This is a part of Sprig & Vine Favourites, a column of recommendations from our team on their favourite things to eat, drink, read, watch, and shop.
As the stresses of daily life continue to take a toll on us, we all definitely need a little me-time to wind down at the end of the day. The ideal sanctuary consists of a glass of wine, a good book, and lighting your favourite scented candle.
While this scenario sounds heavenly, you might be unaware of the health risks you could be exposing yourself to simply by lighting a candle. Yes, you read that right.
Many of the candles we use are made from paraffin wax, with synthetic fragrances, and some even contain lead in the wick. Unfortunately, burning these candles cause more harm than good. When burned, paraffin wax (derived from petroleum waste and containing hydrocarbons) combusts to create toxic chemicals and soot, which can get into fabrics and upholstery, stain walls and ceilings, and cause respiratory problems. This means breathing these candles in is almost as bad as for us as second-hand-smoke, and may be carcinogenic in the long term. Now, we aren’t asking you to change your relaxation ritual, instead we offer a solution: soy candles.
While soy candles look and smell similar to paraffin candles, they come without the disadvantages of chemical additives. Soy candles are made from soybeans, which means they are natural, renewable, and biodegradable. It burns clean and won’t affect your air quality. They don’t create soot, though prolonged use produces a white residue that can be easily wiped clean. Soy candles are 100% vegan and nontoxic (specially if they also contain natural essential oils and safe dyes). They burn longer, and the wax is also less likely to scald if touched. Additionally, soy candles are container candles – you’ll get them in glasses, ceramics, or tins, which means once you’ve used up the entire candle you can reuse the container too. All in all, if your wind-down nighttime routine involves lighting a candle, soy is the way to go.
Our favourite is from Niana, which has luxurious candles made with soy wax and scented with natural essential oils. The aromas are subtle and eclectic, with fragrances such as mogra, wild rose, patchouli, mandarin, to name a few – one for every mood. You can get them in glass containers or tins, both of which are reusable once you clean out the soy wax.
So you can now kick back and relax, while your harmless soy candle burns and fills the room with its calming goodness!
SHOP IT HERE: Soy Candles, Niana
