Are Candles Toxic and Bad for Health? Spoiler - Most Are!

Are Candles Toxic?

We have known for many years that traditional candles can be harmful to our health. In 2001, the EPA commissioned studies that determined that candle use is a public health issue and studies done in the 1990’s showed that they can be harmful. The EPA report from 2001 was very clear, stating that “burning several candles exceeded the EPA’s 10-6 increased risk for cancer for acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, and exceeded the RfC for acrolein."

In other words: candles release chemicals that are known to cause cancer as well as other health problems. The other issue is that you don’t even have to burn the candles for them to be harmful, studies have shown that even before burning, candles can emit health harming substances.

But the candle industry is a huge industry. According to the National Candle Association, the annual retail sales of candle products in the US is estimated to be $3.14 billion. In other words, candle companies are making a lot of money, and it would be detrimental to their bottom line if their products were advertised as harmful to health.

Complicating the matter even more is the fact that manufacturers of scented products (including candles) are not required to disclose all the ingredients used in their products, as fragrances are considered to be trade secrets. So even if you are trying to find products that are safe to use, it can be very difficult to know what you are really buying because the ingredients don't have to be listed on product labels.

Additionally, there are no laws to require manufacturers to prove the safety of their retail products (unlike medications for example). So even if a brand sells you a product that is harmful to your health, legally there is nothing that can be done about it.

When it comes to candles, there are many potentially harmful ingredients that can be used in them. To make all of this easier to understand I am going to break down these ingredients one-by-one.

Health issues related to candle wax:

The base of any candle is the wax, and this is where the health problems and harmful ingredients can start. The most popular choices are paraffin wax, soy wax, coconut wax, beeswax, and palm wax. Paraffin wax is the most harmful, and unfortunately, is also the most commonly used wax in the United States and Canada.

Paraffin wax risks:

Paraffin wax is a by-product of crude oil refinement, so not only is it not the most environmentally friendly wax option, but it can also be harmful to health.

Numerous studies have shown that burning paraffin wax is harmful to our health. The majority of emissions from paraffin wax candles consist of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including alkanes, wax esters, alkanoic and alkenoic acids, alkenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Volatile organic compounds have many known negative health effects including eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system, and some VOCs can cause cancer in animals and humans.

Many studies have shown that exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons can increase the risk of bladder cancer, and the identification of this risk lead to an improvement of safety measures in the chemical industry and a gradual decrease of bladder cancer in workers, however, what has not yet been addressed is the chronic exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons from other sources, including candles.

When burned, paraffin scented candles emit toxic chemicals like toluene and benzene into the air and frequently lighting candles in an unventilated space could lead to health problems including respiratory issues such as aggravating asthma, causing headaches, causing allergic reactions, or irritating the respiratory tract.

A Polish study showed that the air quality around paraffin candles is similar to the air quality around a combustion engine and I’m pretty sure you’d never consider running a combustion engine in your home!

The 2001 EPA report found that burning several candles exceeded the EPA’s 10-6 increased risk for cancer for both acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. It also exceeded the RfC for acrolein (meaning it exceeded the level that is deemed safe for health).

Soy Wax

Fortunately, when it comes to our health, soy wax in candles is generally safe. Burning soy wax candles does not impact air quality. However, the one thing to be aware of is that most soy on the market is genetically modified. So when looking at soy candles, check whether it’s non-GMO soy as you want to try and stay away from genetically modified soy due to the health harmful pesticides used in the production of GMO soy.

Beeswax:

Beeswax is a great option that is not only environmentally friendly, but is also safe for human health. It’s naturally infused with honey which gives it a naturally sweet, subtle fragrance. The strength of the fragrance will depend on the flowers or plants the bees were feeding on. 

Another benefit of beeswax is that it has a longer burn time when compared to paraffin wax so the candles will last longer. But just be aware, that to be labelled as a beeswax candle in the US, current labeling laws only require a candle to be 51% beeswax, so make sure you are purchasing 100% beeswax candles.

Coconut wax:

Coconut oil is considered a carrier oil for use in making candles. It cannot be used alone in candles so is often combined with beeswax, or soy wax. When it comes to our health, coconut wax is a great option because it's safe. Coconut wax also has a slower burn than soy wax and paraffin wax so using coconut wax helps the candles last longer.

Palm wax:

From a health perspective, palm wax is a great choice. Palm wax is produced by hydrogenating palm oils and is similar to soy wax in that it is made from natural oil. Palm wax is often blended with soy wax to make it harder. But just be aware that the production of palm oil is devastating rain forests and endangered animals so if you are purchasing candles made with palm wax, be sure to look for brands that use sustainable palm oil.

The health risks of candle wicks:

Classically the core of wicks was made out of lead because it kept the wick standing straight when the surrounding wax began to melt and prevented it from falling over. However, lead is quite toxic, and lead exposure is dangerous, especially for young children. Fortunately, in 1974 the candle industry decided to voluntarily ban lead-core wicks. However, not all brands followed that rule, but in 2003, lead was officially banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission so lead wicks are no longer used in most candles.

However, you can still find lead in wicks that are coming from other places like Mexico and China, so always check where your candles are produced. In most cases, lead has now been replaced with zinc or tin. Instead, I recommend looking for 100% cotton wicks or wood wicks instead to ensure they are safe for your health.

The risks of the colouring used in candles:

Yes I know, coloured candles look pretty. But sadly that colouring is usually not good for your health. Most times candles are coloured using petroleum by-products. This is a problem because when you burn fossil fuels, they release harmful chemicals into the air, similar to what you would find in the emissions from a combustion engine.

As well, dyes containing benzidine can be used to colour candles, and benzidine is known to cause urothelial cancer.

I should note that it is possible to colour candles with natural colorants like kelp, annatto seeds, orange peel, paprika or rosehips, so if you are looking for a coloured candle, be sure to ask what the candles have been coloured with.

The risks of the fragrances used in candles:

If you have followed me for a while you have heard me talk about the dangers of fragrances before. The problem with fragrances is that they are considered to be trade secrets (this applies to fragrances used in any industry - whether it be perfume, shampoo, body wash, deodorant etc). This means that a company doesn’t have to disclose any of the ingredients used to make that fragrance.

Hidden in the term "fragrance" can be numerous chemicals or ingredients that could be harmful to your health and you don’t get to know what any of them are. There are thousands of different ingredients that a company can use to make a fragrance, and ingredients in fragrances can be carcinogens, hormone disruptors, allergens, airway irritants, neurological-toxins and ingredients linked to infertility.

When it comes to candles, the biggest issues with the synthetic fragrances used are the phthalates and musks.

Phthalates are hormone disruptors and are linked to infertility, weight gain, lowering the IQ of children, and cancers. Additionally, having synthetic fragrances inside of wax can make air quality worse, exposing us to particulate matter and VOC’s from those chemical reactions. Phthalates in fragrances have also been linked to bladder cancer.

As well, according to the Environmental Working Group, 95% of the chemicals used in synthetic fragrances are derived from petroleum and include benzene derivatives, such as toluene, which is known to cause urothelial/bladder cancer.

Instead of synthetic fragrance oils, I recommend looking for candles scented with pure, essential oils instead, or look for unscented candles. These are much safer, although even these are not perfect, especially if you have kids or pets in the home. There are certain essential oils that are harmful for children and pets to breathe in or come into contact with. For a full list of essential oils that are safe to be used around children and pets please refer to The Essential Oil Safety guide.

The health risks of soot and particulate matter from candles:

According to the EPA, the stronger smelling your candle, the more soot it produces. This soot is known as Black Soot Deposits (BSD) and can destroy your home. The worst offenders when it comes to soot are candles that are soft to the touch or advertised as "super scented."

One of the problems with soot is that it easily builds up in your home. It settles on surfaces and tends to accumulate in certain areas such as in vents, and on and around televisions. Soot is especially harmful to the respiratory tract and can cause or trigger asthma attacks. The best way to limit the soot coming from your candles is to keep the wicks cut short.

Safer candle options:

I have not been able to review every brand of candle on the market but here are a few less toxic candle options.

• Fontana Candle Company - use the code DRERINCARTER to get 15% off!
• Primally Pure candles - use the code PUREANDSIMPLE to get 10% off!
• Milk Jar essential oil candles (note that not all of their candles use essential oils so just be aware of that when you are shopping to only choose their essential oil candles.
• Rocky Mountain Soap candles

If you know of other safe candle brands please let me know and I will review them and add to this list!

Our expertise:

Dr. Erin Carter, MD, FRCPC, is a physician with board certifications in internal medicine and rheumatology. She is passionate about nutrition, environmental health and low toxicity living and has been doing research and publishing information in this area for years.