Do Yankee Candles Have Toxins

If you love lighting scented candles but have fears about dangerous substances being released from them, you might have asked yourself, do Yankee Candles have toxins? Yankee Candles are extremely popular due to their high quality ingredients, bright colors, and strong scents, but many customers are concerned after reading published reports about candle toxins.

Do lit candles emit toxins?

We all know that candles are made from wax, but there are many types of wax used in candle making. These include:

• Paraffin wax (basic or refined)
• Soy wax
• Beeswax
• Polyethylene wax
• Bayberry wax

Paraffin wax is a byproduct of petroleum production, which has been bleached and blended with more chemicals to make it white and hard. Refining the wax helps in removing some of the toxic properties, but the base materials in paraffin are still present. Most commercial candles use refined paraffin wax, which is certified food grade wax that burns more slowly and produces less smoke and soot than unrefined wax. Yankee Candles are made from food grade paraffin wax.

Other ingredients that go into candles are dyes and scent oils. These can range from completely synthetic to entirely natural, and most high quality commercial candles use a combination of both. According to the Yankee Candle website, they use a combination of "fragrance extracts and real essential oils."

Candles also use wicks to keep them burning. Wicks are made from cotton fibers, which are wrapped around a core made from paper, zinc, or cotton yarn. Years ago, lead was used in candle wicks, but due to safety concerns this practice is no longer in use in Europe, Australia, and North America. Yankee Candles do not have leaded wicks. But do Yankee Candles have toxins?

The media has been buzzing with reports of harmful toxins in all kinds of household products, including scented candles. The culprits, they claim, are paraffin wax, burning fragrance oils, and leaded wicks.

There is definitely a danger in using wicks that contain lead. The other two suspect ingredients are more difficult to pinpoint. Burning paraffin wax can give off chemical toxins, including benzene and toluene. The sooty residue left after burning a candle also contains toxins, and can cause considerable damage to walls, furniture, and ceilings. Essential oils, when burned, can emit toxins as well.

Here is the tricky part. Since candle companies aren't required to list the exact ingredients used in their products, it's impossible to tell what toxins may or may not be in a Yankee Candle. The quality of the wax, the exact fragrance oils, and the breakdown of elements in the wick are all essential to know just what toxins would be released into the air when a candle is burned.

The wicks do not contain lead, so there are no toxins there. Assuming that Yankee Candles use refined paraffin wax, speculation suggests many toxins are processed out of the base. But there's no way to rule out toxic chemicals completely without running extensive lab tests on the emissions from each candle type.

If you're concerned about scented candles and the possibility of toxins, there are ways to reduce soot and improve air quality in your home without completely giving up your candles.

• Only burn one candle at a time.
• Make sure your wick is trimmed each time you light your candle.
• Do not burn any candle for more than three or four hours at a time.
• Use a cover, lid, or store new or cooled candles in airtight containers to keep them free of dust and other airborne particles.
• Only buy good quality candles made in North America, Central Europe, or Australia. Cheap, poor quality candles could potentially have lead wicks, low quality wax, and synthetic colors and fragrances.

Also keep in mind that soy candles are not petroleum based and create much less soot than their paraffin counterparts. Candles made from 100% natural beeswax are toxin-free.

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