It's always a pleasure to come home, walk into your favorite cozy bedroom, light a scented candle and relax. While it may seem like a great way to end a tough day at work, it also takes time. In fact, there is a list of contraindications, candles can provoke a number of health problems.
Air pollution
While your candles create a warm, light and slightly intimate atmosphere at home, they release toxic fumes in the meantime. These are the same vapors found in a diesel engine and can be just as dangerous as exhaust fumes. It's not that kind of bliss. Not to mention possible allergies. Do you know if you are allergic to eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, geraniol, or hydroxycitronellal? No. Well, how can you know for sure, if it's even difficult to just pick up and say these words out loud, let alone know how they interact with your body.
Do you know how all people and vehicles pollute the air? This is a real disaster! By lighting candles every day, you are essentially opening Pandora's box, contributing to the pollution of your own home. You don't want your kids to breathe smog or to be smoked by a truck with its noxious gas, right? Lighting candles is not the best way to freshen the air.
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All chemistry in paraffin
Many candles are made from paraffin wax. Do you know what paraffin is? We all know what oil is. And paraffin is a waste that is recycled and aromatized. Yes, you burn oil in your home and your children breathe in these noxious fumes.
Along with oil, the list of "tasty" ingredients contained in candles also contains acetone, trichlorofluoromethane, carbon disulfide, 2-butanone, trichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, xylene, phenol, cresol and cyclopentane. Some of the toxins are found in other products such as paints, varnishes, and nail polish removers. Check, please. Although they have a normal, so to speak, comforting smell, after all, it doesn't seem so soothing, does it?
Heavy metals
Unfortunately, paraffin is not the only ingredient in a candle that contains hazardous elements. You probably didn't know that the wick contains metals such as lead. This promises great danger and trouble for you and your children.
In fact, the wick itself can cause lead poisoning. If you are unfamiliar with this terrible ailment, it is worth noting that symptoms include constipation, seizures, vomiting, abdominal pain, and death. You can use candles in the event that you were born in a shirt and you have nerves of steel, because this is no joke. That in itself is a reason to throw all those candles away once and for all.
Endocrine Disorders
Unfortunately, health problems don't stop there. In fact, your scented candles can be the real destroyers! This means that your nervous system, metabolism, blood sugar, ovaries, male reproductive system, thyroid, and adrenal glands can really be affected by these aromatic killers. Don't take the risk for a good smell in your home.
This scent, by the way, can "trick" your body and organism. For example, stimulate the production of insulin when it is not needed at all. Bad. Very bad. Scented candles can even prevent your children from growing, as they affect growth hormones.
Be always on the alert
Chances are, when you leave the house, you leave one candle burning. You think that when you come home, you can immerse yourself in this pleasant atmosphere. You may not even see anything weird or dangerous about leaving a lit candle while you quickly go to the supermarket for groceries.
Here it is the same as with love. All that is required is a spark to create a flame. A lighted candle on the table can easily burn all the important items in your home. Children's books, family photos, birth certificates, etc. can burn out simply because you forgot to blow out the flame.
How to replace candles? Try some of the options below to safely inhale your favorite scents as often as you like.
Use essential oils
This is a more practical and safer solution. Essential oils are more than just a buzzword. They provide wonderful aromatherapy that offers different types of healing depending on the scent. Plus, they are only made from plant extracts. Here's a simple rule of thumb: Stay away from plants that you don't know much about, as this can trigger allergic reactions. Therefore, do not use eucalyptus essential oil if you are allergic to this plant.
All you have to do is take a dedicated diffuser, fill it with water and add a couple of drops of oil of your choice. Voila! Your home is filled with a delicious scent. There are many great therapeutic aromas: geranium, lavender, tea tree, peppermint, and lemongrass. You can also mix different scents to create your own scents. You can set your sprayer to a timer. This is just in case you are a forgetful person.
Easy peasy
If you're looking for a cheap way to get a great scent, you can easily boil some water and add any fruit, herbs and spices you want. This is an inexpensive pleasure and, importantly, it is completely non-toxic.
Think of it like essential oils, but no oil. A good sweet scent to try is spicy apple spice. Take two cinnamon sticks, one apple peel, one orange, and one tablespoon of cloves. Put all ingredients in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, all odors will begin to spread. Believe me, a pleasant, relaxing and at the same time "tasty" atmosphere is provided for you.
Beeswax candles
If you are in the mood for a “fiery” atmosphere in your home because you were born under a fire sign, use candles that are made from beeswax, as they do not pose the same threat as paraffin candles. Instead, wax candles release negative ions that actually help purify the air.
They also smell delicious. The only drawback is the hazardous flame. Always take care not to spread the flames onto fabrics and papers. For the love of your home, do not leave candles lit unattended.
Artificial candles
They don't technically give off a scent or energize you, but they still create a soothing atmosphere while bathing or before bed. Some of these flameless candles may bring a little scent, but they are best used in a small room. The main advantage here is the light, which is strikingly similar to the one that comes from scented candles. Some are even made of wax.
You must not leave lit candles unattended
The next time you want to immerse yourself in a pleasant atmosphere and use scented candles, take a moment to assess all the possible risks. Are your strawberry scents or French scents really worth it? No. This is not true. Kick this bad habit of lighting wicks and choose safer options. Your family will only say thank you.
Victoria Ivashura