Candles, room sprays and diffusers can make a world of difference to the atmosphere of any space, shifting the mood and awakening the senses through scent and sight. Sometimes there is nothing more therapeutic than burning a candle as part of your self-care ritual or transforming a space with a spritz of your favourite room spray. Like many of us, I never used to think twice about the candles or room sprays I would spray around my home – if I liked the scent then it was good in my books. Fast forward to about a year ago when we founded Aelin Organics. I started educating myself on the harmful and often unnecessary ingredients found in all sorts of household products that I had been using around my loved ones for years. I was committed to creating a safer alternative to everyday products that were truly non-toxic and entirely transparent – no hidden nasties or empty marketing claims here, folks. Much like my experience, is the story of Lucy from Aunty Lucy’s candles. In this article, Aelin Organics and Aunty Lucy’s have teamed up to give you a guide to non-toxic candles and room sprays to take the confusion out of creating a beautiful environment.
Avoiding indoor air pollution. Here’s what to consider.
Fragrance
Research suggests that more than 95% of the chemicals in synthetic fragrances are derived from petrochemicals. These include benzene derivatives, aldehydes, phthalates and a myriad of other toxins that have been correlated to cancer, birth defects, nervous system disorders and many common allergies. Exposure to these chemicals over time can have slow but cumulative adverse effects to your health, with some even having intergenerational effects through genetic modulation. Synthetic fragrance can be hiding in all sorts of candles, room sprays, cleaning products and scented diffusers contributing to harmful toxins around you and your loved ones each day.
The Gold Standard – Certified Organic Ingredients
There are many products out there claiming to be ‘safe’, ‘clean’ or ‘natural’, but may still have a concerning list of toxic synthetic ingredients and artificial fragrances. The easiest way to avoid these chemicals is to opt for a 100% certified organic product. By choosing only certified products, you can rest assured that every ingredient has gone through stringent testing to ensure it is exactly what it says it is. If a product is 100% certified organic, you won’t find any headache causing fragrances or perfumes. Products such as our Aelin Organics Room and Linen Spray only contains certified organic essential oils.
Wax
Most well-known candles use paraffin wax, the cheapest form of wax which is created using crude oil (also known as fossil fuel), mined from the earth and a by-product of petrol. Studies support that candles made from paraffin wax let off toxic chemicals, like toluene and benzene, which are known carcinogens. Soy wax, which is often marketed as a ‘premium’ form of wax, has since become viewed as the "better" alternative to paraffin as awareness grows around its toxic nature. However, most soy waxes on the market are a blend of soy and paraffin wax, resulting in the same cancer-causing particles to be released when burnt. Alongside this, the soy industry is devastating the environment and our health through mass deforestation and the use of toxic pesticides and chemicals applied across more than 90% of crops.
The Gold Standard – Beeswax
There's a real buzz around beeswax, and it's not hard to understand why. Aunty Lucy’s candles are made in Australia, with 100% premium beeswax making them some of the greenest candles one can burn. As something that is naturally created and reproduced, we're not surprised of the amount of magical benefits that comes with this wax.
Benefits of beeswax:
- It purifies the air with negative ions as it burns.
- It’s the slowest burning wax meaning it lasts the longest.
- It has a natural honey scent to it, so adding fragrance isn’t necessary – this is not the case with soy wax which has an unappealing smell without fragrance.
- The toughness of beeswax makes it perfect for pillar and taper candles (unlike soy which is too soft to mould).
- The wax is naturally dripless.
- It’s glow is brighter and warmer than any other candle.
- It’s a regenerative and biodegradable resource.
Sometimes it can feel overwhelming when aiming to live a low-tox lifestyle, however it’s important to remember that by making lots of mindful changes, you are able to significantly reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals found in so many products out there.