(Newswire.net — March 31, 2016) — There is something very special about the ambiance candles create. Why occupy any room overpowered by fluorescent lighting, when we can relax our minds and environment with the rhythmic flickering, and soft glow of one or more candles? They evoke a feeling of comfort and calm, mystery and fascination. We often choose candles to add a romantic flare to a private setting, indoors or outdoors, and to accent home décor, often charmed by the lovely jar or container by which it is hosted. And displays that feature candles floating on water, are known to be a beautiful and captivating touch. Atmosphere is everything for many of us, and candles provide that ‘something extra’ to complement our space.
For thousands of years, candles were the primary source 0f light before they were gradually set aside by kerosene lamps, and ultimately took a backseat to the lightbulb around 1879. It provided illumination for cultural celebrations and religious ceremonies in many earlier civilizations. Ancient societies often used wax made from plants and insects, and sometimes combined them with seeds. The wick of the candle was often made from rolled rice paper, or braiding strands of cotton.
Despite the viability and massive use of electricity in the late 19th century, the attraction to, and need for candles remained a part of human living. By 1834, inventor Joseph Morgan developed a machine that allowed for the continuous production of molded candles, using a cylinder with a movable piston to eject candles as they solidified. This led to their mass production and affordability. By the 1850s, other chemists presented paraffin wax after learning how to separate the naturally occurring waxy substance from petroleum, a more toxic source.
By the first half of the 20th century, candles experienced a rebirth in popularity when the growth of U.S. oil brought an increase in the byproducts that had become the basic ingredients of candle making. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), candle sales have been growing at a rate of 10 to 15 percent yearly, energized by consumer interest in aromatherapy, and home décor and fragrance products.
The United States represents the largest market for natural and synthetic waxes, utilizing domestic and international sources. Petroleum wax represents the largest segment worldwide, accounting for more than 60 per cent of the total wax demand. As the demand for paraffin-based candles continues to grow due to its lower cost, candles account for about 50 per cent of the wax interest and consumption.
Paraffin is a petroleum by-product created when crude oil is refined into gasoline. In order to refine it for candle making, the petroleum wax is gathered and bleached with a very concentrated, industrial strength bleach, changing the once darker color to white. Bleaching, even when used as chlorine bleach for household laundry whitening and disinfecting, remains a chemical byproduct of toxic dioxins, belonging to the group of persistent environmental pollutants (POPs). Although toxically bleached, paraffin wax remains a petroleum-derived petrochemical, a contaminant constituting one of the most prevalent sources of environmental degradation in the industrialized world.
According to the EPA, dioxins are highly toxic. And thanks to chlorine bleach pollution, Americans ingest or inhale a daily amount of dioxin that is already 300 to 600 times greater than the EPA’s safe dose. Dioxins are among the commonly referred to endocrine disrupters. Once they enter the body, their chemical stability, along with their ability to be absorbed by fat tissue, is estimated to be stored with a half-life of about seven to eleven years.
These corrupting substances behave like maniacal hunters by imitating hormones, turning one hormone into another; increasing production of certain hormones, while decreasing others; convincing cells to die prematurely; competing with essential nutrients; and accumulating in organs that produce hormones.
The EPA has linked them to birth defects, cancer, reproductive disorders, and immune system breakdown. They have also been implicated in conditions such as atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries), hypertension, and diabetes. When paraffin wax candles are burned, the petroleum-soot that is emitted into your environment is equivalent to the exhaust from diesel engines, causing headaches and nausea in the short term, and more severe health conditions in the long term. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) warns that paraffin fumes have been found to cause tumors in the kidneys and liver of laboratory animals. And according to California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, there are up to 20 toxins in paraffin candle wax.
Artificially scented and colored candles present an even greater risk, particularly when combined with paraffin wax. They release the substance limonene that converts into formaldehyde when it comes in contact with air, and is considered a cancer-causing agent listed by the Health Protection Agency. The health concerns associated with these scented and colored candles applies to other artificially enhanced home fresheners as well. The EPA states that most store bought home and air fresheners consist of petrochemicals, formaldehyde, aerosol pollutants, and other air contaminants.
According to a study conducted by Professor Alastair Lewis of the National Center for Atmospheric Science at the University of York, the concentrations of limonene are 100 times higher than previously thought. Homes let so little air escape that these high concentrations of ‘now formaldehyde’ linger longer, potentially posing long term harm to our health.
“The really surprising thing is just how high the concentrations of some fragrances are now in people’s homes. Fragrance chemicals now completely dominate the inside of most homes,” states Professor Lewis. And this tendency is often augmented in homes where pets live. People sometimes use these ‘perfumed’ fresheners to mask the odor that often accompany pets that reside indoors, posing health risks to their beloved animals. Room freshening and cleaning agents are prominent in the hotel industry, as well as some companies offering cleaning services.
With further regard to candles, Missouri pediatrician, and environmental and toxicology specialist Dr. Andrew Sledd, feels that the soot delivered into our air after burning paraffin candles is worse than smoking a cigarette—aggravating the conditions of those who already have asthma, lung, or heart problems. “It’s more dangerous because it doesn’t have a filter on it, which removes hundreds of millions of micro particles, a candle doesn’t—just like that, in your room,” stated Dr. Sledd.
Even though the EPA banned lead wicks used in candles in 2003 as a cancer-causing threat, following 40 years of promises from the U.S. candle making industry, approximately 30 percent of imported candles still contain them. Lead-core wicks release five times the amount of lead and cadmium, well documented by both the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), to affect the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), the heart, red blood cells, and kidneys, exceeding the EPA’s pollution standards. Exposure to high amounts of lead has been linked to hormone disruption, behavioral problems, and learning disabilities, among a longer list of health issues.
Presently, there are no actions being taken, or bans in the works to remove paraffin candles from the marketplace. They can be found in department stores, supermarkets, drug stores, specialty stores, and in a mall kiosk. In some stores, their presence is so saturated, the pungent, typically pernicious scents they exude, greet you heavily the minute you walk into the establishment. And this cheaper, completely adulterated version is what is primarily available due to its lower cost. You will find them in many shapes and colors, adorned in lovely and unique packaging. If the scents do not irritate you immediately, as they do some people, at the very least, do not allow yourself to be duped into purchasing these masquerading show casers, believing they will provide the perfect backdrop you are envisioning.
Highly recommended alternatives are candles made from 100 percent beeswax, to include honey beeswax. Unlike paraffin wax, natural beeswax is used essentially in its native state—no bleaching or hydrogenating. It does not go rancid, and has a long shelf life. Unlike other healthy options, such as 100 percent organic palm wax, beeswax production does not require the sole use of large areas of agricultural land.
In addition, you would be supporting the concern surrounding the declining bee population. Bees, through their pollination process, beautify many flowers, and support crops such as broccoli, asparagus, cantaloupes, cucumbers, pumpkins, blueberries, watermelons, almonds, apples, cranberries, cherries, and honey. Beeswax candles have no artificial additives to prevent fading, or harmful synthetic scents.
In fact, 100 percent natural beeswax candles have been known to help purify air by producing negative ions, yielding the same effect as houseplants and electronic ionizers. They burn up to three times longer than paraffin candles, making the differential in cost a non-issue. The Internet is replete with websites instructing you on how to make your own homemade candles using safe, non-toxic wax.
Some sites promote soy wax, while others warn against their genetic modification, and petrochemical content. If you desire a scented candle, craft your own recipe using, or purchase those that contain, natural essential oils. You must bear in mind, essential oils have real healing properties such as, oils for exhaustion that are a bit more stimulating; oils for decongestion, hormonal conditions, stress, relaxation, depression and concentration, just to name a few.
Just because a particular natural essential oil smells nice to you, does not mean it is necessarily the best option. Certainly you want an aroma that is satisfying. However, your olfactory system (sensory system/sense of smell) does not discriminate, and will process these scents for what they are. Any device or candle that includes or uses essential oils, distributes essential oil molecules into the air.
If you do not possess a full understanding of these essential oil qualities, do your research. For serious health conditions, consult a qualified health practitioner who has a comprehensive understanding about natural products and therapy. Consider using a diffuser in your home, in combination with natural essential oils to freshen the air. You can also boil cinnamon or fruit peels, for instance, or display naturally created potpourri to add a healthy fragrance to your air.
For the soothing lighting effect that candles provide, consider salt lamps. Electronic devices and other sources of electromagnetic radiation, produce positive ions, which are known to promote stressful and anxious feelings, headaches, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Salt lamps produce negative ions that assist in diffusing the positive ions, generating a healthier, uplifting breathing space, complemented by the crystalline-orange soft glow. You can also obtain flameless or faux candles that use LED light.
And last, with regard to candle usage, remain mindful about candle placement. Position them away from curtains, fabrics and inflammatory-prone furniture. Tea lights get especially hot, and will melt plastic. Put them on heat-resistance surfaces and away from a child’s reach. Extinguish them carefully to prevent flying hot wax. Avoid purchasing candles with multiple wicks close together, and never leave them unattended.
The practices that are taking place, and the raw materials and substances used in the candle making and home freshener industry, is a huge topic, and would be challenging to fully address in understandable terms in multiple pages. The least we can do is make safe, sensible choices for ourselves, and our families by reading labels, asking questions, and making smart, informed choices.