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Best & Worst Non-Toxic Candles 2022

Mamavation » Blog » Health | Mamavation » Best & Worst Non-Toxic Candles 2022
Beautiful composition with candles and spa stones on wooden background

December 1, 2022 //  by Becky

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Are you looking for non-toxic candles as a great gift or just to create a vibe in your living room? Before you light that candle, consider if you want the air inside your home to resemble the air around a combustion engine. That’s exactly what studies say conventional candles can do to your indoor air. Want to buy safer candles to improve your indoor air quality? We can help! You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you air quality topics like best & worst air purifiers, best & worst cookware, & best & worst organic mattresses, now join us as we explore the candle aisle, the best brands, and what to look out for.

Disclosure: This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Mamavation receives affiliate commission on links in this post. 

white Candles in glass voltive

Table of Contents

  • The EPA Told Us in 2001–Candles Can Be Problematic to Your Health.
  • Type of Wax Best For Candles: Paraffin Wax, Soy Wax, Coconut Wax, Beeswax or Palm Oil Wax
    • Paraffin Wax
    • Soy Wax
    • Beeswax
    • Coconut Wax
    • Palm Wax
  • Wicks Can On Occasion Contain Lead & Badly Damage Air Quality in the Home For Children
  • Synthetic Color Adds More Petroleum to Your Candle–And You Don’t Need All That Negativity In Your Life
  • “Fragrance” Is Code For We Don’t Want To Tell You!
  • Soot Can Give You a Bad Day & Destroy Your Home
  • Essential Oils To Be Avoided Around Children
  • Essential Oils Fragrance to Avoid Around Dogs & Cats
  • New “Natural” Scents Made Very Unnaturally–Synthetic Biology
  • Mamavation’s Investigation of Candles
    • Not Our Favorite Candles
    • Better Candles
    • Our Recommendation--Pure Haven Candles
    • Best Candles
  • About the Author

The EPA Told Us in 2001–Candles Can Be Problematic to Your Health.

In the case of candles, we can’t say that the Feds didn’t warn us of the dangers. They have. In fact, studies commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been pretty explicit in saying since 2001 that candle use could be a public health issue.

What’s the problem: mostly lead, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and acrolein, but also black soot deposition (BSD), naphthalene, alkanes, wax esters, alkanoic and alkenoic acids, and alkenes. 

“Burning an aromatherapy candle made of paraffin is similar to preparing a healthy drink of fresh-squeezed juice and adding a shot of gasoline,” says Eric Johnson of Candleworks, an Iowa City, Iowa-based company that specializes in wholesaling non-toxic aromatherapy candles. We thought that quote served as a great start.

But the EPA report was a bit more clear saying “burning several candles exceeded the EPA’s 10-6 increased risk for cancer for acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, and exceeded the RfC for acrolein.”

That is federal speak for “this is a problem and we know about it.”

This report goes on for 53 pages to warn you about the dangers of incense and candles to your indoor air quality.  We’ve pulled this report from 2001 apart and added more of the recent research on candle use since then to this investigation and some worrying technology that has become recently popular. But stick around for the end where we go over all the most popular candle brands one by one and categorize them into bad, better, and best.

collection of decoratice candles on a rustic antique wooden

Type of Wax Best For Candles: Paraffin Wax, Soy Wax, Coconut Wax, Beeswax or Palm Oil Wax

The most important part of the candle is what it consists of and that is mostly the wax. The most popular choices are paraffin wax, soy wax, coconut wax, beeswax, & palm wax. Paraffin wax is by far the worst selection for health risks and is also the most prevalent material to use for candles in the United States. Here are your selections one by one.

Paraffin Wax

Paraffin wax is a by-product of the crude oil refinement process, so it’s not the friendliest material on our planet. It’s also believed to be quite toxic to your indoor air quality and to humans in general when inhaled. Here’s why you should avoid paraffin:

  • In 1999, researchers found that the majority of emissions from paraffin candles consisted of organic compounds including alkanes, wax esters, alkanoic and alkenoic acids, and alkenes.
  • More recent studies have linked paraffin wax candle burning to an increase of emissions of volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor air.
  • The University of South Carolina produced a study about indoor air dangers of paraffin-scented candles. The study claimed that paraffin-scented candles emitted toxic chemicals like toluene and benzene into the air and frequently lighting many candles in an unventilated space could lead to problems, and may aggravate asthma, cause allergy-like symptoms, or irritate the respiratory tract. However, soy wax did not cause a problem with indoor air.
  • In 2013, researchers in Poland found the air quality around paraffin candles is similar to air quality around a combustion engine
  • The EPA found that burning several candles exceeded the EPA’s 10-6 increased risk for cancer for acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. It also exceeded the RfC for acrolein. That’s bad news.

Christmas and New Year's background with candles, fir cones and beads on an old wooden table in rustic style

Soy Wax

Soy wax comes in a variety of container candle blends. Most soy waxes are made from hydrogenated soybean oil.  Others are considered “blends” and are blended with other vegetable oils (like coconut) and waxes (like palm wax and beeswax). As long as the blend is at least 51% soy, it’s considered a soy wax blend.

  • If it’s soy, check whether it’s non-GMO soy used if you would like to avoid supporting large monoculture farming and toxic persistent pesticides.
  • Soy was not found to be a problem for any indoor air quality as found by the EPA study, however paraffin was.

Beeswax

Beeswax is about as natural a product as you can find! The wax is excreted by the bees into “combs” to help incubate their larvae and keep them safe and snug. It’s naturally infused with honey, making it naturally sweet as a fragrance. The strength of the natural fragrance depends on the flowers or plants the bees were feeding on.

  • It’s expensive because of what the tradeoff is. Basically, for every 1-2 pounds of wax produced, the bees lose production of around 6 pounds of honey.
  • There can be a scarcity of beeswax and in order to be good stewards, it may be better to purchase an arrangement of non-toxic blends as well. But of course, this is your preference.
  • Beeswax candles have a longer burn time than paraffin candles, so they last longer
  • In the United States, current labeling laws only require a candle to be 51% beeswax to carry the beeswax label, so buyer beware if you want purity look for “100% beeswax”
  • Here’s an example of a “best” brand–Mountain Rose Herbs
    • Mountain Rose Herbs Beeswax Pillar Candle (Use discount code “Mama15” for 15% off all regularly priced offerings. It cannot be combined with other discounts, promotions, or wholesale pricing. Online orders only. Expires 12/31/2022 at 23:59, PST.)
    • Mountain Rose Herbs Beeswax Votive Candle (Use discount code “Mama15” for 15% off all regularly priced offerings. It cannot be combined with other discounts, promotions, or wholesale pricing. Online orders only. Expires 12/31/2022 at 23:59, PST.)
    • Mountain Rose Herbs Beeswax Column Candle (Use discount code “Mama15” for 15% off all regularly priced offerings. It cannot be combined with other discounts, promotions, or wholesale pricing. Online orders only. Expires 12/31/2022 at 23:59, PST.)

Candles on the mantle during holidays

Coconut Wax

Coconut oil is considered a carrier oil for use in making candles. It cannot exist alone in the world of candle making. Typically “blends” are used with coconut wax, beeswax, or soy wax & possibly fragrances or essential oils or other combos thereof.

  • Coconut wax has a slower burn than soy wax & paraffin, so these candles last longer
  • Completely natural from beginning to the end of the product for those of you who love natural
  • Here’s a 100% coconut wax brand: Meaningful Mantras
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Brave Spiced Latte 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off purchase from this small biz!) 
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Hygge Scandanavian Bakery 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!)  
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Cozy Hot Cocoa 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Comforted Snickerdoodle Cookie 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
    • Meaningful Mantra  You Are Enchanting Spruce & Fir 80z. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Thriving Pumpkin Spice 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Joy Mint & Vanilla 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Extraordinary Cinnamon Spice Holiday 8oz Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!)  
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Giving Gingerbread 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Powerful Espresso Vanilla 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
    • Meaningful Mantra You Are Calm Ginger Vanilla 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 

Palm Wax

Palm wax is produced by hydrogenating palm oils and is similar to soy wax in that it is made from natural oil. It’s also used in a unique way to produce a crystalline or “feathered” effect in the candles. Palm wax is often blended with soy wax to make it harder. It’s also excellent for use with pillars, votives, and tarts.

  • It’s a loved ingredient because it’s efficient. According to organic farmers Riverford, oil palms can yield ‘up to ten times per hectare than rapeseed, soya beans or sunflowers’ and ‘on just 5 percent of the world’s vegetable-oil farmland, palms produce 38 percent of the world’s vegetable oil’.
  • Palm oil comes with baggage, whereas endangered animals are brought to the brink of extinction, primal rainforests destroyed, farmers driven off their lands, and peat fires causing devastating air pollution throughout the entire region in places like Indonesia. Careful who supplies your palm oil!
  • Just FYI there are better palm oil brands like Palm Done Right who (1) focus on no clear-cutting, burning, or planting in primal forest, (2) fair trade, and (3) community projects for farmworkers like medical facilities and schools. So more ethical palm does exist.

Candles on vintage tray with fabric hearts on wooden

Wicks Can On Occasion Contain Lead & Badly Damage Air Quality in the Home For Children

Lead wicks used to be a big problem in the United States. Lead was commonly used as the core material to keep the wick standing straight when the surrounding wax began to melt and prevented it from falling over on itself and becoming extinguished. This made everyday homes toxic, especially to young children.

Lead was commonly used until 1974 when the industry decided to voluntarily ban lead wicks. However, not all brands followed that rule so after the EPA commissioned a study, it wasn’t officially banned until 2003 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Therefore, brands saying they have “lead-free wicks” are simply complying with the ban and letting you know about it.

Today, you’ll only find lead in wicks that are coming from overseas from places like Mexico & China. It’s buyer beware from discount candles in bargain stores in terms of safety. So if you are about to make a purchase of a cheap candle jar on sale from China, you may want to know about that.

Today, lead wicks have been replaced by zinc or tin in United States brands. If you want to avoid that, look for “100% cotton wicks” instead. 

Four green christmas candles for advent

Synthetic Color Adds More Petroleum to Your Candle–And You Don’t Need All That Negativity In Your Life

I know these candles can look really pretty, but most of the time when you are seeing a colored candle, they are using petroleum by-products to do that coloring.

Why is that a problem? Well, whenever you burn fossil fuels, it turns the air inside your home to something else–something you don’t want–something similar to the air around a combustion engine.

The fewer petroleum products burning inside your home the better.

It is possible to color candles with natural colorants like kelp, annatto seeds, orange peel, paprika, and rosehips.

scented candles on old wooden background

“Fragrance” Is Code For We Don’t Want To Tell You!

Fragrance (or perfume) is an area of the law where profits trump public health and disclosure. A candle’s scent is more about what they don’t have to tell you than what they have to disclose. Those “signature scents” with white musk or jasmine may not have anything natural in them at all.

According to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act that is overseen by the Federal Drug Administration, all fragrances in candles are considered proprietary formulas, and they are not mandated to give you that information.

In other words, there is very little ingredient disclosure in the candle aisle. They can basically put whatever they want in there, including thousands of these chemicals, and you can’t compel them to tell you, and there is nothing you can do about it.

Synthetic fragrances are known to contain synthetic musks and phthalates that are detrimental to health. Especially, phthalates, which are considered a hormone-disrupting chemical that is linked to infertility, weight gain, lowering the IQ of children, and is a known carcinogen.

To make matters worse, having synthetic fragrances inside a wax formula can make the air quality worse with only normal conditions of use. This is exactly what the EPA found. It seems like pretty much anytime anything made from fossil fuels burns, we are exposed to particulate matter and VOCs in the air from those chemical reactions. This is especially true with candles. Therefore, that “high-quality” candle or other candle gift sets may not be as good of a Christmas gift as you thought.

burning memorial candles

Soot Can Give You a Bad Day & Destroy Your Home

According to the EPA, the stronger smelling your candle, the more soot it could be producing during the candle burn. This soot is referred to as Black Soot Deposits (BSD) and these particles can destroy your home with the amount of soot deposited everywhere. In fact, the EPA has tracked an increase in complaints from homeowners about soot since 1992.

“Most candle wax paraffin are saturated hydrocarbons that are solid at room temperature. Most fragrance oils are unsaturated hydrocarbons and are liquid at room temperature. The lower the carbon-to-hydrogen ratio, the less soot is produced by the flame. Therefore, waxes that have more fragrances in them produce more soot. In other words, candles labeled “super scented” and those that are soft to the touch are more likely to generate soot.”

When soot builds up in the air, it deposits on to surfaces all over the house but concentrates in four main areas: (1) randomly colliding with surfaces, (2) circulating through home air conditioning filters, (3) gaining enough mass to be subject to gravity and fall on surfaces, and (4) attracted to electrically charged surfaces such as freezers, television sets, computers, and vertical plastic blinds.

Acute health endpoints due to soot exposure are triggers for people with asthma and allergy sufferers. They are more likely to have an acute attack of sneezing, runny nose, or migraines.

The best way to reduce soot, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is to keep your candle wicks cut shorter.

lavender white candles

Essential Oils To Be Avoided Around Children

So now that I’ve completely freaked you out about the dangers of paraffin wax on air quality, I’m gonna go further and warn you about some natural ingredients you may not be worrying about–essential oils.

Most of the candles we are going to recommend to you are full of essential oils and they are mostly safe…unless you are around young children or pets. If you have a child or pets in the house, you need to adjust some of the choices of essential oils you are using.

This is not an entire list of what essential oils are bad for children, it’s only a list of essential oils that are dangerous to diffuse around children and have them breathe in. So this would be relevant for essential oils inside candles as well. There are other essential oils that you should not apply directly to their skin that you can find here.

  • Nothing is safe for infants under 3 months. Essential oils are not safe for children under 3 months old. PERIOD.
  • Peppermint: consists of up to 55% menthol and up to 10% 1,8-cineole. In children aged 1-3, studies showed 1,8-cineole and menthol can cause serious, yet non-fatal reactions. Keep watch till children are over 6 years old.
  • Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus contains varying amounts of 1,8-cineole, with Eucalyptus globulus having up to 84%, Eucalyptus radiata having up to 65%, and Eucalyptus polybractea having up to 92%. The concern is seizures, however rare, but it’s expected that approximately 2% of children will experience one after extensive exposure.
  • Rosemary: This oil is high in 1,8-cineole and can potentially cause respiration to slow in children. Avoid with children under 6.
  • Marjarom (Spanish): This oil is high in 1,8-cineole and can potentially cause respiration to slow in children under 6 years old.
  • Anise/Aniseed: avoid diffusing around children under 5 years old
  • Fennel (bitter), Fennel (sweet): avoid diffusing around children under 5 years old
  • Niaouli (cineole chemotype): avoid diffusing on children under 6 years old

Here are all the safe essential oils for children from John Hopkins like cedarwood, ginger, or sweet orange.

Closeup of burning candles spreading aroma on table in a spa room. Beautiful composition with grey and white candles for spa treatment

Essential Oils Fragrance to Avoid Around Dogs & Cats

Cats and dogs have an enhanced sense of smell, so using scents around them like in candles or diffusers can be overwhelming for them, depending on what type you are using. According to Veterinarians, this can cause shortness of breath, skin rashes, and even liver failure.

If you also diffuse essential oils, you should always keep your essential oils stored away from pets, but if they get into them, call your veterinary office or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Cats’ livers cannot metabolize some of the compounds in essential oils, which leaves them susceptible to toxicity. These animals have very different essential oils that bother them, so please pay close attention to each one.

For dogs avoid the following:

  • Clove
  • Garlic
  • Juniper
  • Rosemary
  • Tea Tree
  • Thyme
  • Wintergreen

For cats avoid the following: 

  • Cassia
  • Cinnamon
  • Citrus
  • Clove
  • Eucalyptus
  • Lemon
  • Lavender
  • Peppermint
  • Spruce
  • Tea Tree
  • Thyme

Beautiful spa composition on table in modern wellness center

New “Natural” Scents Made Very Unnaturally–Synthetic Biology

Welcome to the new Frankenstein of genetically modified options that will eventually lead to your plate and your lungs without your permission. This new generation of GMOs is hitting the market without regulatory oversight or assessment for health and environmental risks right now. It’s called synthetic biology and you’ll likely never hear about it because the companies that make it are encouraging brands to call it “natural” and there’s nothing to stop them from doing that.

I repeat. The industry is purposely encouraging brands to lie about this ingredient and refer to it as “natural” even though it’s a new GMO technology. How do I know this? In 2018, I was at a Supply Side West in Las Vegas speaking on a panel and heard people from the industry strongly suggest not to tell anyone it’s GMO. I also heard testimony from other natural food & supplement suppliers who listened to panels at that same conference where they encouraged brands to basically lie about this ingredient and call it “natural.” Yes, seriously.

Do these people want to be quoted? No. I tried. I’m sure you know why.

Several of these new gene-editing techniques are being used to develop the new genetically engineered crops, animals, insects, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and even bioweapons. And the scariest thing about this technology is it’s virtually unregulated.

In addition to transferring genetic material between organisms, like traditional GMOs, DNA and biological components can be composed synthetically and existing organisms can be genetically “reprogrammed” to do something completely different.

What could possibly go wrong?

In terms of candles, the easiest way to avoid synthetic biology is to look for 100% organic essential oils. As of now, these ingredients are marketed as “natural” to the brands, so it’s possible they would have no way of knowing they are purchasing scents made through synthetic biology. Because the USDA organic certification mandates suppliers to show proof up the chain of organic materials from farm to the bottle, you are safe because of that chain of custody. You would also be able to avoid sythetic biology if the brand had documents about that chain of custody from farm to bottle in a similar manner as organic, which some do.

Sadly, some of the most popular essential oils are in danger of becoming unpure. This is because most oils are a combination of chemical compounds mixed together, so if one of those chemicals are made from synthetic biology, you have an essential oil that is really no longer natural but it’s being marketed as such.

Most of the synthetic biology scents we couldn’t track. But we were able to track some: Limonene, citranellol, geraniol, menthol, perillyl alcohol, linalool, thujone, Farnesene, Amorphadiene, Artemisinic acid, Artemisinin, Bisabolol, Bisabolene, alphaSinensal, beta-Thujone, Camphor, Carveol, Carvone, Cineole, Citral, Citronellal, Cubebol, Geraniol, Limonene, Menthol, Menthone, Myrcene, Nootkatone, Nootkatol, Patchouli, Piperitone, Rose oxide, Sabinene, Steviol, Steviol glycoside (including Rebaudioside D or Rebaudioside M), Taxadiene, Thymol, and Valencene.

Here’s a list the most popular essential oils those ingredients find themselves inside:

  • Clary Sage Oil
  • Lavender Oil
  • Citrus Oil
  • Geranium Oil
  • Bergamot Oil
  • Mint Oil
  • Frakencince Oil
  • Tea Tree Oil
  • Rose Oil
  • Rosemary Oil
  • Ylang Ylang Oil
  • Grapefruit Oil

The greatest challenge of all this is there is no way to identify these components made of synthetic biology yet. So if you really want to avoid this mess, go organic…or at the very least, go traceable!

Candles and flowers on wooden table

Mamavation’s Investigation of Candles

Mamavation looked at close to 90 different candle brands looking for ingredients made from petroleum, synthetic biology, or undisclosed fragrance ingredients.

We want to make sure your home doesn’t get filled up with toxins by other products accidentally, so please check out our air purifier investigation next for the best professional systems to clean your indoor air.

Not Our Favorite Candles

These brands are full of petroleum, including paraffin and synthetic “fragrance” which is also made from petroleum. These researchers may argue that the air quality around these candles could be similar to air around a combustion engine because they are made of paraffin.

  • Anthropologie Candles
  • Bath and Body Works Candles
  • Better Homes & Garden Candles
  • Chesapeake Bay Candle
  • Cutter Citronella Candles (carbon monoxide warning)
  • DW Home Candles
  • Empire Candle Company (lead warning)
  • Evergreen Candles (lead warning)
  • Frazier Fir Thymes Candles
  • Goose Creek Candles
  • Homeworx by Harry Slatkin Candles
  • Illume Candles
  • Luminaria Candles
  • Meyer’s Soy Candles
  • MojiLife Candles
  • Murphy’s Candles (carbon monoxide warning)
  • Nest Candles
  • Paddywax Candles
  • Partylite Candles
  • Red Leaf Home Candles
  • Thymes Candles
  • Tyler Candle Company
  • Votivo Illume Candles (past lead warning)
  • Yankee Candle
  • Woodwick Candle

Christmas Dekoration with candles and snow

Better Candles

These brands were way better but not quite perfect yet. We found this category to contain better components–supposedly made without paraffin. Those claims are known to be iffy sometimes, so it’s possible some of these brands contain a small amount of paraffin to their blends. (We didn’t test them!) When it comes to fragrance, either they did not disclose fragrance ingredients at all or are containing synthetic blends of fragrance.

  • Anecdote Candles
  • Baum Designs Candles
  • Birchhouse & Co Candles
  • Boy Smells Candles
  • Castleton Candles
  • Cedar Street Candle Collection
  • Country Scents Candles
  • Farmhouse Candle Shop
  • Follain Candles
  • Growing Candle
  • Hearth and Hand Candles
  • Jen Luana Candles
  • Kalamazoo Candle Company
  • Laguna Candles
  • Lake Erie Candle Company
  • Life Cycle Candles
  • Malicious Mermaid Candles
  • Mecca Candle Co.
  • Medeluca Candles
  • Milkhouse Candle Company
  • PF Candle Company
  • Prosperity Candles
  • Root Candles
  • Sand + Frog Candles
  • Scentsational Candles
  • Solo Candles
  • Sea Love Candles
  • Swan Creek Candles
  • The Candle Lab
  • Voluspa Candles
  • Wax & Oils Candles
  • White Barn Candles
  • Yoke Candles

Still life with spa candles on light wallpaper background

Best Candles

These brands are not made from paraffin (petroleum) and unknown blends. They comprise of soy wax, beeswax, coconut wax, or palm wax. As for fragrance, they are either comprised of 100% essential oils or are 100% transparent in their fragrance ingredient label. All wicks are lead-free. Brands here could also have Made Safe Certification. (The brands with an * mean they are using organic essential oils, meaning we know the scents are not produced through synthetic biology.)

  • A-Z Candles
  • Abbot Mohave Candle
  • B. Happy Candles
  • Cellar Door Candles* (only found organic lavender essential oil)
  • Coco by Stone Candles
  • Edition 01 Candles
  • Fontana Citrus Peel & Pine Essentials 9 oz. Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off purchases from this small biz!) (Made Safe Certified) 
  • Fontana Fir Needle & Pin Essentials 9 oz. Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off purchases from this small biz!) (Made Safe Certified) 
  • Fontana Peppermint Twist Essential Oil 9 oz Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off purchases from this small biz! (Made Safe Certified) 
  • Fontana Frankincense & Myrhh Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off purchases from this small biz!) (Made Safe Certified) 
  • Fontana Cinnamon Orange Clove Essential Oil Candles (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off purchases from this small biz!) (Made Safe Certified) 
  • Fontana Spiced Latte Essential Oil Candles (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off purchases from this small biz!) (Made Safe Certified) 
  • Fontana French Press Coffee Essential Oil Candles (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off purchases from this small biz!)(Made Safe Certified) 
  • Goodlight Parrafin Free Tea Light Candles
  • Grow Fragrance Pomegranate Candle
  • Grow Fragrance Blondewood Candle
  • Grow Fragrance Coastal Tide Candle 
  • Grow Fragrance Holiday Hearth Candle
  • Grow Fragrance Sea Salt Neroli Candle 
  • Grow Fragrance Bamboo Candle 
  • Grow Fragrance Pear Cider Candle 
  • Grow Fragrance Ginger Pumpkin Candle 
  • Heart 2 Heart Candles
  • Heretic Dirty Mango Candle
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Brave Spiced Latte 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off purchase from this small biz!) 
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Hygge Scandanavian Bakery 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!)  
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Cozy Hot Cocoa 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Comforted Snickerdoodle Cookie 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
  • Meaningful Mantra  You Are Enchanting Spruce & Fir 80z. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Thriving Pumpkin Spice 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Joy Mint & Vanilla 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Extraordinary Cinnamon Spice Holiday 8oz Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!)  
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Giving Gingerbread 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Powerful Espresso Vanilla 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
  • Meaningful Mantra You Are Calm Ginger Vanilla 8oz. Coconut Wax Candle (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off your purchase from this small biz!) 
  • Milk & Honey Candles
  • Mountain Rose Herbs Beeswax Pillar Candle (Use discount code “Mama15” for 15% off all regularly priced offerings. It cannot be combined with other discounts, promotions, or wholesale pricing. Online orders only. Expires 12/31/2022 at 23:59, PST.)
  • Mountain Rose Herbs Beeswax Votive Candle (Use discount code “Mama15” for 15% off all regularly priced offerings. It cannot be combined with other discounts, promotions, or wholesale pricing. Online orders only. Expires 12/31/2022 at 23:59, PST.)
  • Mountain Rose Herbs Beeswax Column Candle (Use discount code “Mama15” for 15% off all regularly priced offerings. It cannot be combined with other discounts, promotions, or wholesale pricing. Online orders only. Expires 12/31/2022 at 23:59, PST.)
  • Nashville Wax Candles
  • Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic Candles*
  • Poofy Organics Candles* (uses some organic essential oils but not all)
  • Pure Haven Candles* (seasonal only – holidays and summer)
  • Pure Plant Candles
  • Sunbeam Candles
  • Terralite Candles
  • The Grace Effect Candles
  • Thistle Farms Candles
  • Uma Candles
  • Wild Beautiful & Free Candles
  • Woodlot Candles

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About the Author

Safest Non-Toxic Disinfectant Cleaners Recommended by Both EPA & Mamavation 1

Leah Segedie is a consumer watchdog, author, entrepreneur, environmental activist, and mother of three boys. 

She wrote Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, & Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!) in 2018. She’s consistently been featured in the media for the past 15 years in media outlets like ABC, CBS, CNN, Yahoo, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, Ladies Home Journal, Shape Magazine, Fitness Magazine to name a few.  

Follow Mamavation on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or join the Mamavation Community Group. 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rehoboth

    December 21, 2022 at 1:15 am

    Very nice post

    Reply
    • Roni

      February 19, 2023 at 4:47 am

      I appreciate all your work and info Leah. I am curious if you have any info on Blue Corn unscented natural colored 100%beeswax candles? They are bee friendly and cotton wick etc.

      Reply
  2. Debbie Knight

    December 20, 2022 at 1:32 pm

    Thank you so much, Leah!!

    Reply
  3. Tessa

    December 12, 2022 at 10:40 am

    Thank you! I am curious what your thoughts are on melting wax. I use wax melters now instead of candles.

    Reply
  4. Iman

    May 22, 2022 at 7:14 am

    This is possibly the most depressing article yet…. lol. But thank you for doing the research. Any info on Bijou candles?

    Reply
  5. Fonda Neal

    October 24, 2021 at 10:29 am

    Thanks Leah. Did you notice in your research whether the paraffin wax used in studies was food grade paraffin wax? I’m just wondering if that makes a difference if the paraffin wax is food grade. I didn’t see it in the studies that were linked.

    Reply
  6. Judy Farless

    October 16, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    I really appreciate your investigative work you continually do. This one really hits home as I LOVE candles and am always trying to find clean ones. My one concern is you recommending a brand you are a consultant for, based on the link. That seems like a big conflict of interest. 😪

    Reply
    • Ashlee

      October 17, 2021 at 10:13 am

      She’s a consultant with them because they pass all of her rigorous standards. Why shouldn’t she *be allowed* to share about said brand? It’s the dang idea with ask the affiliate links you see bloggers share about.

      Reply
  7. J

    April 7, 2021 at 10:25 pm

    I went onto their website and I couldn’t find their ingredients.

    Reply
  8. Michele C

    January 29, 2021 at 8:22 am

    You must be mistaken about having Red Leaf Home on your list of offensive candies. Your list was composed in 2001, we’re now in 2021, perhaps it’s time to update your list. They’re transparent about what ingredients go into their products. Do your homework again and update this article, please.

    Reply
    • Judy Farless

      October 16, 2021 at 8:51 pm

      How do you know it was comprised in 2001?

      Reply
  9. dhiru

    January 3, 2021 at 8:54 pm

    i like to use candles at night

    Reply
  10. prajit

    January 3, 2021 at 8:52 pm

    great post and a lot of information

    Reply
  11. S.L.

    January 2, 2021 at 6:12 pm

    Paraffin dips for one’s hands can’t be healthy either. . . . .correct?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      January 4, 2021 at 10:57 am

      I think that’s safe to say

      Reply
    • Liana Brodsky

      October 17, 2021 at 5:40 am

      What about Big Dipper beeswax candles? Those are sold at Whole Foods and a really popular “nontoxic” candle but it’s not on our list.

      Reply
  12. Karen Mahoney

    December 30, 2020 at 9:28 am

    This was a very helpful article! So glad you recommended the Pure Haven candles. I feel confident burning them in my home with a pet bird. They also burn well!

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      January 1, 2021 at 1:33 pm

      Thank you for stopping by!!

      Reply
  13. Leah Segedie

    December 27, 2020 at 8:40 am

    These brands spanned from better to best. We didn’t have a couple of them, so we added them for you! Thanks!

    Reply
  14. Lynn

    December 26, 2020 at 1:48 pm

    Thank you so much for compiling this list! I have wondered about the safety of candles for years! Now I know what to buy!

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      December 27, 2020 at 7:23 am

      Thank you for stopping by! I’m glad I could be of help to you!

      Reply
  15. Terri Sidell

    December 23, 2020 at 9:38 am

    Thanks so much for this write up!! No wonder I have problems with candles.

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      December 27, 2020 at 8:41 am

      Happy we can be of help!

      Reply
  16. Christine Del Papa

    December 23, 2020 at 9:00 am

    What about Harry Slatkin candles? And coco by stone?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      December 27, 2020 at 8:47 am

      We added both of those brands. Harry didn’t do so well, but Coco by Stone did.

      Reply
  17. Anna

    December 23, 2020 at 3:37 am

    Wow! A little surprised about Yankee candles being in the worst category considering how expensive they are. Can you please do a research on incense, including Japanese incense sold in the USA and Nag Champa incense? Thank you very much for all your work and happy holidays!

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      December 27, 2020 at 8:48 am

      Yes, we can do incense later this year! Thanks for that recommendation.

      Reply
  18. Sandy

    December 22, 2020 at 11:26 pm

    alohabay.com has beautiful palm wax candles

    Reply

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