Candles are an amazing way to bring beautiful scents into your home to bring back memories and envelop your senses. And you want those candles to fill a room with goodness and not soot & smoke. So how do you know if your candles are affecting your indoor air quality?

Let’s talk about what happens to a candle when it’s burned and the impact on your indoor air.

Where does candle wax go when it’s burned?

Whenever you light a candle, it undergoes a chemical reaction called combustion. This is when the candle wax breaks apart and mixes with oxygen to create carbon dioxide and water vapor.

The byproducts are then released into the surrounding air along with heat and light energy.

But not all of the wax in your candle will change to carbon dioxide and water vapor. Whenever you see soot or black residue on the candle wick or on surrounding surfaces, that’s unburned carbon molecules from the wax.

Do candles made from synthetic waxes release chemicals into the air?

Yes. Synthetic candles are typically made from petroleum-based waxes that can release VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs include toluene, benzene, and formaldehyde.

The amount of indoor air pollution from VOCs will depend on:

• Type and quality of the candle
• Ventilation of the room
• Duration and frequency of candle burning

Do candles made from natural waxes release chemicals into the air?

Yes. BUT natural candle waxes release only natural byproducts (carbon dioxide and water vapor) when burned. 

Since natural candles use natural waxes like soy, hemp, and beeswax, there are no chemicals that get released into your indoor air.

But it’s still important to have proper ventilation and candle care to help your indoor air quality.

Are Soy Delicious candles bad for indoor air quality?

No, Soy Delicious candles aren’t bad for indoor air quality. 

We craft our candles using only natural waxes, cotton wicks, and scents free of synthetics and dyes. So when you burn a Soy Delicious candle, it only releases natural byproducts (carbon dioxide and water vapor). 

Our goal at Soy Delicious is to give you a luxurious candle experience using human-safe and environmentally friendly ingredients.

How can minimize air pollution in my home from candles?

There are several ways you can keep your indoor air cleaner when burning candles.

• Use candles made from natural materials – natural candle waxes like coconut or soy release fewer compounds into the air and mainly release natural byproducts.
• Look for candles marked “clean-burning” or “low VOC” – these candles are made to release fewer chemicals into the air.
• Make sure you have proper room ventilation – good air circulation from windows, opened doors, and fans will help keep your indoor air cleaner.
• Don’t forget to trim your candle wick – a properly trimmed wick will keep your candle from sooting or putting off smoke.
• Limit how long you burn your candle – be mindful of how long and how frequently you burn your candles to reduce the compounds released into the air (this is less of an issue with natural candles).

Use our candle care tips to keep your candle burning clean and long!

To help keep your candles in the best condition, we have several tips you can follow. Check out Candle Care 101 and How To Store Your Candles To Get Long-Lasting Fragrance & Quality.

All of our candles are personally crafted using eco-friendly, natural materials that have a long, clean burn of up to 70 hours. And because our candles use natural waxes, you can use the melted candle wax as a skin moisturizer.

Every light of our cotton wick will envelop your senses with skillfully layered scents that feel luxurious.

Soy Delicious Candles truly are love at first light… which one will you choose?