In one word…DON’T!
Recently while in a local hobby and craft mega-store, I overheard two women exclaiming how delightful they found the smell of the various scented candles. My son and I just looked at each other with pursed lips and continued walking. I was feeling proud with the fact that even at 12, he knew they were poison. I had taught him well.
Most commercial candles are made from paraffin, the final byproduct in the petroleum refining chain, and lead core wicks. The result is like burning lead-releasing diesel fuel in your living room. Would you really do that?
The healthy alternative is to burn natural soy or beeswax candles and diffuse therapeutic grade lavender aromatherapy essential oil. You get the satisfaction of knowing you are more than likely supporting cottage industry with the purchase of the soy or beeswax candles and you receive the fresh scented, anti-microbial, calming effect of the therapeutic grade lavender essential oil. Much better than having a semi-truck engine idling in your house.
September 12th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Bravo! Bravo!
I loved this article, I don’t think I could have pursed my lips like you and your son did. I would have said something.
Even though the candles I sell are not aromatherapy candles I am honest and say so. But they are not paraffin either.
They are a natural wax blend. But I agree with you whole heartedly.
I have seen people down at the health food store looking for essential oils and I tell them, not to but in but you really don’t want to buy any essential oils that don’t say 100% pure therapeutic oils, if it doesn’t say that it has additives in it that aren’t good for anybody, so be careful. Or worse yet they find a great 100% pure essential oil then bye one of those cheap burners that uses a cheap tea light they bought at a discount store for like $5 for 100 of them, we know what they are made of, yep that truck smoke you talked about in the article.
Little do they know that the essential oil they are using to get rid of stress and their migraine is caused by that little, cheap tea light they are using. Keep on spreading the word.
Natural wax and all cotton wicks are they way to go.
Darwin