Regular, Natural or Scented Candles. What’s Best?
A deeper look at our options
…Because the type of candles we burn matter
Wellness comes from within, but a little ambience doesn’t hurt! I love burning a good, relaxing candle. I often spark them during my early morning self-care rituals, which include prayer, meditation, breathwork, goal-setting and organization. Burning a candle helps me set the tone to put positive, grounding elements in place before my day officially starts.
Whether you’re interested in burning candles for healing, introspective work, or to mellow out while making your family dinner, it’s good to remember that the type of candle that you burn matters. Specific types of candles can impact both our health and mood, including:
Scented candles:
Scented candles are scientifically proven to play a big role in our mood, stress levels, working capacity and mental health.
According to Travel and Leisure Magazine, scented candles are soothing because of how our brains process smells. They stimulate part of the brain that’s home to our memories and emotions, meaning that “our emotional state is influenced by the relationship that exists between scents, memories, and emotions." Love that.
Sunday Spa Candle
This eco-friendly candle was hand poured by Bethel & Co., using 100% coconut-soy wax. 50+ hour burn time. Free from additives, dyes & harmful chemicals.
Regular candles:
While it may be easy to grab a quick, regular candle while you’re on the go, they can come with serious health consequences.
Dig this—while scented candles are lovely, make sure that the scents are derived from natural sources, like essential oils. Healthline reports that artificially scented candles “can release volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde that may increase your cancer risk.” This is also true of regular ‘ole paraffin wax candles. They are often made from petroleum, the same material used to make gas, which also comes with its own set of pollutants and toxins. There is some debate about whether the amount of toxins released from paraffin wax candles is significant enough to cause health problems. My gut says if there’s a question about toxicity amounts, avoid it.
A smooth lit-uation…
Love the clean burn of Bethel & Co'.’s candles
Remember to read your candle labels. Some candles are plant-based, but their wicks are not. Metal wick is wack! Look for wicks made out of cotton, hemp, or wood, not metal which can contain lead. Stay away from man-made fragrances, especially with ingredients that are hard to decipher.
Minimalist Bubble Candle
This lovely cubed jewel was created by Lolita’s Candle Co. The hand poured soy candle has a light English lavender scent and was designed to provide an inspiring, aesthetic lift to one’s space.
Natural Candles:
Natural candles are low on the chemical and toxicity scale, which is their biggest win! Good natural candle wax options include: soy, coconut, beeswax, and vegetable wax. Here are more benefits of buying and burning natural candles:
Shell Candle
If you love all things water & ocean, you’ll enjoy the company of this aqua blue, seashell candle. The toxin-free, soy candle can add a relaxing element to your space.
Longer Burn Time: According to Willow and Sage, most natural waxes have a lower melting point, which means that they often burn about 50% longer than traditional waxes.
Less Soot: Natural candles release half as much soot as candles made from paraffin. This is great on both the health and home front. Black candle soot can discolor your furniture, walls, and decor.
They Are Eco-Friendly: Natural wax is often a renewable, sustainable, and biodegradable source. It’s better for the environment and also often easier to clean, especially when you want to re-use the containers that the candles come in. Soy burns evenly, leaving practically no additional wax on the sides of the jar.
Stronger Aromas: You can thank the strong, clean aroma of soy candles to the lower melting point of it’s wax. The scents are more fragrant than traditional paraffin candles. According to Blank Clothing, “there is a larger amount of the liquid wax pool around the candle wick itself. This pool is where the essential oils evaporate into the atmosphere.”
They’re often made by small businesses! Natural candles are often crafted by mom and pop candlemakers, which means you’re supporting the local artists when you buy them. This includes when you buy from Mommafied! All of our candles are natural and sourced from small, women owned businesses. Check out our candle selection at: www.mommafied.com/shop
You Are A Goddess
You and your family deserve the best! That includes having a cozy, toxic-free home and clean candle burning experience. All of the candles in our Mommafied Wellness Shop are natural & non-toxic, sourced from small, women owned businesses. Check out our full candle selection at: www.mommafied.com/shop. It includes this beautiful, body positive candle by Lolita’s Candle Co.
Thanks for reading! For more tips, resources, and good energy for busy moms who want to lead healthier lives: Follow us at @getmommafied on Instagram, and subscribe to our bimonthly Mommafied Note.
Additional article sources : Live Strong, Healthline 1, Healthline 2