Are scented candles bad for you?
If you are thinking scented candles could be bad for you, we hear you, we have been there too. The panic of whether you are harming your health or risking your pets safety is real. So let’s dive into the science and results and talk through whether scented candles are bad for you and where you can find safe candles for both you and your loved ones.
Are scented candles toxic?
The word non-toxic is widely used, though mostly in the wrong context. You can read more in our blog post » Which scented candles are toxic? « but the main takeaway is that ALL candles or products that include any oils, whether it be pure 100% distilled essential oils (raw plant material) or man made perfumes are labelled as toxic. Anything that can be a skin irritant, even if it is safe in 99% of cases to be used on the skin, still has to be classed as toxic. So yes, ALL candles are toxic, and any labelled otherwise are either unscented, or they are using the term illegally. What these brands often mean is that they are using non-toxic waxes such as Soy or Coconut.
Are scented candles bad for cats and dogs?
We all feel responsible for our pets safety and worrying about using scented candles around them shows you are a responsible pet owner. Like humans, pets can have their own individual allergies but there are some really common oils that a lot of cats and dogs are allergic to. These are
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eucalyptus oil
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cinnamon
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ylang ylang
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pine
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peppermint
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citrus
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tea tree
The most important thing I always tell my customers who are concerned about their pets is to avoid these oils for peace of mind HOWEVER the small amounts used in candles is generally safe to be used around pets. For the allergies to actually come into affect, the pet would have to eat or breathe in much higher quantities than candles hold but if you are concerned pet owner it is best to avoid these essential oils all together.
Nikura (essential and fragrance oil brand) have a fantastic blog post on essential oils and pets you can read here > Pets & Essential Oils
Which scented candles are safe?
If you are a candle lover that is also health-conscious then we have got your back. We began making candles when we were outraged by the unnecessary but terrifying ingredients used in most candles on the market today. The following ingredients are broken down on our blog » which candles are toxic?
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Parabens - Chemical preservatives of the candle world
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Phthalates - Endocrine disrupters used as strength boosters
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Plastic - it’s 2025, who uses plastic anymore?
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Paraffin - We strictly use premium sustainable crop soy wax to avoid carcinogens, soot and carbon footprint.
Image taken from - https://www.safecosmetics.org/resources/health-science/fragrance-disclosure/ shows the chemicals used in most candles and cosmetics.
In general if a brand isn’t telling you there candles are free from these ingredients, then they probably aren’t. Our personally opinion is that these ingredients should be illegal and it should be standard practice to avoid selling carcinogenic, hormone disrupting chemicals to the public - but unfortunately it isn’t.
If you are like us, welcome. Welcome to a safe space. All candles found at Wildrace are free of all of these nasty ingredients and you can be sure that any candle found here will ALWAYS be safe.