Candle Wicks And Health

The purpose of a wick is to draw wax to fuel the flame of a candle. Various types of wick are used for different purposes in candle making. They can be divided into two main categories: cored and non-cored wicks.

Non-cored wicks are generally made of a braided or twisted plant fiber (most commonly cotton). These wicks are considered to be the safest to burn.

Cored wicks are usually cotton around a paper or metal core. The extra rigidity of the wicks is needed in candles that melt so that the wick is not supported (some container candles, for example). Metal-cored wicks also burn at a higher temperature than pure cotton wicks, which is advantageous with some wax blends that have a high melt temperature. Zinc, tin and lead are the metals used in candle wicking.

Burning candles with lead-cored wicks is now known to cause lead poisoning, and there are concerns about zinc-cored wicks as well. In 1974, the National Candle Association of the U.S. voluntarily stopped using lead-cored wicks because of the health risks associated with lead in the air and deposited on surfaces in the home. Unfortunately, many countries outside of North America still produce candles using dangerous wicks.

In 2000, the Public Citizen's Health Research Group published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that indicated that candles with wicks containing lead were available at 12 different stores in the Washington-Baltimore area. Testing showed that the candle containing the least lead would, during three hours of burning time, produce enough air lead concentration so that a normally active six-year old would exceed the recommended daily lead limit for children in 45 minutes. The authors of the study concluded that there is no reliable method to distinguish lead-containing wicks from other metal-cored wicks.

Other issues that affect how cleanly a candle burns are the type of wax it is made of, and how it is burned. A candle burned in a draft with a smokey, guttering flame will be emitting particulate matter into the air no matter what the wick material is. A wick that is too large for a particular candle will also flare and burn less cleanly than a properly-sized wick.

If you like a candle that has a metal-cored wick, ask the seller or manufacturer what type of metal is in the wick. If they can't or won't tell you, for safety's sake, please choose another candle.

Colors and Scents

Candles often contain additives which change their color, scent, or burning characteristics. While these chemicals can make your candles look and smell nice, they can also release toxins into your house when they are burned.

Scents

Beeswax and bayberry wax are two naturally scented waxes, beeswax offering the sweet smell of honey and bayberry a spicy, fresh aroma.

Scents added to wax vary in their source and composition. Originally, perfumes came from animal and vegetable sources. In the late 1800s the first synthetic fragrances were produced, and were quickly adopted as a cheaper source of aromas.

The American Lung Association says: "Refrain from burning scented or slow-burning candles that have additives."Fragrance oils, also known as "FO's", are specially made for particular uses such as scenting candles, soaps and cosmetics, or potpourris. They are usually synthetic (man made combinations of chemicals). Exact formulas for fragrances fall under the trade secrets act in the U.S., but manufacturers of the oils will normally be able to produce a Materials Safety Data Sheet which will cover the physical characteristics of the oil, physical or health hazards, and first aid treatment in case of an accident. Candle scents contain stabilizers and fixatives which allow the oils to mix with wax and give off an aroma when heated.

Essential oils, or "EO's", are naturally-occurring oils that are extracted mainly from botanical sources. They are usually more expensive than synthetic fragrances, and may not blend well with candle wax. They are more volatile than synthetics and most of them are difficult to use in candles unless they have added stabilizers or fixatives.

Nature-identical scents are man-made copies of natural oils, using the same chemicals in combination to imitate particular scents. They are usually sold as fragrance oils.

Colors

There are two types of coloring agents for wax, pigments and dyes. Pigments are concentrated colors not usually used in the interior of candles because their granularity can clog the wick. They are used to dip the exterior of candles for a deeper color than can be achieved with dyes. Oil-soluble aniline (coal tar) dyes have the ability to color a candle through and through. The safety of colors used in candles depends largely on the particular colors used. Manufacturers provide material safety data sheets on dyes and pigments, but to do effective research, you will need to know both the manufacturer and the particular color or colors used in a candle.

Other Additives

Stearic acid is was once the only additive available for paraffin candles and is derived from either animal fat or palm oil. It is now often replaced with Vybar, a polymer which raises the melting point of paraffin, allows scents and colors to blend evenly in the wax, and gives the paraffin some of the qualities of more expensive waxes, allowing candle makers to charge more for a relatively cheap candle.

Microcrystallines are a group of substances derived from petroleum that are added to candles to change the texture of the wax, add gloss, increase opacity, etc.

Polyethylenes are produced from natural gas (or by "cracking" petroleum naptha). They add gloss, luster, or clear crystals to wax.

Other common additives are uv inhibitors, release agents, and softeners (vegetable-, mineral- or animal-derived oils).

Are candle additives safe?

The American Lung Association says: "Refrain from burning scented or slow-burning candles that have additives." They suggest burning beeswax candles instead of scented or slow-burning candles with metal in the wick, or candles that are greasy to the touch.

How to choose healthy candles

Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking for healthy candles:

• Buy candles from trusted countries. Imported candles often come from countries where they use chemicals no longer used in North America because of health concerns.
• Ask what the wick is made of. If your vendor can't tell you, don't buy it. Cotton or hemp wicks are considered to be the safest.
• Choose candles made from beeswax or soy wax. Avoid paraffin.
• Be aware that many candle manufacturers make claims for their candles or waxes that can't be substantiated, or are untrue. Candles produce both negative *and* positive ions, for example. No candle is "soot-free", because combustion causes soot (however, beeswax and soy wax don't produce sticky, black, petroleum-based soot).

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