Beeswax Candles versus Paraffin Candles

Over 90% of the candles in the world are made with paraffin. Many people may have beautiful candles at home, but how many of them ever think about what actual materials used for making those candles and what they breathe in from burning candle every day? Perhaps they do not aware of the negative sides of paraffin based candles.    

In general, paraffin candles seem cheaper than other natural candles but allowing for other aspects especially health issue, paraffin candles definitely are not a good choice. Paraffin can cause a burning candle emits toxic smoke and dangerous chemicals such as benzene and toluene due to its nature of petroleum byproduct. Most scented and aromatherapy candles are made with the combination of paraffin and artificial fragrance, they also release toxins and soot just like the exhaust of any diesel engine. The polluted air from paraffin is truly dreadful for human consumption, it is even worse for people with asthma or allergies.

beeswax candle

Contrary to paraffin candles, beeswax candles burn cleaner and produce very little soot or smoke. Beeswax is a natural and renewable resource that does not give off any toxin into the air. Therefore, candles made with beeswax are hypo-allergenic and very pleasant for people who are sensitive to harsh chemicals. Another persuasive reason to burn beeswax candles is that they are somehow produce negative ions which are important to purify the air from contaminants, odors and allergens. There is a belief that the negative ions can relieve tension, improve brain alertness and create better mood as well.  

Other advantages of burning beeswax candles over paraffin candles include the burning time as well as the quality. Beeswax, a 100% natural fuel created by bees, has a significantly high melting point. This fact allows it to take longer time to melt and burns much slower than paraffin; it burns almost every drop of wax. As a result, it only costs pennies for an hour burning time and leads to savings in the end. Unlike paraffin, candles made with beeswax do not leave any stains or black residue on the interior walls. Besides, they naturally tend to drip less and release clear bright light. Even though paraffin can be dripless, additional chemicals must be added in.

All in all, beeswax candles have much more competitive benefits than paraffin candles. They are considered as the most environmental friendly alternative among all the candles available in the market. Therefore, I believe that more and more people will replace their traditionally used paraffin candles with beeswax candles, sooner or later. As a matter of fact, not all beeswax candles in the market are made with 100% beeswax. Some of them may contain chemicals as well if not labeled as 100% or pure. Thus, make sure you only buy and use the 100% or pure beeswax candles in order to get all the optimum beeswax benefits.