The NIA Group (Insurance and Financial Services) lists the following problems with paraffin candles in an article on their website:
* Reduces the internal air quality in your home.
* Damage by particulate deposits on interior and exterior walls, carpets,
furniture, appliances, window treatments, floors and other surfaces.
* Contributes to health problems from inhaling particulate matter or ingesting harmful chemicals.
* Spews hazardous chemicals that are either in the paraffin wax, the wick, or are present when paraffin wax is burned....Acetone, Benzene, Trichlorofluoromethane, Carbon Disulfide, 2-Butanone, Trichloroethane, Trichloroethene, Carbon Tetrachloride, Tetrachloroethene, Toluene, Chlorobenzene, Ethylbenzene, Styrene, Xylene, Phenol, Cresol, Cyclopentene and Lead
They go on to say...
"Another surprise is that the candle-making industry is not required to tell consumers about the ingredients used in their products, including when a wick is used which contains a lead core."
No one knows for sure if paraffin candles cause cancer, but there are at least 4 cancer-causing chemicals associated with paraffin candles.
The EPA lists these chemicals on their website:
1) Benzene (EPA classification as Group A, known human carcinogen).
2) Carbon Tetrachloride (EPA classification as Group B2 probable human carcinogen).
3) Trichloroethane (EPA classification as Group C, possible human carcinogen).
4) Toluene (EPA classification as Group B2 probable human carcinogen).
Would you burn animal fat in your home?
Most of us would answer an emphatic "No!" or "Yuck!" to that question, but like something straight out of a horror movie, you might react in horror to realize that you probably are burning animal fat in your home when you burn paraffin candles.
That's because many paraffin candles contain large amounts of animal fats to give them a more textured or rustic look.
So what's the alternative?
Believe it or not, the answer comes from soybeans.
The soy plant produces a waxy substance that not only burns cooler, but can burn up to 50% longer than paraffin wax.
Since soy wax is derived from plants, it's a renewable resource that's a pleasure for candle makers to work with.
Some of the surprising benefits of soy candles include:
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