Healthy, Natural Candles

I’m a candle fanatic. Absolutely love having a burning candle near me when I’m home (even though nearly all my furniture is very modern and made from big, heavy wood so I’m always a smidgen nervous!). A lot of people don’t realize however that traditional paraffin candles are one of the major sources of indoor air pollution and release choking toxins and black soot upon burning. When released into the air we breathe, these pollutants are as harmful to our health as second-hand tobacco smoke. Luckily there are some wonderfully natural and 100% SAFE candles. Check-out some of the finds below!

Hillhouse Naturals started off as a family business selling to local markets, so the line’s got that authenticity and pureness to it. Their candles are long-lasting, smell wonderful, and given how they’re packaged are a relatively good price at $24.50 for an 8oz candle. Their Living Green Collection is particularly noteworthy because it’s made from 100% natural soy wax blends (soy wax is biodegradable, non-toxic, environmentally-friendly. It’s also less likely to trigger allergies). The collection is also fragranced with plant-derived essential oils (plus wind power was used to create the packaging!). More after the jump!

Aetó Botanica Wellness Candle ($36) I love the frosted glass jar this one comes in! Plus it has a sealing lid to lock-in the fragrance (so it not only burns longer than traditional paraffin candles, it smells longer too), and it’s made from purely botanical ingredients from local farmers and tribes that cultivate through sustainable resources. The candle is totally paraben and sulfate free, eco-friendly, biodegradable, and has recyclable content and packaging.

I’m all about Verikira’s diffusers and their amazing shower steamers, so I’m not surprised that they’ve got a great selection of candles. They’re made with 100% soy wax (from homegrown soybeans to support America’s farmers), cotton core wicks, and scented with all-natural 100% undiluted essential oils. These candles burn exceptionally long.

Frugal Snobs will love Sweet Grass Farm’s Soy Wax Candle  Priced at only $9.95 per 8oz candle, they come in 13 fragrances, are made of 100% soy wax, burn soot-free and up to 40% longer than traditional petroleum-based candles. The scent doesn’t last as long as the other three and the candles don’t come in a box for easy gift-giving, but the price — given the quality of the ingredients — is pretty hard to beat.