Cart

Your cart is currently empty.

What we should all know about Candles

It seems like everyone is making candles these days, which we are not complaining about.  We are just concerned that within this fast paced world, health and the environment are taken into consideration when these candles are being made.  Main question; What is in our wax?

One of our favourite candle brands is Portland based company Trollkat & Haxan.  They sent some amazing candle resource info our way lately and we have been wanting to share it; so here it is!

From Trollkat;

As we dove deep into the world of candle waxes, we never realized the complexities that existed surrounding ethics and sourcing. We learned a lot, and we want to share.

The Bad

    • - Soy wax is made from soybean oil, using a process similar to that used to create paraffin wax, a petroleum based product. This is also similar to the process used to create coconut wax. The oil is refined, hydrogenated - that's what makes liquid oil hard at room temperature.

    • - All existing plant based waxes rely on industrial farming. Currently there are no plant based waxes that do not threaten native plant diversity, contribute to climate change, deforestation, pushing native populations out of their land, and loss of habitats for wildlife.

    • - Industrially processed beeswax, found in craft stores, bulk maker websites, and through major wholesale distributors, contains paraffin.  Paraffin is a petroleum based product.

    • Unless a candle brand is buying directly from beekeeper or distributors with transparent sourcing, it must be assumed that it has been chemically deodorized, likely bleached, and contains at least .5% paraffin, which is used in order to make the candles more aesthetically pleasing. Even products that say “100% Beeswax” are NOT 100% Beeswax. We found no major brands with transparent sourcing, and very few boutique brands who could identify their sourcing. 

    • - The industrial beekeeping industry hurts both native bee populations and small beekeepers. They drive down the prices of honey and wax, making it impossible for beekeepers to compete, and establish more hives their local ecosystems can support - just like agriculture, it is always more ethical to source from small honey and wax producers.

    • So, you can see what we were up against. But don't fret - not all is lost. It is not impossible to find an ethically made candle, and Needfire has dedicated a lot of time and energy to answering the question - how can I buy candles that align with my ethics as a consumer?

  • The Good

     

    Join us in our efforts for a more ethical candle industry! We hope you are inspired to find ways in your own community to save native bee populations :)

Share this post:

Older Post Newer Post

Leave a comment

Translation missing: en.general.search.loading