Not All Candles Are Toxic: Separating Fear from Reality

Candles made with non-toxic ingredients are not toxic. This might sound obvious, but it's a critical distinction that often gets lost in sweeping claims about indoor air quality.

There's a growing wave of concern as we approach candle-buying season about the safety of burning candles indoors, especially within the clean living and toxin-conscious communities. At Soli Deo Gloria Candle Company, we appreciate thoughtful questions and seek to respond with transparency, care, and integrity.

The truth is this: anything that burns will produce emissions, including essential oil candles, beeswax, and even your stovetop. The key differences lie in what is being burned, the concentration of those byproducts, and how well ventilated your space is.

We’ve tested our burning candles in real home environments using a sensitive air quality monitor that measures particulate matter (PM2.5 in micrograms per cubic meter), volatile organic compounds (VOCs as an index score), and other common indoor pollutants. In well-ventilated spaces, like most homes, our candles showed no increase at all in particulate matter and no increase at all in VOC levels even when measured in close proximity to the candle (I'm talking sitting next to it). For example, baseline PM2.5 readings might stay around 5 to 10 µg/m³, and VOC scores remain steady in the good range (0–50), both considered healthy indoor air quality levels when our candles are burning.

To offer a real-life example: With our air quality monitor in the living room (one room over from the kitchen), when we cook bacon, the PM2.5 readings can spike above 75 µg/m³, pushing the air quality index into the unhealthy range, while VOC index scores rise above 150, signaling poor air quality. Even simply using the oven raises PM2.5 to around 30 - 40 µg/m³ and VOCs to the moderate range of about 80 -100. In contrast, burning one of our essential oil infused beeswax candles keeps PM2.5 readings steady below 10 µg/m³ and VOCs unchanged and comfortably below 50, showing no adverse effect on indoor air quality.

We also get questions about simmer pots, those delightful stovetop brews of citrus, herbs, and spices. While they smell wonderful, it's worth noting that they cause noticeable increases in VOC index scores and PM2.5 levels, sometimes reaching VOC levels above 100 and PM2.5 near 20 µg/m³ on our monitors. Natural doesn’t always mean emission free. The heat releases volatile compounds from the ingredients, which register clearly on sensitive monitors. This doesn’t mean they’re harmful, but it helps put things into perspective. Even a simple pot of simmering orange peels and cinnamon can impact indoor air quality more than burning one of our candles.

It’s important to understand that much of the concern circulating online about candles being toxic is based on research conducted on paraffin wax candles, which are petroleum derived and often combined with synthetic fragrances and dyes. These ingredients can produce harmful compounds when burned. On our monitors, paraffin candles cause PM2.5 spikes above 100 µg/m³ and VOC scores climbing to 200 or more, indicating significantly reduced air quality. However, this research doesn’t apply to clean burning alternatives like beeswax candles scented only with essential oils. Unfortunately, that distinction is rarely made clear, which fuels unnecessary fear.

Bake to my point on cooking bacon, besides independent studies, there also emerging research and anecdotal evidence showing that everyday cooking, especially high heat methods like frying, can significantly reduce indoor air quality. In fact, the emissions produced while cooking are often far higher than those produced by burning a single natural candle.

If you're still concerned, we get it, and we have an option for you: our wickless candles. These allow you to enjoy our scents without a flame, using a candle warming lamp or plate. This method produces no combustion byproducts at all and may be ideal for those with respiratory sensitivities, young children, or pets. We personally use our candles around our children and find them safe in normal use, but wickless is a great alternative for extra sensitive households.

In short, while it’s wise to evaluate what you’re breathing, the fear that all candles are inherently toxic is not supported by data, especially when those candles are made with clean, whole ingredients. At Soli Deo Gloria Candle Company, we believe in honoring both health and beauty through thoughtful craftsmanship.

✨ Shop any of our candles and select "No Wick" for a wickless candle option.

Citations:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Candles and Incense as Potential Sources of Indoor Air Pollution. Available at: https://www.epa.gov
• American Lung Association. Household Products and Indoor Air Pollution. Accessed from: https://www.lung.org
• Coggon, D., et al. (2019). "Indoor air pollution from cooking and the risk of respiratory illness." Environmental Health Perspectives.
• Howard-Reed, C., Wallace, L.A., & Ott, W.R. (2003). "The effect of opening windows on air concentrations of VOCs and particles in a newly constructed house." Indoor Air, 13(2), 144–152.
• Singer, B.C., Destaillats, H., Hodgson, A.T., & Nazaroff, W.W. (2006). "Cleaning products and air fresheners: emissions and resulting concentrations of glycol ethers and terpenoids." Indoor Air, 16(3), 179–191.
• Zhu, Y., et al. (2009). "Study on cooking-generated PM2.5 concentrations in home environments." Building and Environment, 44(3), 437–444.