The best way to finish off a good deep clean to your humble abode is by lighting a candle. After cleaning your home, the final touches include lighting a nice candle, taking a warm bath or shower, and relaxing for the rest of the day. You could also light a candle to set the mood for a special night in *wink wink*, or you could just light a candle simply because you want to. Whatever you decide to do, it’s important to know that as good as some candles may smell, they could be making you sick over time. This one specific brand of candles is a cult favorite. But did you know they may be doing more harm than good? In fact, they could be the reason for a lot of your symptoms.
Bath & Body Works Phenomenon
If you’ve never heard of Bath and Body Works, then you probably live under a rock, or you’re just not into trendy things and either one is understandable. Bath & Body Works is a popular company that sells all types of home scents such as candles, room sprays, plug-ins, incense, and more.
They also sell perfume scents that you can use for your body as well as bath and self-care products. The creative part about this company is that a lot of the time, you can find a candle scent that you love in a perfume or skin care product. How cool is that? The scent you love in your home can be worn. Although these candles are really popular, It’s been shown that they may be really bad for your health.
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Why They Aren’t Good For Your Home
The reason this brand candle line isn’t good for your home is because of the ingredients used to make the candle. Bath & Body Works uses paraffin wax in their candles. They mix the paraffin wax in a blend of palm oil and soy wax to create their candles.
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However, paraffin wax is the problem. This type of wax is a petroleum-based product and when this product is burned, it releases toxic chemicals benzene and toluene into the air.
Bath & Body Works candles also have phthalates, which are synthetic chemicals to make the candles last longer.
Unfortunately, these chemicals have been linked to a number of medical issues such as cancer, respiratory issues, reproductive issues, and asthma. How might this cause issues with your health and what could it lead to?
How This Can Lead To Serious Medical Problems
Allowing these types of toxins can lead to many issues in the future. Say you light one of these candles every day and you let it burn for hours. That’s hours of synthetic chemicals, benzene and toluene being released into your home and inhaled. This is like letting the car exhaust go off in your home and inhaling it.
You begin to notice symptoms such as frequent headaches and difficulty breathing. Then later on you start to notice that you're suffering from chest pains even long after you've stopped burning the candle. Over time, you could have developed respiratory issues or even asthma all because of this specific brand of candles.
If you are someone who suffers from asthma, then you’ll probably notice that you experience constant flare-ups and it’s difficult to breathe often because of these candles.
You may have also noticed that the current medication you’ve been prescribed is no longer effective because your symptoms are worsening as the days go on. This can lead to the severity of your asthma worsening simply because of the chemicals that are being inhaled every time you light that candle.
So, knowing that these chemicals are being released into your home and what they can lead to, is the amazing scent worth it?
What To Try Instead
There are so many different candle brands out there to choose from that are better for your health. Some of them are even as affordable as the Bath & Body Works candles. The best way to know if a candle is safe to bring into your home is to do your research first. Look for the ingredients such as coconut oil, beeswax and soy oil. These are non-toxic, natural ingredients that are better for your health. Stay clear of lead-core wicks as well. Though Bath & Body Works candles don’t use lead core wicks, other companies might, regardless of if they’re illegal to sell in certain countries. Use essential oils or incense instead to make your home smell good.
There are many ways to have a good-smelling home without medical issues, just do your research first so you aren’t affected later.
