Geelong Candle Maker Gives Five Tips on How to Avoid Buying Toxic Candles

Historically, candles have been used by man for more than five thousand years, to light the darkness and to assist with rituals and ceremony celebrations and performances. But since the invention of the lightbulb in 1879, humans have found new uses for candles in the home and office, and with these new uses their popularity has continued to grow. But in recent times, due to scientific advancements and medical testing, the hidden dangers of burning the wrong type of candle have been revealed.
 
Founder and director of Geelong-based Angel Sent - a soy wax candle company that creates eco-friendly candles - Kirsten Macdonald, says that while there’s research that highlights the risks associated with burning candles containing toxic ingredients, people are still unsure about how to identify a safe candle. www.angelsentcandles.com
 
“The candle industry standards are currently really low in Australia, which means that consumers cannot be sure that they’re buying safe and natural candles,” says Kirsten Macdonald. “A candle only needs to contain a drop of soy wax for a company to be able to label is ‘soy’. It makes recognising natural soy candles very tricky for most people not familiar with candle ingredients.”
 
The Geelong candle maker shares five tips with candle consumers to ensure their waxy purchases are safe to burn in the home and office. www.angelsentcandles.com

1. Avoid all gel candles and supermarket ‘aromatherapy’ candles. “Gel and aromatherapy candles are really popular, but they’re just not safe because their ingredients are toxic,” says Kirsten.
2. Avoid bright colours and a ‘plastic’ look. “Natural soy candles have gentle colourings, and an earthy look.”
3. Only buy candles with a natural wick, and avoid metal core wicks. According to a fact sheet provided by The LEAD Group Inc., metal core wicks were banned in Australia after lead was found in most*. Some imported candles from Taiwan and China to Australia were found to have wicks containing 95 per cent lead, which can emit 500 to 1000 micrograms of lead every hour and is not safe for adults, children or babies. “Even burning small amounts of lead in candle wicks can cause behavioural problems and learning difficulties in children and adults, and miscarriages in women,” says Kirsten.
4. Remember that candles for sale in discount stories, or candles that are really cheap don’t usually contain natural products. These candles can be unhealthy, and also pollute the air in the household.
5. Only trust candle brands that have natural aromas from the products used to create them, and are not artificially scented.

Contact Information

Kirsten Macdonald

Director

Angel Sent

(61) 401 409 499

angelsoy@bigpond.net.au