Let\’s get started! Winter has arrived after a year\’s absence. We all want to warm ourselves with the little orange flames of the fireplace, if only for the feeling. It is very warm when we have a fireplace in our homes, but not everyone has access to the warmth of a hearth. For this reason, we often resort to savoring the ambiance. With candles.

Ever wonder what candles are made of? Yes, paraffin wax. It\’s oil! Oil is used in almost everything these days, you might say. But who would want to burn oil? What effect would it have on the lungs? And in winter, there\’s smog outside.

Paraffin is actually the residue of crude oil that settles at the bottom of a barrel, which is then purified into wax and oil. Paraffin itself is not harmful to health, but when it begins to burn along with cheap wicks, which often contain heavy metals, the candles release benzene and toluene.

So what if you want to enjoy the winter comfort of candles in your home, but don\’t want to breathe in the unhealthy fumes? It is not easy, and often not cheap, but it is not unfeasible. We use natural waxes and good quality wicks. As I mentioned above, the price is worth it.

And there are two options. We can either buy such candles from convenient online stores, or we can make them at home. There is absolutely no need to worry.

So-called healthy candles are ideally made from soy wax, which has a melting point of 45.5°C.

Additionally, healthy candles can also be made from palm wax. To obtain palm oil, hectares of forest must be cut down, destroying all the animal and plant populations that inhabit these rare and important forests.

Finally, beeswax is perhaps our most natural and can be used to make beautiful and fragrant candles. It is also the most expensive, but that is not surprising since the number of hardworking bees is declining in nature.

Replacing candles is certainly worth it from a health perspective. So don\’t be afraid to get to work replacing harmful ones with natural, non-toxic ones. Don\’t ruin the winter atmosphere.