Having my first child has made me question EVERYTHING I put in, on, or around my family. One of the main areas of concern I’ve been researching recently (and will be thoroughly blogging about, so keep an eye out!) is the air quality and allergens in my home.
I suffer from severe allergies and asthma, and I don’t want my little one to develop the same, especially through any negligence on my part.
Kids tend to develop environmental allergies from birth to around the age of 5 or 6. While the science is still spotty, it is believed that early or extended exposure to allergens can trigger the onset of allergies and asthma in babies that otherwise would not have suffered from them.
While there’s the obvious culprits to be mindful of, like dust mites, pet dander, mold, and pollen, there are some pretty wicked allergens in household products as well. Some of the worst being artificial fragrances, cleaners, shampoos, detergents, soaps.. and CANDLES. (For those of you baffled by my build up.)
I am a candle burning fanatic. I always bought those cheesy Walmart paraffin pillar candles with scents that aren’t really scents, like “Sunny Day” and “Spring Rain” and “Tropical Paradise”. I frikkin’ love(d) those things. So imagine my surprise when I learned that the chemical toxins in these pretty little scent bombs are one of the absolute WORST offenders to indoor air quality. Not only do they emit verifiably harmful levels of carcinogens with each burn, but they launch toxic microscopic black soot into the air that wreaks havoc on upper respiratory systems. Especially little tiny four month old respiratory systems. No bueno!
It is indisputable that paraffin candles pollute indoor air!
So what’s a candle loving girl to do? Enter beeswax candles! Beeswax is the most natural of candle waxes. Not only are they non-toxic and earth friendly, but they are known to effectively reduce asthma and allergies by drawing pollutants out of the air. No joke!
Every time I think I have to “give up” something I love to provide a healthy lifestyle and living space for my daughter, I find that I’m just giving up harmful junk for helpful treasures! Goodbye toxic paraffin and hello air cleansing beeswax!
When I set out on my beeswax candle quest, I learned that in the United States the term “pure” on a label means only 51% of an ingredient. And more often than not, when companies are selling “pure” beeswax candles, they’re selling a combination of up to 51% beeswax and 49% toxic paraffin. So it’s very important to look for companies that sell 100% pure beeswax candles.
And that’s how my searches brought me to Honey Candles. After some prompt and pleasant correspondence, they sent me a small box of tea lights, votives and a pillar candle to review. Oh frabjous day!
First off, this family run company seems to really care for the environment and their community. They are active in educating on their product (and beeswax in general!) through their blog and website. They’re easily reachable, warm and welcoming. I was impressed with the fast e-mails, the obvious pride in genuine customer service and the desire to approach their candles as an art form.
And the candles are quite fine! I received my candles close to a week ago, and have spent the past few days trying them out. They are finely crafted, with a subtle and pleasant smell, and an extremely long burn time. Using these candles instead of the paraffin I’m used to is like night and day! There’s no smoke, no unpleasant burning smell, no sooty residue… it’s actually quite fascinating. I’m completely a convert to pure beeswax candles. Seriously. Never going back!
One last word! Those of you who know me, know that I’m an information junky. So I’m quite a fan of the extensive information provided on the Honey Candles blog. Some of my favorite articles that I found extremely educational and relevant are:
Any candle lovers out there still using paraffin? Interested in making the switch? (You know you want to!)
Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links in this review. I am an independent product reviewer. I only review products I am truly interested in. I don’t accept payment for reviews. The products I take the time to jabber on about are either items I have personally purchased, or the product has been provided for review after me incessantly nagging for a sample. All of my reviews are unbiased regardless of how the item was obtained.
No wonder those ‘scented’ candles always feel like I got beaned between the eyes w/ a hammer! And now I must add an apology to all 3 of my kids, for all the scary stuff we had in our home all these past nearly 30 years. I just wish that we had instant info at our literal fingertips like today. Tessa is a very lucky little girl, and I am a very proud mom.
Yeah, the toxins they let off is somewhere in the realm of breathing straight exhaust fumes. No good. I feel so behind on the whole toxin-free home thing. I wish I’d researched all of this BEFORE having my baby girl!!
We love to make our own soy and beeswax candles! We use natural oils to scent them. The toxic fumes from scented things like candles, sprays, and cleaners have so many harmful side affects. It should be illegal to sell this stuff without skull and cross bones on the front.
You know, I considered making my own candles, but with so many other projects going and irons in the fire, I think it would be cheaper and more efficient in the long run for my family to just buy some candles from reputable sources. But maybe one of these days we’ll make candle making a homeschool project!
It’s so ridiculous that in this world that is so focused on the environment and “green” choices, companies continuously put TOXIC ingredients into their products. Hey government, instead of going crazy over free health care, why don’t you do something useful like regulating poisonous products being placed on the shelves!
Right?!?!? But then, that makes waaaaay too much sense. 😉
Yes! When I try to tell people about the harmful ingredients in our products they say “Well I use this natural green product.” I try to explain that even ‘natural’ products can have harmful ingredients. A lot of them don’t believe that the government would let them (who ever they may be) put harmful things into our products. I tell them to look into Round-Up and Monsanto. Even organic only has to be 75%-95% organic and other countries define organic differently. Not to mention, the inspections for this stuff is often lousy at best. So when we import food it may not be organic at all. Anyways, I will get off of my soap box.
Haha, preach it girl! I wish I’d known all this stuff sooner. Also, in that same vein, I read an article yesterday about how some “natural” and “recycled” products actually contain MORE toxins than “normal” products. It’s soooo important to actually examine individual ingredients and weight their safety and toxin levels.