Scented Candles - Do You Smell Danger?

IAQ’s founding mission was to Improve Indoor Air Quality. Over 30 years later and we’re still on that mission, the importance of which increases every year. We accomplish this by measuring, monitoring and assessing indoor air quality, then by supplying or recommending services to improve it.

Along the way, we also point out what does not improve indoor air quality.? For example, in this blog post we debunked what the former NASA scientist, Dr Bill Wolverton, claimed in his book Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants that Purify Your Home or Office (still in print).? We told you, using the evidence of a refuting scientist, with nothing to gain but credibility, that houseplants are beautiful but they DO NOT improve indoor air quality!

Now, we want to warn against the use of some scented candles. In this article we discuss why and identify safe options.

WARNING ?Check for Parabens and Phthalates in Scented Candles!

Most scented candles contain parabens and phthalates which enhance scents, make them last longer and preserve the candles in their unlit warehoused or shelved states.?

Parabens are a preservative, used to extend the shelf life of many scented candles. Phthalates are contained in many scented candles to prolong their scent. Synthetic fragrances (which can contain parabens and phthalates) are added to candles to provide scent while they are lit and unlit (what commercial manufacturers refer to as “hot throw” and “cold throw”). ?Nora Egan Demers, Ph.D., who is an expert in health and pollution, warns against exposure to such substances.

Dr Demers’s research shows that parabens and phthalates interfere with the body’s endocrine system. The endocrine system produces and regulates the human body’s hormones via its glands, (for example the thyroid and adrenal glands). The hormones released function to assist growth and development.?

PARABENS

The disruption caused by parabens to the endocrine system, are linked (according to Dr Demers) to lower IQ and early puberty in children and obesity, infertility and low sperm counts in adults. Parabens, which can mimic the hormone oestrogen, have been linked to the development of cancers, most notably, to breast cancer.

PHTHALATES

Phthalates, according to research and numerous articles published over previous decades, are used for different reasons in scented candles but have a similar to parabens impact on the human:?

Though scientists believe phthalates don't stay in human tissue forever, studies suggest that regular exposure to these chemicals can?adversely affects multiple organ systems, as well as reproductive health, and child development. One study links high levels of phthalate exposure to early death in older people. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/what-are-phthalates

Candles Without Parabens or Phthalates

Paraben and phthalate free candles don’t come cheap.? We found some available to buy (though stocks seem to be running low and we haven’t tested any).? Hand Made Candles sell theirs for ￡14.95. Connie Violet’s paraben and phthalate candles cost ￡17 each but allegedly burn for 60 hours

Further Reading - Click on links:

Phthalates are everywhere, and the health risks are worrying. How bad are they really?

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