When the days grow shorter and the dark of night begins
its wintry reign, you know the signal to cozy-up your living space and create a
nurturing environment has been officially sounded. A key ingredient in this
process is the addition of candles. They provide ambience at dinner parties,
set the mood for romantic evenings at home, and even play a role in our
spiritual lives, giving our personal spaces a warm, peaceful glow. They smell
good, look good, and cast a snuggly light that begs for you to whip up a cup of
hot cocoa and settle in for the night. Best of all, today's cruelty-free,
alternative-wax candles support our desire to live compassionately while
keeping the home fires burning with a cozy warmth.
But did you know that many conventional candles contain
harmful ingredients and animal by-products like paraffin, benzene, toluene,
lead, parabens, and other artificial fragrances that have been linked to asthma
attacks, allergies, eczema, and even lung cancer, with regular exposure?
Most candles are made with paraffin—a petroleum
waste-product. When burned, paraffin releases carcinogenic toxins like benzene
and soot into the air, which, in addition to being dangerous for your lungs
(and your animal companion's lungs), can settle on furniture and countertops,
damaging surfaces. A better bet for a soot-free home is soy. That's right: The
mighty soybean that yields so many health benefits also lends itself to
candles. Natural soy-wax candles are not only healthier for the environment,
but more economical, too, because they burn up to 50-percent longer than their
paraffin counterparts.
Alongside soy Mother Nature has generously supplied us
with another natural source of cruelty-free candle wax in the bayberry. You
could call bayberry the "patriotic alternative to paraffin," since
colonial Americans were the first to transform the teensy little berry into
candle wax. Today, as in the past, bayberry candles enjoy extra popularity
around the holidays, when they are burned to bring good luck for the coming
year. When scouting for these special candles, be sure the wax consists of pure
bayberry (a pleasant, delicate fragrance on its own) and not artificially
scented paraffin wax.
My quest for cruelty-free candles made from renewable
resources brought me to an unexpected source: palm wax. Like olive oil, palm
wax oil is a ”virgin" oil that doesn't require refining—just a bit of
filtering and deodorizing. Shaped from the fruit of the oil palm, palm wax
candles also burn clean and last longer than those made with paraffin, and are
a fabulous alternative to beeswax—the production of which usually involves drug
and pesticide treatments, genetic tampering, wing clipping, and the use of manufactured
pheromones. There's nothing natural about that.
Once you've made the choice to bring natural-wax candles
into your home, be sure any added fragrance is pure, essential oil—otherwise
your good intentions will go literally up in smoke as harmful by-products from
artificial scents are released into the air.
There is no denying the magic of candlelight. With a
little detective work, you can enjoy the beauty and comfort of candles while
keeping your home cruelty- and toxin-free.
Candle-buying
Guide
These online retailers offer candles for the conscious
consumer.
A
Scent of Scandal
This vegan-owned company is committed to creating quality
soy-wax candles—and a healthy dose of sass to match. Our favorite scent? Oh
Snap! Smells like fresh-baked gingerbread.
Intoxicated
Zodiac
There's one of these organic soy-wax candles for every
sign of the zodiac. Not into astrology? The packaging is subtle enough that
you'll never notice you're actually an Aries.
Pacifica
Candles
The company known for its beautifully-designed perfumes
also produces a seductive line of scented votives. Try Bourbon Island Vanilla,
Zanzibar Cinnamon Almond, or the Indian Chai scent.
SoyBeam
GMO-free soy wax and cotton wicks are just two reasons to
love these green candles. With soothing scents such as Lavender & Geranium
and Vetiver & Sweet Orange, you'll be relaxed in no time flat.
Yankee
Candle
From a small start, Yankee Candle has become the
most-recognised name in the candle business worldwide. Today they offer the
world’s largest and most compelling selection of scented candles, accessories
and home fragrances. All of which are vegan and cruelty free.
Harper’s
Candles
Save the best until last they say and Harpers, to me, are
they very best. Their candles use no animal products, they are not tested on
animals and neither is the wax or the fragrance – and they carry The Vegan
Society logo to prove it. They also
support dog sanctuaries with charity candles that have proper donations (£3
from each candle sold). On a green note, the tins can be recycled and they use
recycled paper wherever possible. They use high grade soya wax made from 100
percent sustainable resources and as many as possible of the local deliveries
are done on foot. Amazing right?!
