Can scented candles cause cancer?
The ingredients used in most high street and even some small businesses candles are sketchy. Using parabens, phthalates and carcinogenic waxes can save businesses money and make a stronger smelling candle, but at what risk?
First of all, lets break down some of the ingredients you may not have heard of before and the effects they can have:
Parabens - These are the chemical preservatives of the candle world. They are used to make candles hold onto their scent for longer. These have been shown as endocrine disrupters which means they can alter and disrupt hormones therefore causing fertility issues and damage ongoing pregnancies. Parabens have also been linked to potential cancer causing risks such as breast cancer. Parabens are very common in the candle industry - but frankly it’s and ingredient we think should be made illegal.
Phthalates - Phthalates are used to make candles smell stronger which is a desirable effect for most candle makers as they strive to make the strongest smelling candles. They are endocrine disrupters and have also been recently linked to potential bone cancers, increased risk of breast cancer and infertility. Read more here « These are also widely used in candle making and are quite difficult to avoid. We know this first hand as we created an entire brand with only phthalate free candles.
Paraffin - Paraffin is a type of wax that is made from broken down matter - petroleum, coal, or oil shale. It is a by product created through crude oil refining. Paraffin releases volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and other potentially harmful chemicals like toluene and benzene, which can cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory issues (source). Paraffin can cause or worsen respiratory problems such as asthma and so many people try to avoid this wax where possible. We strictly use premium sustainable crop soy wax to avoid carcinogens, soot and carbon footprint.
So can scented candles give you cancer?
As you can see above there are many ingredients used in candle making that can cause cancer. I like to call them the three P’s. Parabens, Phthalates and Paraffin. All of which should be avoided, always. It is not just health conscious individuals that should strive to avoid these ingredients, but unfortunately it is not made easy. That is why we created Wildrace, a place where we have done the work for you. We want our customers to feel safe and relaxed when shopping for their new favourite scent and so we created the cleanest candles on the market. Our entire range is 100% paraben free, phthalate free and paraffin free. Additionally for those that are extra health conscious, we are also 100% plastic free and use 100% cotton wicks (no lead!).
How can I avoid carcinogen ingredients in candles?
If a brand is actively avoiding these ingredients they will tell you, loud and proud. It is very rare to find candles that are completely free of all the 3 P’s so if a company is doing so - they will shout about it. When we started out we made a promise to ourselves and our customers, just clean safe candles. This doesn’t mean boring. We launched the UK’s first croissant candles, a mouth-watering banana bread scent and many more nature inspired, sleepy and clean smelling candles - with no harmful nasties.
So if you are looking to upgrade your home and choose clean ingredients then feel free to lean on us. We do the hard work so you don’t have to.