Know What's In Your Candles!

I made a post recently on Instagram that talked about how I'm a firm believer of knowing what's in your products. I can't tell you how many times I'll grab something off the shelf, read the back of the label to see what the ingredients are, & put it back because one or several of the ingredients is something that I know isn't good for my body. I've been this way almost all of my adult life, and I've kept that same energy when it comes to my business. This month, I'm making it a priority to share with you guys what's in my candles so that you can know, research (if you choose :)) and trust that you're getting an amazing product that isn't harmful to your health.
Let's start with the 3 main components of a candle - the wax, the wick, and the fragrance oil. 

Wax
Most of you already know that I only use 100% soy wax in all of our candles. Soy wax is a vegetable wax made from the soybean. Once it reaches between 120-180 degrees, it melts.This wax is special because it's all natural and leaves minimal to no soot aka "black stuff" around your candle rim or on your walls...as I've seen mass manufactured candles perform. Soy wax is also better for those with allergies. Some have been known to get headaches when a candle is paraffin candle is lit, but that's not the case with soy candles. 

Wick
Each of the wicks that I use are also all natural - the series can vary based upon the vessel and the scent, but you can know that you're always getting either a hemp or cotton wick. This is important because it allows your candles to burn longer & slower, have no chemicals, and again produce less soot. To secure the wick, I use a wick sticker which is an adhesive that ensures the wick stays securely in place. 

Fragrance Oil
Not all fragrance oils are created equal....just as some waxes can be harmful, certain fragrance oils can be also. When shopping for oils, I always look for ones that are Phthalate free. This was heavily used in fragrance oils in the past because they were effective and inexpensive, and many still use them. It's a chemical that's commonly used in making plastics to make them more flexible and durable, cleaning products, building materials, and a few other materials. Overall, it's just not something you'd want to breathe in for hours upon hours. Because I know that many of my customers do tend to burn their candles for at least 4-5 hours, I make sure to choose fragrances that do not carry this harmful chemical. 

I hope this has helped to give you more information about your candles and the knowledge to now research some of the other candles you may have in your home to make sure that they aren't harming you or anyone else, and if you do still choose to burn those candles, just be sure to limit the amount of exposure by burning for less hours until you can comfortably part ways with it!

XoXo,
Tierra

*This blog post was originally posted 5/6/21. The featured image updated 7/11/22