Do you love it when your room smells like Cottage Blossoms?
Or taking a long bubble bath surrounded by a Sweet Seaside scent? Well, if you
answered YES to either of those questions, then
you better read on... because your scented candles might just be killers in
disguise.
What is my candle made of?
We all know candles are made of wax. But, what we don’t know
is that there are many types of waxes that exist. The most commonly found wax
is paraffin, which is likely what your candle from Bath and Body Works is made
of. While, natural waxes like soy wax, beeswax and palm wax are harder to find,
paraffin wax is easily available. The reason being; the oil industry. Paraffin
is essentially the waste produced from crude oil, which is further cleaned so
it can be used to make your favourite scented candle. The ‘scented’ part is very
simple, because a few drops of fragrant essential oils are just added to the
freshly produced wax.
How is it harmful for me?
Apart from the obvious fact that swallowing paraffin wax is
not the best thing for your body, burning it is also potentially dangerous. The
key word here is POTENTIALLY. Burning paraffin wax releases fumes that can
settle deep within your lungs when inhaled. This can lead to conditions like asthma
and even cancer. However, before you freak out by the ‘C’ word, it is important
to understand that it would require breathing in a whole lot of paraffin fumes for
you to be affected by any of these conditions. Of course, breathing in any
amounts of these fumes is not as healthy as breathing normal clean air.
But, if you are an occasional ‘candle lighter’ and ensure that it’s not the only
thing you are breathing for 10 straight hours, then I’m sure you will survive.
Still worried about your candle killing you?
Even though, paraffin wax is much cheaper than other natural
waxes. It's still not always the preferred choice by many, specially if they
suffer with a pre-existing condition that may by worsened in the process of
enjoying their scented candle addiction. Natural waxes like the kind mentioned
earlier are a great alternative to paraffin wax candles. They produce minimal
soot, so your body will be feeling as fresh as your mind. And while they may be
costlier, natural wax candles last much longer than your ordinary paraffin wax,
so it all balances out in the end. If you really can’t afford natural wax
candles, but still don’t want to be ‘at risk’ from using paraffin candles, then
I’ve got a life hack for you too. Just add a cotton wick and a few drops of
your favourite essential oils to a jar of vegetable oil and you are good to go!
🕯 Happy Relaxing🕯
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