Whats the diffierence and whats safe?
With today’s emphasis on natural, non-toxic products, you may find yourself searching for scented candles that are safe for you and your family to enjoy.
That’s great! Not all candles are created equal, so it’s good of you to be doing your research.
Unfortunately, there can be a lot confusion around the topic of scented oils for candles, including questions like, are essential oils and fragrance oils the same? Are fragrance oils natural; and ultimately, are fragrance oils safe?
The short answer is that essential oils and fragrance oils are not the same thing, though many of the best fragrance oils are infused with essential oils.
Further, although fragrance oils tend to get a bad rap because they’re not “natural,” the good ones are thoroughly tested and scientifically approved to be safe for use not just in candles, but also in topical bath & body products like soaps and lotions.
What are Fragrance Oils?
Fragrance oils are synthetic oils developed for their scent, for use in candles and body products.
Their safety is governed by two scientific bodies – the RIFM (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials) and the IFRA (International Fragrance Association).
Now, there is a difference between fragrance oils used in candles. Cheap fragrance oils often use heavy synthetic oils that are diluted with alcohol or other additives.
These fragrance oils can smell artificial and overpowering, and they can fade quickly or change over time. They can also trigger allergies or irritations for some people.
These fragrance oils are normally found in mass produced candles manufactured overseas using a mix of parrafin wax and cheaper oils can result in headaches.
Luxurious candles use high-quality fragrance oils that are carefully selected and blended to create complex and balanced scents. These fragrance oils are pure and concentrated, and they retain their aroma for longer.
What about Essential Oils?
Maybe you’ve heard about the power of essential oils, and it’s true that they’ve been used for thousands of years to improve physical, mental, and even spiritual well-being.
Uses for essential oils include in diffusers, as topical applications, and in candles.
However, if you’re trying to find a candle made exclusively with essential oils, your options are going to be severely limited.
Essential oils all by themselves are not the answer to the kind of candle consumers want (or can afford) to have.
Although these oils are all-natural because they are extracted directly from the plant, they are not automatically good for you, or sustainable for the earth—it’s important to remember that they, too, are chemical compounds and should be treated with care.
It often takes hundreds of grams of plant material to make 1 gram of essential oil:
For instance, it takes around 23 kgs of eucalyptus to create 450 grams of eucalyptus oil, around 115kgs of lavender for 450 gms of lavender oil, and a whopping 4,500 kgs of roses for 450 gms or rose oil.
Whoa. That is a lot of roses.
Essential Oils vs. Fragrance Oils in Candles
There are obviously a couple of problems with the scenario, then, of scenting candles purely with essential oils:
#1. No one could afford them.
A tiny 5ml jar of Rose essential oil costs around $200-$250 dollars (thanks to the 10 kg of rose petals that went into that jar!).
The amount of oil you would need to put into the candle to achieve any kind of fragrance when it burns puts this candle out of most of our price ranges.
#2. Essential oils don’t always react well to heat.
Even if you did have the money to make a rose essential oil candle, not all essential oils can survive the heat of a candle burning.
While the candle may have an okay cold throw (how it smells when it’s not lit), the oil can burn right up and you won’t even smell all that expensive essential oil.
On the flip side, essential oils also have a really low flashpoint, meaning if there’s a high concentration of essentials oil in a candle, this oil can combust! Boom!
#3. They’re not sustainable.
In a world full of hunger, with clean water at a premium in many areas, taking up so much land and water to grow and harvest 10,000 pounds of roses for a mere one pound of rose oil is not exactly eco-friendly.
At that point, a fragrance oil infused with smaller amounts of essential oils is much more sustainable than purely using essential oils.
So, what’s the bottom line when it comes to scented candles?
The bottom line is that essential oils are great, but not cost-effective nor sustainable in large quantities.
Fragrance oils that have been approved by the scientific community (specifically, the RIFM and IFRA) are a more budget-friendly, eco-friendly alternative.