Are Your Candles Safe? What Brands Don’t Tell You

When you buy a candle from a store, you're probably thinking about scent, ambiance, or aesthetics. What most people don’t consider is whether that candle is safe to burn inside their home. Unfortunately, most store-bought candles are made with questionable ingredients that can negatively affect your health, indoor air quality, and even your mood.

This article dives into the hidden dangers of conventional candles and helps you discover which ingredients to avoid, which labels to look for, and why beeswax candles are the best choice for a clean, toxin-free home.

What you’ll find in this article:

Why candle safety matters more than ever
The most harmful ingredients in today’s candles
How synthetic fragrance oils affect your body
What happens when you burn paraffin wax
Why greenwashing confuses most buyers
How to identify a truly non-toxic candle
The benefits of switching to beeswax candles
Tips for avoiding hidden toxins in candles
Why your next candle choice truly matters
Why it’s time to rethink your candle choices

Why Candle Safety Matters More Than Ever

Lighting a candle might seem like a simple pleasure, but the materials used in that candle can have lasting effects on your air quality and wellness. In small, enclosed spaces—like apartments, bedrooms, or offices—the toxins released from candles accumulate fast.

With people now spending more time indoors than ever before, understanding what goes into your candle has become just as important as understanding what goes into your food or skincare. If you wouldn’t breathe in diesel fumes or spray synthetic chemicals in your space, why would you burn a candle made from the same materials?

That’s why looking beyond the packaging is essential when choosing a clean-burning candle.

The Most Harmful Ingredients in Today’s Candles

A shocking number of store-bought candles use ingredients known to harm both people and pets. The biggest offender is paraffin wax—a petroleum byproduct. When burned, paraffin candles release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene, which are also found in car exhaust and industrial emissions.

In addition to wax, many candles are made with:

Synthetic fragrance oils (linked to hormone disruption)
Chemical dyes (that emit toxins when heated)
Metal-core wicks (which may release heavy metals like lead)

The combination of these ingredients creates an invisible chemical cocktail inside your home. Even if the candle smells nice, what you’re breathing in can be far from healthy.

How Synthetic Fragrance Oils Affect Your Body

Synthetic fragrance oils are lab-made chemicals designed to imitate natural scents. They may include up to 300 different compounds, many of which have never been tested for long-term safety when inhaled.

One of the most concerning ingredients in these fragrances is phthalates. Commonly used to prolong scent, phthalates are known endocrine disruptors that can affect hormonal health, fertility, and child development.

When you burn a candle with synthetic fragrance oils, you may experience:

Headaches or migraines
Sneezing or sinus irritation
Itchy eyes or dry throat
Hormonal imbalances
Triggered asthma or allergies

And because “fragrance” is considered a trade secret, candle brands are not required to list what’s actually in their scent formulas. If a label says just “fragrance” or “parfum,” that’s a red flag.

What Happens When You Burn Paraffin Wax

Paraffin wax is still the most widely used wax in candles today because it’s cheap, readily available, and holds scent well. But burning paraffin candles is a serious health risk. Research shows that burning paraffin wax produces the same dangerous emissions found in diesel fumes.

These include:

Acetaldehyde – an irritant and possible carcinogen
Benzene – linked to leukemia and other cancers
Toluene – can damage the nervous system

Burning a paraffin wax candle for just a few hours can fill your room with airborne toxins that linger long after the candle is blown out. Over time, the effects can add up—especially if you burn candles daily.

Even worse, paraffin wax often produces visible black soot. That soot doesn’t just coat your walls and ceilings; you breathe it in with every breath.

Why Greenwashing Confuses Most Buyers

With wellness trends on the rise, many candle companies now use words like “natural,” “eco-friendly,” or “clean” to attract health-conscious consumers. But the truth is: those words are often meaningless without regulation.

This marketing tactic—known as greenwashing—makes products seem safer than they actually are. A candle labeled “soy blend” might contain mostly paraffin wax. One labeled “natural fragrance” may still use synthetic oils. Some brands even color their waxes with dyes that release toxins when burned.

The best way to avoid being misled? Don’t trust the front of the label. Flip it over, read the ingredients, and verify what’s actually in the wax, wick, and fragrance.

How to Identify a Truly Non-Toxic Candle

To find a truly non-toxic candle, look for three key features:

Wax – It should be 100% beeswax, coconut wax, or certified organic soy wax (not a blend).
Fragrance – It should be clearly labeled as plant-based derivative oils or essential oils, and explicitly phthalate-free.
Wick – Look for cotton wicks, wood wicks, or hemp wicks, all of which should be lead- and zinc-free.

You should also seek brands that offer transparency. If you can’t find a full ingredient list on the candle itself or the website, move on.

A proper non-toxic candle will tell you exactly what’s in it—because it has nothing to hide.

The Benefits of Switching to Beeswax Candles

Once you learn about the hidden toxins in conventional candles, switching to beeswax candles becomes an easy decision. Pure beeswax is a naturally occurring substance made by honeybees. It requires no refining, no added chemicals, and no synthetic stabilizers.

Here’s why beeswax candles are the best choice:

They burn cleanly with little to no soot
They emit negative ions, which attach to airborne particles like dust and mold
They can actually help purify and improve indoor air quality
They last longer than soy or paraffin candles, giving you better value

When scented with plant-based oils, beeswax candles create a light, soothing aroma that doesn’t overwhelm or irritate. And unlike other waxes, beeswax doesn’t need artificial hardeners or colorants to perform well.

If you’ve ever wondered how to find a candle that smells great and supports your health, beeswax is the answer.

Tips for Avoiding Hidden Toxins in Candles

Even experienced candle buyers can fall into traps. To stay safe, here are some easy steps:

Avoid any candle labeled only with “fragrance” or “wax blend.”
Stick with brands that clearly state they use 100% beeswax and plant-based oils.
Don’t assume “soy” means safe—it may be mixed with paraffin unless it’s labeled otherwise.
If a candle gives you a headache or irritates your nose, stop using it. That’s your body telling you something is wrong.
Be cautious of heavily scented candles with long-lasting aroma. They’re often full of synthetic fragrance oils.

Why Your Next Candle Choice Truly Matters

Most people light a candle to relax. It’s supposed to create a sense of peace—not pollute your air with hidden chemicals. But when you burn store-bought candles made with paraffin wax and synthetic fragrance oils, you’re inviting pollutants into your home.

Think about how often you burn a candle. For some, it’s every night. That exposure adds up—and it’s not harmless.

Choosing non-toxic candles isn’t just a trend. It’s a reflection of your values: cleaner air, healthier habits, and mindful living.

So ask yourself:

Do I know what’s in my candles?
Do I want my family breathing in synthetic fumes?
Do I trust that brand to be transparent with me?

If the answer is no, it’s time to make the switch.

Why It’s Time to Rethink Your Candle Choices

It’s easy to overlook the impact of something as small as a candle. But if that candle is filling your air with paraffin soot, synthetic fragrances, and toxic dyes, it’s doing more harm than good.

That’s why more people are switching to beeswax candles scented with plant-based oils. You still get the comfort and aroma—but with none of the chemicals.

Once you experience the difference, you’ll never settle for store-bought again. Experience pure beeswax. Choose Living Good Candle Co.