Eco Safe Candles

One thing I've always loved and can't get enough of are candles. For the new apartment I would love to have a variety of colors and scents for our home. I feel that these additions create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. One catch, candles can be unhealthy.

"Candle soot can cause indoor air pollution. Make sure you don’t burn candles with metal wicks and be aware that aromatherapy candles can cause serious soot problems but for health and for objects such as computers. Some mistakenly think that the soot they are getting from their candls is coming from their furnace."
-A Guide to Eco Friendly Candles

Some ways from Annie B. Bond and her daughter to make your candles safer:

1. One of the highest goals of making your own less-toxic candles is to make them free of petroleum products, such as paraffin and synthetic fragrance.

2. You can now buy vegetable wax (usually soy) in craft stores such as Michaels. One brand offers microwaveable soy wax and the process was very, very easy. No fuss, no mess.

3. Beeswax is another pure wax choice, although expensive. I personally just love the smell of pure beeswax candles, and we make candles with 100 percent of this wax for very special occasions. Beeswax needs to be melted in a double boiler.

4. For myself, I prefer unscented candles, but my daughter is looking to add scent to her candles, and many of you might like aromatherapy.

We used only perfectly pure essential oils bought at natural food stores, and only about 5 drops for 2 cups of dried wax flakes. Add the essential oils after the wax has melted and has been removed from the heat source. Stir thoroughly.

Many so-called aromatherapy candles are very soft due to overuse of fragrance, and often these candles cause serious problems with candle soot. Making your own helps you control how much fragrance/essential oil you include.

5. Use wicks without lead. We chose wicks without any metal inside, but there are now lead-free wicks available in craft stores. Wanting to be safe not sorry, we bought metal-free wicks. They have been fine.

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Also

Pure beeswax and vegetable-oil-based candles are the healthiest
choices for us and for the environment. We have a range of helpful
information about candles on Care2, from how to make beeswax
candles yourself, to the dangers of candle soot, to how to safely
remove dripped candle wax, and resources. Here is an index page for
it all:

Tips for Making Safe Candles Yourself: How-to Guide.

Paraffin is a petroleum product, which is not a renewable resource and causes pollution in its production.

Pure beeswax and vegetable oil candles are readily available. Some brands include Beeswax Candles; Pure Light Candles; and Aromatherapy Candles 100% Essential Oil Candles.

-How to make safe candles

For Kevin and I, in the apartment we chose to go with WoodWick Candles. They are a bit on the expensive side, but compared with making an Eco friendly candle or buying a beeswax candle, the price is greatly lower. They have a wooden wick and are made from a soy wax blend. They can be purchased at JcPenney, for a 4x6.87"H. 22-oz. candle, the price is $25; and for a 3¾x4¾". 10-oz. candle, the price is $19. They can be found a few dollars cheaper elsewhere too.

The scents we chose are Lavender and Apple Festival Trilogy, both Large.