Candles and the environment: the good, the bad, the ugly. (How to make the right choice)

Here at Halcyon Naturals, we love candles. Of course. They’re beautiful to burn. They’re relaxing, soothing, calming, and they can transport us to new places through their magical scents.

But as much as we love them and shout about them from the rooftops, we think it’s important to note that not all candles are made equal. 

Many off-the-shelf options are actually causing more harm than good to the environment. 

We know you want to make better choices with your shopping habits, but we also know it can be confusing as a consumer to know what’s sustainable and eco-friendly, and what’s not. The good news is if you choose the right candles, there can be very minimal environmental impact and benefits (not hindrances) for your health.

Let us clear the air.

What is it that makes some candles bad for the planet?

The ingredient list for candles is the first place to go when you’re unsure whether it’s a good or bad choice. 

Many mass-produced, cheap candles are made from unnatural products and use synthetic scents that can be toxic to the environment for many reasons, from fuels to unnecessary waste. 

Paraffin wax is a petroleum by-product of crude oil and there have been some studies that suggest that the toxins it releases into the air when burned, like toluene, can be harmful to our health over time. Fossil fuels like petroleum are non-renewable resources causing major issues when it comes to climate change, so if you’re buying paraffin based candles, you’re indirectly supporting the oil industry, one of the least eco-friendly industries in the world (and we know you don’t want that!).

Palm wax is another environmentally hazardous ingredient. Although it’s a natural and renewable resource, palm oil has increasingly made headlines for it’s unsustainable farming and devastating effects on wildlife and biodiversity due to deforestation. Although palm wax has regulatory systems in place to assure consumers of it’s sustainable sourcing, sadly, it’s extremely difficult to know whether this information is in fact true. You’re better off avoiding it all together!

How about soy or beeswax? Both of these options are much better for the environment, but still in some cases can come with negative effects. Mass soy producers tend to use GMOs and pesticides to make their crops yield more, and faster, while many local farmers struggle to produce large amounts of beeswax, meaning larger factories end up over working and under feeding our precious bees to meet demand. 

Another factor to consider is the packaging that your candle comes in. Many candle companies (or larger chains that sell cheap candles) don’t use recycled or recyclable materials for their packaging, meaning unnecessary waste ends up in the dreaded landfill. Yes, many candles will come in glass jars, but their outer packaging is the biggest problem. 

We all know the negative effects of single use plastic now, but household decor like candles aren’t always the top of the list for checking their plastic content, so this is one to think about next time you’re shopping!

But what about fragrance? Synthetic fragrances also play their part when it comes to environmental damage from candles. As much as we love to enjoy a candle with a beautiful scent, if it’s not pure organic essential oils, it can be causing more harm than its beauty is worth. 

Synthetic scents can include nasty parabens and phthalates which when burned, are released into the atmosphere (and into your home) adding to the greenhouse gases affecting climate change. When choosing a candle, opt for one that doesn’t include chemical scents and limit the amount of time you burn them at any one time. 

So what about Halcyon Naturals candles, are we safe for the environment?

As you can tell from our products (we hope!), we’re not in favour of any of these practices. We believe in looking after our planet and you, so our candles, room mists and diffusers are formulated with that in mind.

Each of our hand poured candles are made from 100% vegan and sustainable ingredients — that’s no GMOs, no toxic parabens and absolutely nothing artificial — so you can relax without worry, knowing you’re doing no harm when burning our candles in your home. How could we lift your mood and relax your space if we were using horrid chemicals? We couldn’t. That’s why only the finest, pure essential oils and vegan-friendly wax will do.

Each of our candles comes in recyclable cardboard packaging and a recyclable glass jar that can be reused once your candle is burned down. Pen pots, flower pots, key storage, fairy light containers… The options are endless! 

But if you don’t fancy repurposing your jar once used, we’ll take it back. If you send us 4 used and cleaned jars of the same size (labels intact), we’ll send you a brand new candle in that size to say thank you! Just get in touch with us for the sending address and we’ll do the rest.

Fancy giving our candles a try?

With our exclusive subscription boxes, you’ll be sent a different classic candle in our scent of the month each month plus an exclusive wellness gift! This month, it’s Family, a blend of lavender, ylang ylang and palmarosa pure essential oils. Use code 1STBOX for 10% off your first order!

Already a loving owner of our candles? Tag us in your best photos @HalyconNaturalsUK, we love to see them! And thank you, from us, for choosing sustainable.