Best nontoxic candles

Over the years, there's been a movement away from toxic ingredients, especially in beauty and home goods. When we started Effing Candle Co. we knew we wanted to make the cleanest candle possible while using the best ingredients available. 

Our candles are made with all-natural coconut apricot creme wax, fine fragrance and essential oils, and crackling wooden wicks that are made from FSC-Certified wood. We do not use adhesive dots in our candles because we happen to think that breathing in heated up glue does not align with nontoxic candle life (call us crazy!) 

When you burn candles from Effing Candle Co., you're getting the best nontoxic candles with cheeky labels. Our ingredients are serious, but our vibe certainly is not. It's the best of both worlds, really! 

What candle ingredients are bad? 

If you're looking for the best nontoxic candles, the first ingredient you need to be on the lookout for is paraffin. Paraffin is a flammable, soft, colourless, waxy solid derived from petroleum - which is harmful to the environment and potentially your health - and before the petroleum can be made into wax, it must be deodorized and chemically bleached. When paraffin wax is burned, it releases toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including benzene and toluene which are known carcinogens.

Something important to note: There is no law stating businesses need to reveal the wax source OR the percentage of wax in a blend (yikes!). It’s up to consumers to be knowledgeable enough to choose a natural wax candle such as beeswax, soy, or coconut based candle waxes. If a candle does not say what wax it is made from, or it says it’s a “blend” of wax, you should assume that it contains paraffin.

Best nontoxic candles - wax

There are SO many different types of wax out there. Here are ones we tried and why we didn't choose them for our candles.

• Soy - Is soy wax safe? That depends on your definition. Soy wax is made by the full hydrogenation of soybean oil, which comes from soybeans. Sounds safe enough, right? Maybe. We don't love the way soy is farmed in our country. Soybean farmers have increased the use of fertilizer, fungicides, insecticides, and precision agriculture technology over time. In addition, researchers found genetically engineered seed was planted on almost all soybean farms from at least 2006 onward. What this tells us is that soybean farming is getting a bit more chemical-y over the years, which might not mean much to you in terms of the candle you're buying, but it does impact the environment. In terms of performance, we did not choose soy wax because its fragrance throw was unimpressive and aesthetically, the pock marks made the candles feel cheap.  
• Beeswax - If you're looking for vegan candles, beeswax candles are off the table for most vegans. We knew we wanted our candles to be vegan, so we didn't test this wax, but we wanted to note that it is available as a form of candle wax that does not contain paraffin.
• Coconut apricot creme wax. This is the wax we use and we chose it because it's sustainably sourced, eco-friendly, and consistently exceeds our expectations. It burns slowly, has an incredibly hot fragrance throw (a bit more mild on the cold throw), never tunnels when cared for properly, and has a smooth, even burn from start to finish. 

Best nontoxic candles - candle fragrances

When it comes to candle fragrances, you're going to find two different types: essential oils and synthetic fragrance oils. At Effing Candle Co., we use a mixture of them to give you the best fragrance throw while using the least amount of natural resources. 

Some people will only burn candles made with essential oils because they think they're cleaner. Fragrance oils are intended to be burned, and so are generally better than essential oils creating an aroma while it is burning in a candle. Fragrance oils make it possible to create candles and other products with aromas you could not achieve with essential oils and require fewer natural resources. For example, it takes around 10,000 pounds of rose petals to produce just one pound of rose essential oil. 

Best nontoxic candles - wicks

Lastly, when choosing the best nontoxic candle, you'll want to evaluate the type of wick used. Cotton wicks used to contain lead, but they were banned in 2003 thanks to the consumer protections agency. However, cotton wicks are made from cotton and cotton crops use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and defoliants.

We use FSC-Certified wooden wicks. They crackle. They're clean. They're sustainably sourced from fallen fruit trees, and for ever 100 wicks we purchase, our supplier plants a tree. 

We hope this information is helpful in choosing the best nontoxic candles. Ready to find your new favorite one? Shop the best nontoxic candles now.