What makes candles so important in our lives? Are there better and worse choices when it comes to scented candles and why?
What is so special about the fire that we can spend hours just looking into flames? Is it the force of destruction covered inside yellow and orange ghosts dancing on wood? They look so fragile, ephemeral with their dynamic movements. Sometimes they die in a glimpse of an eye. Sometimes just a few seconds is enough for the flames to burst with outspoken force. Beautiful yet terrifying.
I believe the connection began back in our history. Fire brought safety, warmth, new possibilities in preparing meals and great opportunities to socialise that could have been one of the impulses for our brain to develop. Did you know that the first conscious use of fire by our ancestors might be dated even to 1,5 billion years ago! Can you imagine the fear mixed with humility, wonder, curiosity and courage that brought those beings closer to the flames and made them fuel the fire to be able to keep it for longer? Much later our ancestors learned how to use flames as a tool to improve their lives and surroundings. Light the darkness, heat their homes, clean the area for farming, prepare meals and so much more.
Today we still cannot detach from fire entirely. Though we have new, safer and better tools to complete the tasks previously assigned to it, we still light candles and gladly prepare campfires.
Candles are present in special moments. Moments of relaxation in a bathtub filled up with bubbles and warm water. Moments of serving a special dish to yourself, your close ones or that special someone. Moments of ceremony and rituals. Candlelight has that unique hue that turns everything around into a fairy tale. It softens the air and thoughts. It’s magic. Scented candles bring one more factor into the equation – the aroma. Fragrances can highlight your mood or change it completely. They trigger memories that are stronger than those activated by any other sense. If you want to really remember a moment in time with all its colours, flavours, emotions, sounds and pictures, inhale deeply and connect it with its smell. I’m sure you have plenty of memories that smell so nice 🙂
People combined the magic of smell with the magic of fire in the form of a scented candle. You’ve probably already noticed the trend for soy scented candles. Maybe you are already a fan of them like myself. Maybe you don’t know what all the fuss is about. Please let me explain why natural soy candles are actually the best choice to bring the magic of fire and smell together.
Candles were produced mainly of animal and beeswax with a standard cotton wick. Unfortunately in the pursuit of profit candle producers started using paraffin wax instead of natural bee wax or plant or animal wax. It was simply easier and cheaper to acquire paraffin from the production of petroleum (it’s a byproduct) than from bees, plants or animal waste. That’s why paraffin candles are so cheap and so common. But did you know that burning paraffin is highly harmful and potentially very dangerous to our organisms? Burning paraffin wax emits high levels of CO2 that harms us, especially in low ventilated rooms. It also releases harmful substances into the atmosphere, such as formaldehyde, benzene and toluene. They affect the nervous, respiratory, circulatory and reproductive systems, they have a carcinogenic effect and hurt our liver. These substances can be also found in diesel fuel fumes and can be as dangerous as second-hand smoke. If you didn’t know that before please consider yourself warned.
Did you know that the candlewick can also be potentially dangerous? Only when it has a core made of lead. In this case, you don’t even have to light the candle to be exposed to dangerous substances released in the air. Lead-core wicks are prohibited in the EU and US but you can still be exposed to the risk of buying a candle with them especially if it’s made in China or Taiwan. Always double-check what the wick is made of before buying a candle.
Nowadays we tend to care more about our health and our environment, making more sustainable and conscious choices. We also have greater access to information, resources and new findings. That’s why more conscious and ethical producers started looking for an alternative. That’s how soy wax and other plant waxes began to gain more and more popularity. Soon it turned out that soy wax (especially 100% natural soy wax without any admixtures of other substances) is the best base for scented candles. Why?
There are a few reasons:
- it’s totally neutral to our health, 100% natural soy wax does not emit any harmful substances,
- it’s 100% natural, produced of soybeans, depending on the producer of the wax often free from any genetic modifications, pesticides or other harmful substances,
- it’s vegan, biodegradable, packed in a vessel that can be easily used again for many purposes,
- its natural, delicate smell is a perfect carrier for other fragrances that can be combined into delicate bouquets in an almost number of ways,
- it’s clean lighting as soy wax candles produce no soot or smoke, the soy wax burns slowly and thoroughly and so it leaves almost no trace on the sides of the vessel,
- you can easily regain the unburned remains on the bottom of the vessel by warming them in warm water. If you pour them in a mould they can be used as soy wax pedants for your drawers or closet when they cool down again. There is no waste :),
- soy wax burns almost two times longer than any paraffin or stearin candle,
- the wooden wick used in soy candles lets them burn longer and more evenly, it also enhances the smell sensations released from the wax. What’s more, it sizzles softly like a small campfire in your room,
- Soy wax is easier to clean as it leaves no permanent greasy stains, all you need is a little soap or my Clean it all soap bar and some warm water.
My love for soy candles burst with a strong, powerful flame from the very first sound of the sizzling wooden wick and the very first inhale of the unforgettable smell. I wish you could experience that as well. I hope I gave you enough reasons to give scented soy wax candles a chance. To check available fragrances click here.