I check out the apartment section and look at their new candles.  They always have a great selection of soy wax candles that always smell amazing.  Here are a few I've personally used.

Buy it here.

Buy it here.

Soy and beeswax candles are easy to find, you just have to look at the labels.  You can also find them online.  Do yourself and your family a favor, and switch to soy or beeswax today!