Aug 11
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Are Aromatherapy Candles & Essential Oil Candles The Same?
Very often when candle companies label something as all natural, in actuality, these products are anything but natural. There is not much regulation on the world natural. Many of these “natural” candles contain artificial chemicals, fragrances or led wicks.
Comparing aromatherapy candles and essential oil candles.
One thing you should know about aromatherapy candles is that they are NOT necessarily essential oil candles. Many people consider these terms to be interchangeable. To be clear, essential oil candles are always aromatherapy candles, but aromatherapy candles are not always essential oil candles.
The definition of aromatherapy is as follows: the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic purposes. It’s as simple as that, and there are many forms of aromatherapy, but all of them necessitate the use of essential oils. If essential oils are not present, then it cannot be considered aromatherapy as it has been defined.
What you should look for in essential oil candles & aromatherapy candles.
The most important and most obvious thing to look for when shopping for aromatherapy candles is to make sure essential oils are used. Furthermore, make sure that ONLY essential oils are used and that no artificial fragrances are added. Perfume fragrances can nullify the effectiveness of the essential oils.
Just as important as find aromatherapy candles with pure, therapeutic grade essential oil is finding the right type of wax as a carrier. Soy wax burns completely cleanly, does not emit carbon based soot and it odorless when burned. For these reasons, soy wax is the best option for aromatherapy candles.
Using essential oil candles with paraffin is a bit like buying organic produce and spraying on a nice, thick coating of pesticides before eating your healthy piece of fruit. It just doesn’t make sense. Paraffin is a byproduct of petroleum and emits harmful petro-carbon soot when burned that can nullify the healthy effective of the essential oils.
Pure soy wax or soy wax blend?
It is very important to check and make sure that the soy wax is pure soy wax and contains only soy wax. Many companies will advertise “made with pure soy wax,” which simply means that there’s pure soy wax in the candle. The rest could be paraffin, but the point is, you really don’t know. Make sure the label is very specific. If it’s not, contact the candle company and make sure they use only pure soy wax.
I’d like to point out that all soy wax blends are not necessarily bad for you. Many companies add natural botanical oils to prevent blooming, which is when the natural oils in soy wax rise to the surface and cause a white, frosted appearance. If you don’t mind the blooming, buy pure soy wax. This does not affect the way the candle burns in any way.
If you are concerned with appearance, make sure only natural additives are used like palm oil or vegetable stearic acid. Be careful that paraffin is not used in the soy wax blend. Contacting the manufacturer is the easiest way to find out exactly what’s in the candle.
Does the type of wick matter?
This is one that most people over look. It’s also very difficult to tell what type of wick is used since it rarely says anywhere on the label. That being said, you should also use a cotton wick. Paper wicks and wicks with metal cores will affect the aroma of the essential oils.
In the end
When all is said and done, your aromatherapy candles should contain ONLY essential oils and soy wax or a natural soy wax blend. If the candle doesn’t contain essential oils, it’s not an aromatherapy candle. If the candle contains paraffin then it’s not truly natural.
Form more information about handmade candles, essential oils, aromatherapy soy candles and plenty of other natural candle products, stop by Promethean Candle Boutique’s online candle shop and knowledge resource.