What's in Your Candles

1. Soot From Candles Isn't Just Ugly

It was sometime in the year 2000 that I became aware of the soot that came from my candles. I was living in England at the time, and my husband and I (and our twin boys) were about to move back to the states. As we were cleaning up our rented home, we noticed that in the bathroom, where we had daily burned a candle on the top of a wicker shelving unit, there was a lot of soot. When I say a lot, I don't mean it had a little on the wall just above the candle. I mean the kind of buildup of soot that was nearly impossible to clean off. In fact we gave up. We confessed our blunder to our landlord and suggested he keep our deposit (knowing he was going to have to repaint that room).

2. Why Candles Produce Black Soot

Most candles can at some time produce soot. Even the eco friendly candles can produce a little bit of soot. The problem comes when your candle is made from paraffin wax and the wick has a metal core.

3. Why a Candle's Wick Matters

Inside the wick of a candle is a core. This core can be made of metal (before 1970 it was lead, now it's usually zinc), cotton (often as a braided cotton wick) or even a paper core. If your candle has a metal core, you're more likely to get soot, and some chemicals released as well. Because metal cores used to be made of lead, it's important to always check if your candle has a metal core, and if it does it may be a better option not to burn it. So with the cotton and paper options, you don't need to be limited to candles with metal wicks.

Read entire article at PristinePlanet.com