Their perfume gives us comfort. A bright candle makes the environment warmer, intimate, welcoming. But behind that fragrant flame there is a little known and often underestimated aspect: the scented candles pollute the air we breathe inside the house.
A series of scientific studies highlighted that these candles release substances potentially harmful to health, even if they appear to us “natural”, “green” or “bio”. You don’t even need to turn them on: just keep them at home to release volatile compounds in the air.
What is hiding behind a fragrant candle?
The scented candles work as follows: the wax, warming up, evaporates a mixture of essential oils or synthetic fragrances. Together with the perfume, however, COVs (volatile organic compounds) are also freed, which react with internal air and give rise to formaldehyde, benzene and other ultrafine particles.
Even soy or bee wax candles, if enriched with perfumes, are not exempt from dangerous emissions. According to researchers, all perfumed products, even the “green” ones, emit at least one toxic substance.
Professor Anne Steinemann, expert in indoor pollution, explained it clearly:
Many asthmatic people cannot even enter a shop that sells perfumed candles. Even if they are off, they release enough fragrance to unleash migraines or asthma attacks.
And it’s not just about bright candles. Even the Wax Melts and stick speakers, often considered alternative and safe, have been analyzed: they release nanoparticles similar to those of the exhaust gases. Invisible, very thin, these particles manage to overcome the barriers of the respiratory system, reaching the blood. They can contribute to inflammation, oxidative stress and, according to some studies, increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Modern homes, designed to be energetically efficient, are often too sealed. Tenuta windows, thermal coats, acoustic insulation: everything useful for containing consumption, but not very effective to ensure a good air exchange.
In winter or in the city, we tend to keep everything closed, and interior pollutants accumulate. Fragrances, detergents, candles, new furniture … everything can contribute to an environment saturated with polluting substances, even if invisible and inordic.
The subjects most at risk are children and pets, who breathe more air in relation to body weight. Babies, in particular, have a respiratory system still in formation and are more vulnerable to the effects of indoor pollution.
According to a 2019 study, 20% of the population suffers from chemical sensitivity, with symptoms ranging from headaches to breathing difficulties. And 7.4% have a diagnosis of multiple sensitivity to chemical compounds, a condition still little known, but growing.
Are there alternatives?
If you do not want to completely give up the atmosphere of the candles, choose unwritten versions, in pure beeswax, with cotton wick. They are not entirely harmless, but they burn cleaner than the fragrant paraffin.
However, the key remains ventilation: open the windows also in winter, when you can. Airing regularly the environments reduces the concentration of polluting substances.
An occasional use of perfumed candles does not involve immediate risks, but continuous and prolonged exposure could have cumulative effects still little studied.
So, is it really worth breathing all this just for a little scent in the house?
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