Why Use Beeswax Candles? Beeswax Candles vs Paraffin


by Siri Amrit Kaur Khalsa - Date: 2006-12-20 - Word Count: 556 Share This!

When you compare beeswax candles vs paraffin, pure beeswax candles are:

More economical

Better for your health

Better for the environment

Unsurpassed for sheer beauty.

Economy: Beeswax is the most economical candle wax! When kept out of drafts, beeswax candles are smokeless, dripless and burn up to five times longer than paraffin candles. So while they cost more initially, they save you money in the long run.

Health: Paraffin candles create indoor air pollution! Paraffin is made from petroleum sludge. It is highly refined and treated with carcinogenic chemicals. The black smoke a paraffin candle emits is basically diesel exhaust!

There are a number of major toxic chemicals in paraffin, including the carcinogens benzene and toluene. Most of the wicks in paraffin candles contain metal cores and lead. When they burn, those metals go up in smoke. You don't want to breathe all that, do you?

Pure Beeswax burns cleanly, is considered hypoallergenic, and is recommended for people with asthma and chemical sensitivity.

Beeswax is the only wax that emits negative ions when it burns. Negative ions help to clean the air of dust, smoke and pollens. Negative ions can help to reduce fatigue. Keep a beeswax candle burning on your desk while you work, and notice how much calmer you feel during the busy day.

Environment: Being a petroleum fuel, paraffin candles are reliant upon foreign oil. American beeswax, on the other hand, is made from a natural renewable resource right here in the USA!

Beauty: Like fine chocolate, good beeswax developes a soft, velvety "bloom" on its surface. Beeswax candles have a brighter flame than do paraffin candles. This golden flame often has a halo around it.

How to be a smart candle shopper:

1. Make sure the candles are described as "Pure" or "100% Beeswax" and the wicks are 100% cotton. Labeling laws allow candles that have as little as 10% beeswax to be sold as "beeswax candles". Most of these so-called beeswax candles are blended with cheap paraffin in order to cut costs.

2. Make sure the beeswax is American. Many foreign countries allow dangerous chemicals to be used on the beehives as well as in the processing. Some countries ban the importation of such beeswax, but the USA does not.

3. Always buy unscented beeswax candles. "Why?" you say.

Because beeswax candles have their own marvelous honey fragrance!

Because synthetic fragrance chemicals are petroleum chemicals- and are especially toxic when burning! "Aromatherapy" candles made using synthetic fragrances are merely trading on the public's ignorance and trust. The American Lung Association says "Refrain from burning scented or slow-burning candles that have additives."

Essential oils, while of safer origins than synthetics, were never intended to be set on fire. Essential oils turn into unknown chemical compounds when burned, and just because they're natural doesn't mean they're safe. The proper way to use essential oils for Aromatherapy is to inhale their aromas fresh or in steam vapor, not in a burning candle.

A wonderful way to use essential oils for aromatherapy is to use a diffuser called an "oil warmer", "tart warmer" or "scented oil warmer" with a beeswax tea light. You not only get the full benefit of aromatherapy, you also receive the negative ions and golden flame that only a beeswax candle can give.

A pure beeswax candle creates an aura of peace and serenity that cannot be matched by any other kind of candle. Some things just cannot be improved upon!


Related Tags: aromatherapy, candles, beeswax, paraffin, diffuser

About the Author:

Siri Amrit Kaur Khalsa has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and survived cancer using Alternative Medicine. She started Tigerflag Natural Perfumery at http://www.tigerflag.com to give people safe and beautiful alternatives to toxic perfumes, soaps and candles. Her site also serves as a resource for information about MCS.

You may print or publish this article as long as you use it in its entirety, with credit to the author and Tigerflag Natural Perfumery, LLC.

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