The Best Non Toxic Candles

Cozy season is here and you know what that means: CANDLE TIME! And this year you want clean candles to burn in your home. 

What are non toxic candles?

Over the past few years, consumers have become more aware of the types of ingredients in their home products. Many people are buying eco-friendly cleaners, bath and body products, and clean burning candles. While there isn't a single definition of what makes a clean candle or non toxic candle, we have some ideas. 

• A non toxic candle should be made with a plant-based, vegan wax. Stay away from candles that are made with paraffin wax, which is a petroleum byproduct that is bad for you and bad for the environment. Avoid candles that are made with a wax blend because most blends contain paraffin wax. At Effing Candle Co. we use a clean burning vegan wax made from apricot coconut creme. This wax is much more expensive than paraffin wax. Paraffin wax can cost $2.10/lb while our apricot coconut creme wax costs $4.45/lb. We think the cost is worth it to create an ethically made candle. 
• A clean candle should disclose that their fragrances are cruelty free (all of our non toxic candles are made with cruelty-free fragrances) and the fragrances should be paraben free and phthalate free (ours are). Many people feel strongly about the use of essential oils in candles instead of fragrance oils, but we choose blends of essential and fragrance oils in our candles  because the fragrance throw is better and it helps control costs. 
• A non toxic candle should be made with a clean burning wick. We use FSC-Certified wooden wicks that burn clean and make a cozy crackling noise when they're burning. Our wooden wicks are ethically sourced and sustainably made. We chose wooden wicks over cotton wicks because cotton wicks can be made with cotton that has been covered in pesticides.
• Last, but not least, a non-toxic candle should be made by employees that are paid a living wage. Many candles from big box stores are mass produced in factories overseas and in the US and employees are not paid a living wage or offered benefits. We are proud to pay our employees a minimum of $18/hour and offer a full benefits package to our full-time employees.