| Before the advent of electricity, candles were used | | | | |
| primarily for illumination. Light served as a symbol of | | | | The Good News ... |
| the good and the beautiful -especially in times of | | | | |
| emotional and spiritual darkness- and the way in which | | | | The good news is there are ways to enjoy burning |
| human beings relate to light is emotional, almost | | | | candles without routinely exposing yourself to harmful |
| sensual. | | | | toxins. Here's how you can avoid the problem: |
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| Today, candles are used mainly for their aesthetic | | | | 1. Ensure any new candles you buy don't have lead in |
| value and scent, to set a soft, warm, or romantic | | | | the wicks. Look for "lead-free" or "coreless |
| ambiance, and for emergency lighting during electrical | | | | clean-burning" labels on them. If you're not sure, you |
| power failures. Scented candles are often used as a | | | | can perform a simple test by rubbing the tip of the |
| vehicle for aromatherapy. | | | | wick on a piece of paper. If it leaves a gray mark like |
| | | | | a pencil, the wick contains lead |
| No matter how you slice it, candles are BIG business. | | | | |
| Here are some interesting and "illuminating" statistics: | | | | 2. Buy candles made with 100% Beeswax or 100% |
| | | | | Vegetable Wax. Because these waxes are more |
| * Candles are used in 7 out of 10 U.S. households | | | | expensive, a lot of manufacturers tend to blend them |
| * A majority of consumers burn candles 1-3 times per | | | | with paraffin. Avoid blended wax candles. Look for |
| week with half of these consumers burning 1-2 | | | | labels indicating they are 100% pure |
| candles at a time | | | | |
| * In 2006, the U.S. market for candles was estimated | | | | 3. To reduce soot no matter what kind of candles you |
| at $2.3 billion | | | | burn, keep wicks trimmed and don't burn candles near |
| * 96% of all candles purchased are bought by women | | | | a draft |
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| The prevalence of candles in our homes is evident. | | | | 4. For aromatherapy candles, buy candles scented |
| The real question is how much do you know about the | | | | with only pure essential oils. Soy candles are best for |
| type of candles you're buying and their potential impact | | | | this purpose as they are clean, slow-burning, and |
| on the quality of indoor air in your home? | | | | long-lasting with superior scent throw (dispersion). Soy |
| | | | | candles in containers can also be melted if placed on |
| Lead Wicks Can Lead to Trouble | | | | an electric warming plate. This eliminates the soot |
| | | | | generating combustion that comes from directly |
| According to a study conducted about 8 years ago by | | | | burning wicks and enables sufficient release of the |
| the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 40% of | | | | aromas. |
| candles on the market still contained lead wires inside | | | | |
| their wicks. This is a startling statistic in light of the fact | | | | © Copyright 2009 Dropwise Essentials |
| that the U.S. candle manufacturing industry voluntarily | | | | |
| agreed to cease production of lead-containing candles | | | | WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR |
| in 1974, once it was shown that burning lead-wick | | | | WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this |
| candles resulted in increased lead concentration in | | | | complete blurb with it: Donya Fahmy, is a green |
| indoor air. | | | | business owner and the creator of Dropwise |
| | | | | Essentials' spa-quality aromatherapy body products |
| A candle with a lead-core wick has been shown to | | | | that help you safely relieve stress, increase vitality, |
| release five times the amount of lead considered | | | | improve confidence, or simply manage your emotional |
| hazardous for children and exceeds EPA pollution | | | | state any time or place without popping a pill. For more |
| standards for outdoor air. | | | | free tips and valuable information visit and subscribe to |
| | | | | the Dropwise Health & Beauty News Ezine or |
| Lead, along with other metals like Zinc, is used to | | | | blog feed. |
| stiffen the wicks of candles so they remain straight | | | | |
| when the surrounding wax begins to melt. The metal | | | | Dropwise Essentials is a San Francisco-based |
| prevents the wick from falling over and extinguishing | | | | manufacturer of pure aromatherapy and organic |
| itself as soon as the wax no longer supports it. | | | | plant-based personal care products that give people a |
| Although Zinc is considered to be far less toxic than | | | | safe and effective way to relieve stress, increase |
| lead, very little is known about the long-term effects of | | | | vitality, improve confidence, or manage their emotional |
| breathing zinc in the form of dust or fumes released | | | | state any time or place without popping a pill. Our |
| from burning it. | | | | products are: |
| | | | | |
| The Soot That's All Around | | | | * Free of synthetic chemicals and petroleum |
| | | | | ingredients |
| Another problem inherent in burning candles with lead | | | | * Made with high quality certified organic oils and pure |
| wicks (especially those made with paraffin wax -a | | | | essential oils sourced from around the world |
| petroleum by-product) is a phenomenon called Black | | | | * Packaged in re-usable or recyclable materials |
| Soot Deposition. It's now believed that frequent | | | | * Hand-made locally in northern California |
| candle-burning is one of the sources of black soot in | | | | |
| the home. The amount of soot produced can vary | | | | Dropwise Essentials was founded by Donya Fahmy, a |
| greatly from candle to candle. One type of candle can | | | | writer, producer, and consultant whose avid interest in |
| produce as much as 100 times more soot than | | | | the curative powers of aromatherapy and herbs |
| another type. The type of soot may also vary. Though | | | | ultimately led her to design and create the seven |
| primarily composed of elemental carbon, candle soot | | | | products and seventeen unique essential oil blends that |
| may include phthalates, lead, and other toxic ingredients | | | | make up the current Dropwise product line. She has |
| such as benzene and tuolene. | | | | studied aromatherapy with Carol Schiller --a successful |
| | | | | author of several aromatherapy books-- and with Dr. |
| When soot is airborne, it can be inhaled. The particles | | | | Daniel Penoel --a renowned expert in the field of |
| can potentially penetrate the deepest areas of the | | | | medical aromatherapy. |
| lungs and the lower respiratory tract causing | | | | |
| respiratory problems and aggravating existing asthma, | | | | Dropwise Essentials is a proud member of the Indie |
| lung, or heart conditions. If left unchecked, soot from | | | | Beauty Network (formerly the Handmade Beauty |
| regular burning of paraffin candles can also cause | | | | Network), the Green America Business Network |
| significant damage to the inside of your house, your | | | | (formerly Co-op America), Green Product Alliance, |
| computers, electrical appliances, and ductwork. | | | | Natural Ingredient Resource Center, and a Friend of |
| | | | | PETA. We were among the first companies to join |
| Synthetically scented candles are believed to be a | | | | the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics by signing their |
| major source of soot because the chemicals used in | | | | Compact for Safe Cosmetics - which simply |
| "fragrance" oils tend to soften the wax, increasing the | | | | formalizes our existing commitment to formulate |
| need to add metals to the wicks to stiffen them. They | | | | products free of known or potentially toxic ingredients. |
| are also likely the main source of phthalates in soot. | | | | |