Toxins in Yankee Candles? page

[Ayla]

I've been looking into possible toxins lurking in scented candles, specifically in the Yankee Candles all my friends seem to give me for gifts, and which I like very much.

Like many Primals, I love having a tiny fire near me when I work. Having a candle burning helps me focus while working and helps me reflect and be mindful while taking a break. But now I'm nervous to burn these scented Yankee Candles because some sites are saying that it can be as dangerous as second hand smoke.

Apparently candle production is completely unregulated, and some candles have LEAD in their wicks! Yankee Candles claim not to have any lead, but they are made from refined paraffin, which is a petroleum product and is possibly carcinogenic (but then, isn't everything?)

Some sites say soy candles are safe, but since I don't believe soy is "safe" to eat, is it really safe to burn? I'm wondering if you burn mass-produced candles without fear, or if you buy high quality beeswax or soy candles. I have googled this, but the information is mostly sketchy and most of the hits are sites like yahoo answers (ugh.)

[_Wifey_]

For me the biggest "toxin" in Yankee Candles are the scents. They give me headaches, really bad ones. My guilty pleasure are the Tru Melange candles. They are so yummy smelling. They are a mix of soy & beeswax w/cotton wicks. I'm currently addicted to the SoL Relax scent.

[Dragonfly32]

paraffin wax is def toxic, fragrance oil also tho it can depend on the quality of it. not sure whether Yankee use phalate free scents, i make and sell soy wax melts and i have no problem with them and im extremely chemical sensitive. IMO something useful we can use soy for lol
paraffin wax is a by product of the petrochemical industry YUK

[Alaska Ang]

Soy candles and melts are definitely cleaner burning than paraffin. Fragrance oils vary greatly in quality and I highly doubt that major producers like Yankee are concerned with anything other than if it sells. You probably don't need to worry about lead wicks if you are using US made candles. Best bet for candles is to find someone near you that makes them so you can ask what types of fragrances they use. As Dragonfly said, you want phalate free fragrance oils. If you can't find someone local, check online with some of the candle making forums. If you don't care about scent, beeswax candles without any frangrance are really nice and have a natural warm fragrance of their own.

[Ayla]

Thanks for this advice! I have decided to stop burning the Yankees, and I went to Whole Foods today and bought a Tru Melange candle (in Passion scent)! So far, I love it! I've been making an effort to remove petroleum and its byproducts from my skin and hair care, and especially lip balms, so I think switching to a non-petroleum candle is a good move, too.

[dado]

hey everybody let's all search for toxins

toxins in my coasters, my candles, toxins in my headphones, toxins in this and that.



i love america but some of you americans...

[dado]

ask franzi, the guy i worked party rental tent set-up with, what he thinks of toxins in his yankee candles.

no, you won't ask him, because he's too busy working like a slave and helping his family in honduras

[Ayla]

Oops, Dado, I think you meant to post that in the "I feel the need to attack someone in this forum for anything" Thread.

[Corvidae]

Oops, Dado, I think you meant to post that in the "I feel the need to attack someone in this forum for anything" Thread.

Wow, dado has brought up yet another opportunity for me to say that if you want to ignore someone on the boards, you can click on their profile and theres a link to add them to your ignore list.

Anyway, what about beeswax candles? Also peoples comments about paraffin wax make me worry cause i got bags and bags of cheap tealights that I use for ambiance around the house :/

[dado]

the meaning you will take away is that toxins in candles are negligible.

you will not suffer a terrible death because you light a few candles.

so this is some different words, but the sentiment is the same.

good day, sir.