Humans have been drawn to fire for as long as we have existed. Long before electricity, screens, or artificial light, fire meant warmth, safety, gathering, and rest. Sitting near a flame slowed the body, softened attention, and marked the transition from day to night.
Modern research suggests that watching a flame can lower physiological arousal and promote relaxation, likely because fire signals safety and shelter rather than threat when it is contained and controlled. The gentle movement, warm light spectrum, and rhythmic flicker activate a calming response that artificial lighting does not replicate.
Candles are, in many ways, miniature hearths — a small, living flame brought into the home. We light them instinctively during moments of rest, reflection, ritual, and connection because they echo something ancient in us.
But if candles function as small indoor fires, what they are made of matters. The material fuelling that flame determines what is released into the air we breathe and the environment we live within.
This article explores the three most common candle waxes — paraffin, soy, and beeswax — how they are made, what research says about their emissions, and why beeswax often stands out as a cleaner, more sustainable option.
What Is Beeswax?
Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honeybees (Apis spp.) to build honeycomb — the structural backbone of the hive that stores honey, pollen, and larvae. Worker bees secrete microscopic wax flakes, which are chewed and sculpted into hexagonal cells. Beekeepers collect and filter surplus comb during honey harvesting for use in candles, cosmetics, and other products.
Beeswax has been used by humans for thousands of years — ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used it long before modern chemistry existed because it burns cleaner and steadier than animal fats or resinous lamp oils.
How Paraffin and Soy Candles Are Made:
Paraffin Wax
Paraffin wax comes from refining crude oil — it is a by-product of fuel production. After petroleum is processed for gasoline and kerosene, a waxy residue is left, which is filtered, bleached, and solidified for use in candles. Paraffin is inexpensive, which is why many mass-market candles use it.
Multiple studies have documented that burning paraffin candles releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter into indoor air. For example, research compiling indoor sources of fine particulate matter reports that candle burning can emit ultrafine particles at high rates (up to ~5.3×10¹³ particles/hour in some household measurements) and contribute significantly to indoor exposures. NCBI
Another peer-reviewed analysis of indoor emissions from decorative candles found that smoke from candle combustion contains VOCs such as benzene, toluene, xylene, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, and that candle smoke can include carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). ScienceDirect
A study on scented candle impacts showed that burning scented candles can raise indoor particulate matter (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀) concentrations well above typical air quality guidelines, indicating measurable exposure to fine particulate pollution. Nature
Soy Wax
Soy wax is made by hydrogenating soybean oil (a process that turns liquid oil into a solid wax). It emerged in the 1990s as a more renewable alternative to paraffin. In general, research indicates that soy and other plant-based wax candles tend to produce less soot and fewer combustion by-products than paraffin candles — though the specifics vary with fragrance additives, wick type, and combustion behaviour.
Importantly, many commercial soy waxes are blends, and additives may be included to stabilise melting points or consistency — which can affect emissions and burning characteristics.
Scented Candles and Synthetic Fragrances — More Than Wax Matters
Most scented candles — whether paraffin, soy, or even some "natural" wax blends — are fragranced with synthetic fragrance chemicals, not pure essential oils. These fragrance blends are proprietary "trade secrets," so labels rarely list specific ingredients.
Synthetic Fragrances and Endocrine Disruption
• Synthetic fragrances commonly contain phthalates and other petrochemically derived compounds used to make scents last longer. These compounds are known endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), meaning they can interfere with the body's hormone systems when inhaled or absorbed. MDPI
• Phthalates have been linked in scientific literature to hormonal imbalance, reproductive issues, altered hormone levels, and developmental effects, especially with chronic exposure.
• When scented candles are burned, phthalates and VOCs like formaldehyde, limonene, and benzene can be released into indoor air — contributing to respiratory irritation, headaches, allergy symptoms, and potential long-term risk factors.
Even "clean" fragrance claims can mask a mix of hundreds to thousands of petrochemical components. Up to 95 % of synthetic fragrance compounds are derived from petroleum and may include phthalates and other known endocrine disruptors.
For these reasons, fragrance chemistry matters as much — if not more — than the wax itself when comparing candle health impacts.
Health and Indoor Air Quality: What the Studies Show
Candles are a source of indoor combustion products, and all combustion — even from natural materials — produces particles and VOCs that contribute to indoor air pollution.
Paraffin Emissions
• A comprehensive review of indoor particulate sources shows high particle emission rates from burning candles, including VOCs and very small particles that can remain suspended in indoor air. NCBI
• Burning candles has been associated with elevated PM₂.₅ concentrations — levels that in certain conditions can exceed indoor air quality standards, suggesting meaningful impacts on air quality. Nature
• Specific VOCs identified in candle smoke include benzene, which is recognised by international agencies as a carcinogen in occupational settings. ScienceDirect
A toxicological animal study examining candle emissions found that VOC mixtures from scented candles could produce oxidative stress, inflammation, and lung injury in rats under controlled exposures, highlighting the potential for combustion products to affect respiratory health. PMC
Fragrance and Symptom Associations
A university study reported that aromas from scented products like candles can emit VOCs and phthalates into indoor air, correlating with headache, coughing, shortness of breath, and allergic symptoms among participants. PMC
Soy and Beeswax Observations
While detailed peer-reviewed comparisons among wax types are limited, available laboratory work indicates that well-made candles of various wax types exhibit qualitatively similar combustion characteristics, and that the wax type alone does not solely dictate emissions profiles. Some analyses report similar total VOC or aldehyde emissions across wax types under certain conditions.
However, paraffin's fossil-fuel origin and the higher likelihood of higher VOC emissions in real-world settings lead many researchers and indoor air experts to caution about its use in poorly ventilated spaces relative to natural wax alternatives, especially for frequent use.
Burn Quality and Longevity
Beeswax naturally has a higher melting point than many other candle waxes, which means:
• Longer burn time
• Steadier, cleaner flame
• Less smoke under normal wick conditions
These physical properties — backed by combustion science — contribute to why beeswax candles can be cost-effective over their lifetime, despite higher upfront cost.
Environmental Impact
Paraffin
• Non-renewable and derived from fossil fuels
• Higher lifecycle emissions associated with extraction and refinement
• Not biodegradable
Soy Wax
• Renewable and biodegradable in principle
• Environmental benefit depends on agricultural practices (e.g., land use, fertilizers)
Beeswax
• Renewable and biodegradable
• Produced as part of ecological pollination systems
• Lower overall energy input compared with petroleum-derived waxes
Natural waxes like soy and beeswax generally produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions over their life cycles than paraffin, although specific footprints vary by production, transportation, and processing. Wick Fusion
Beekeeping Ethics
Beeswax is natural, but how it's sourced matters ethically and ecologically. Bees expend significant energy to produce wax, and responsible beekeeping only harvests surplus comb, ensuring adequate honey stores and minimal chemical treatments. Ethical beeswax production supports bee health, pollination, and ecosystem function — a regenerative contrast to extractive petroleum industries.
When sourced responsibly, beeswax becomes part of a system that sustains life rather than depletes it.
Why Beeswax Candles Stand Apart
Beeswax candles pair historical use with a cleaner combustion profile and no synthetic fragrance requirements:
• Renewable and minimally processed
• Burns longer and cleaner
• Lower soot and fewer harmful VOCs than typical paraffin under comparable conditions
• Free of petrochemical fragrances when naturally scented
Soy candles are a reasonable alternative when high-quality and truly natural, but many contain synthetic fragrance blends that compromise indoor air quality. Paraffin candles — and especially scented versions with synthetic chemicals — tend to emit more problematic compounds and potential endocrine disruptors.
Conclusion
Choosing a candle is about more than scent — it's about health, indoor air quality, and environmental impact. Scientific evidence shows that combustion products from candles can include particulate matter and VOCs that affect indoor environments, and synthetic fragrance chemicals used in most scented candles are associated with endocrine disruption and respiratory irritation. Nature, NCBI
Beeswax candles — especially those with natural essential oils or no added scent — offer one of the cleanest, most sustainable options for safe home lighting and fragrance.
See our beeswax collection here
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