Maybe you’ve never heard of “vegan” candles because you weren’t aware that candles could be non-vegan in the first place. Don’t worry; you’re not alone on this one!
All it takes is a quick look at the history of candle making to find out that they were once made using tallow, the solid fat from animals. It wasn’t until the ancient Chinese empire discovered that beeswax could also be used to make candles. Although this made candle making slightly kinder to animals, it still required the use of animal products. The next best thing became paraffin wax. Fast forward to present day, this is the most common type of candle on the market. But, is it actually vegan?
At first glance, it seems like it would be! After taking a closer look, paraffin is too soft to be used alone and requires additive chemicals like stearic acid to keep the candle from melting. Unfortunately, stearic acid is made from animal fat, ruling out paraffin wax as a vegan candle.
So, what kind of candle is 100% vegan then? The answer is quite simple; plant-based candles!
Why Plant-Based Wax?
Since wax is basically the fuel for every candle, it was important for us to find something that would align with our values. As most waxes like paraffin, palm, and beeswax wouldn’t make the cut, we dug a little deeper and found something even better.
To make the cleanest candle on the market, we use a blend of natural coconut and apricot wax. By using this method, we’re able to promise the longest-burning candles without compromising the lives of animals. Why don’t all candlemakers use these waxes? Well, the short answer is that they tend to be more expensive than using chemical waxes like paraffin.
The Benefits of Plant-Based Candles
For starters, plant-based wax doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals that would be threatening to your health. While research is still being conducted on the long-term effects of breathing in petroleum, which is used to make paraffin wax, some studies have shown that the smoke releases soot. In other words, a black substance that can cause damage to your lungs when it’s been inhaled deeply.
Not only is our health taken into account, but plant-based candles have a smaller impact on the planet as well. For example, palm oil is a common ingredient in other waxes and is a major threat to our rainforests as the industry methods lead to deforestation. The extraction of coconut oil to make coconut wax is a much simpler process and doesn’t have the detrimental effects that are caused by palm oil production.
What Does it Mean to Be Cruelty-Free?
Despite common belief, vegan and cruelty-free don’t actually mean the same thing! The labels are used interchangeably, but just because a product is cruelty-free doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s also vegan. Anytime you see the words “cruelty-free,” it means that the components and final product were not tested on animals. When you see “vegan,” that means that the product doesn’t contain any animal products or animal-derived ingredients.
The beauty of plant-based candles is that the ingredients are clean, no animals were harmed, no animal products were used, and there’s no harsh environmental impact. We believe that enjoying a candle shouldn’t have to come at the expense of our health, our animals, or our planet. And with our candles, we prove that it never has to.