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Is a night of relaxation at home ever complete without lighting your favorite candle? Or what about a romantic dinner with your boo? You’ve gotta have your candles! Candles bring peace and ambiance to any room or setting. But before lighting that candle, and allowing that cinnamon apple candle to send you into bliss, consider that some candles can give you a lot more than a sweet smell.
Candles Produce Soot
When you light that cute cinnamon apple candle, its almost like starting a little factory in your home. Soot is a known carcinogen, as well as causing respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Standard wicks made of stiffener, wire and cotton. Using pure cotton wicks will completely rid the problem of soot. If your candle doesn’t have a cotton wick, trimming the wick, and extinguishing the candle by covering it with a lid after extinguishing it will help prevent soot according to an article at the candleers.com you can see below.
Chemists from the American Chemical Society found that candles made with paraffin wax releases many bad chemicals including formaldehyde, toluene, fragrance, and paraffin. You definitely wouldn’t want these chemicals floating around in your home:
1. Formaldehyde: this chemical can cause damage to the respiratory system, eyes, and is cancer-causing according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
2. Toluene: a chemical typically used in chemicals like paint pigments and solvents. Toluene is known to cause dizziness, headaches, confusion, anxiety and respiratory problems. Long term exposure can cause kidney damage according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
3. Fragrance: a chemical linked to a multitude of health effects including cancer, reproductive system problems, allergies, and sensitivities.
4. Paraffin: a chemical that most candles are made of (i.e Yankee Candle Co, Bath and Body Works, etc.). But paraffin comes with a whole host of health problems including: cancer, chiefly breast cancer. A study in Long Island, NY found that women exposed to paraffin had a 50% greater risk of breast cancer. check out the link below.
Luckily, there are other alternatives to those lovely Yankee Candles or the Bath and Body Works Candles you can enjoy.
Other Wax Candles
Soy candles and Beeswax candles like the ones listed below are 100% paraffin and toxin free and with essential oils. Soy candles also produce a strong scent like paraffin wax. So you can enjoy the scent of a pine forest while reaping the benefits of essential oils! Not only that, but some of the candles listed below have cotton wicks so they are soot-free!
Diffusers
Diffusers are another great option! They’re pretty easy to use and versatile. So you can have the home smelling of orange zest in the morning and frakincense and vanilla at night. Not only that, but they provide humidity to your home which could be great for your skin and hair. Check out the diffuser sets listed below!
Conclusion
While its easy to think, “hey, I’ve been using scented candles for years and haven’t had any health problems or been hospitalized.” The idea with toxins often is that “the dose makes the poison.” Thus you could expose yourself to a dangerous toxin as long as it is within safe limits. But it’s important to consider that any toxin anywhere, is still a toxin. It can still have an effect on you even if you don’t see it today. So limiting your exposure to toxic chemicals like the ones found in candles would be the best idea to keep your home safe from toxins but smelling great.
In a previous post, I spoke about some of the harmful ingredients in many personal care products. Many of which are tied to cancer, can jack up your hormones, ruin some vital organs, and or cause irritation. Many of these chemicals are in our tried and true, ride or die products (I’m looking at you Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner!). Today, I’ll list the best toxin-free hair care products that are great to try for all hair types that don’t break the bank!
SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Shampoo & Conditioner pack -$20.89(at Amazon, see link below)
This brand is known for its high quality ingredients free of toxins that are great for curly hair types. I personally use this exact line, and my hair has been super moisturized since using it. You can find Shea Moisture products anywhere these days: CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
ACURE Curiously Clarifying Shampoo, Lemongrass & Argan-$9.99 (at Amazon, see link below)
ACURE is a vegan hair care brand that has amazing products! This shampoo is a great clarifier that will strip hair of nasty oil and dirt leaving your hair clean and stronger because of the argan oil infused in the formula. They have lines for thin, fragile hair; and even dry, thirsty locks! This brand is definitely A CURE for dry, damaged, limp hair (get it? A cure?). You can find them Amazon or at your local Whole Foods!
Puracy Citrus & Mint Sulfate-Free Natural Daily Shampoo and Conditioner Pack-$25.99 (at Amazon, see link below)
Puracy is a vegan, hypoallergenic hair line that is cruelty free. This award-winning hair care brand has all your toxin-free needs from hair care products, baby shampoo and body wash, body washes, laundry detergents, and multi-surface cleaners! Their Citrus and Mint shampoo and conditioner will keep your hair cleaner and stronger between washes. You can find this brand at Target and Amazon.
The Honest Company Conditioning Detangler & Fortifying Spray-$5.99 (at Amazon, see link below)
This product is Amazon’s choice for detanglers with 4.5 stars. It’ll soften and nourish hair while leaving it smelling of vanilla and sweet orange. This company has it all: body washes, hair care products, even personal care products for babies all toxin- free! You can find their affordable products at Amazon and Target.
Pacifica Pineapple Curls Pomade–
Who doesn’t need bouncier curls while smelling like pineapples? This pomade will nourish, and define curls, lay edges and add shine to hair. This brand is also cruelty free and vegan! You can buy these at Amazon and Target!
Kerastase Discipline relays anti-frizz oil serum–$37.99 (At Amazon, see link below)
This serum is pretty popular, its effectiveness touted even by the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Kerastase is great for all hair types. But this particular line is great for reducing frizz, and smoothing hair: making it a winner for curly, or wavy hair types! You can find this product at Sephora, and Amazon.
Yarok Feed Your Roots Mousse–$32.00 (At Amazon, see link below)
Hmm, a mousse that’s toxin free, will nourish my hair, and not dry it out? What more could a girl ask for? This all-natural, cruelty free, vegan product is great for thin, limp or damaged hair. The Yurok Feed Your Roots Mousse transforms your locks into voluminous hair by giving it the nutrients it needs. You can find these products on Amazon or the detox market. They’re having a huge half-off sale right now on their site!
If you’re in need of some hair care products that are free of harmful chemicals, give these product lines a try! They’ll get the job done of giving you luscious, nourished locks without the worry of using dangerous chemicals.
Our body is our temple, right? Most of us are pretty good at ensuring the things we put into our bodies are not poisonous, damaging or harmful to our bodies, right? We wouldnt willfully eat lead or arsenic or inhale asbestos. But what about the things we put outside our bodies?
Did you know that most of our daily care products like shampoo, toothpaste and lotion are filled with dangerous chemicals? While the European Union has banned more than 40,000 dangerous chemicals in personal care products, the US has only banned around 11 dangerous chemicals. Leaving most consumers with a cocktail of dangerous chemicals seeping into our bodies every day. In this series, were gonna discuss some of the chemicals in our everyday personal care products. But there’s still hope, because I’ll also provide some great alternatives.
Take a look at some of the many chemicals you can find on the back of many everyday personal care products taken from Safecosmetics.org:
Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
Paraformaldehyde, a type of formaldehyde.
Methylene glycol, a type of formaldehyde.
Quaternium 15, which releases formaldehyde.
The long-chain per- andpolyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, which have been linked to cancer.
M- and o-phenylenediamine, used in hair dyes, which irritate and sensitize the skin, damage DNA and can cause cancer.
1, 4-Dioxane, Not listed on ingredient labels, 1,4-dioxane is a contaminant linked to cancer found in products that create suds, such as shampoo and liquid soap.
Acrylates, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, and methyl methacrylate) are ingredients found in artificial nail products
Benzophenone, and related products, chemical linked to cancer, benzophenone is used in cosmetics such as lip balm and nail polish to protect the products from UV light.
Butylated compounds (BHT, BHA), Concerns about organ-system toxicity and endocrine disruption led the European Union to prohibit the preservative butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) from cosmetics
Carbon black, dark black powder used as a pigment in cosmetics such as eyeliner, mascara and lipstick that has been linked to increased incidence of cancer.
Coal tar, known carcinogen found in shampoos, soaps, hair dyes, and lotions
Ethanolamine compounds (MEA, DEA, TEA, etc.), The European Union prohibits DEA in cosmetics due to concerns about formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Ethoxylated compounds (PPG, PEG, polysorbate, phenoxyethanol, polyoxyethylene, sulfates, emulsifying wax NF), breast cancer and other cancers
Methylisothiazolinone, allergies and possible neurotoxicity
Mica, respiratory problems, and lung scarring
Nanomaterials (zinc oxide, micronized titanium dioxide, micronized quartz silica, fullerenes), damage to skin cells, cell damage, and lung cell mutations
Nitrosamines (TEA, DEA), linked to cancer
Octinoxate, endocrine disrupter
Parabens, endocrine disrupter
PABA, endocrine disrupter
Petrolatum, petroleum jelly (paraffin and mineral oil), cancer, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists 14 PAHs as probable or possible carcinogens and one PAH as a known carcinogen.[5] A study on Long Island, NY, found that those women with high levels of PAH-DNA adducts had a 50 percent greater risk of breast cancer
Whoah, that’s a huge list for dangerous chemicals! How can I possibly remember all of that? Plus, I’m sure its not so bad if my favorite products have only a small amount of these chemicals, right?
Wrong. According to an article on Safecosmetics.org, it was long held that as long as a dangerous chemical was used in small amounts, it was not dangerous. This theory was put forth by a 16th century physician scientist Paracelsus. He believed that any substance was a poison if you ate too much of it and that any substance could be safe if the exposures were small enough. Research has since revealed that there are no safe exposure levels for some chemicals. For instance, lead can affect brain development even at parts per million. A dangerous chemical, is a dangerous chemical, is a dangerous chemical.
You’ll notice in the list above, most of the chemicals fall into one or all of these categories: organ system disrupter, irritant, endocrine disrupter (i.e. reproductive toxicity or developmental toxicity), or cancer-causing (carcinogen).
Considering that cancers are 70-90% environmental, meaning not caused by your genes inherited from your parents (5-10% of cancers are hereditary), is it too much of a stretch to consider the products we use as causing cancer? Or even infertility? A meta-analysis published in 2017 in the journal Human Reproduction Update found that sperm count has declined by 50% in 40 years! Miscarriages and female infertility are also increasing, at a rate of 5-10% per year according to singlecare.com. Its easy to wonder if those numbers would be different if the personal care products didn’t have these dangerous chemicals in them.
For example, take a look at some of these everyday hair care products below:
We only get one body, so we owe it to ourselves to care for it, and be diligent with how we take care of it. And what products we use to care for it. I know how disappointing this list can be-especially if some “natural” products you have are filled with some of these dangerous chemicals! But there’s still hope. Consumers are becoming more aware of the dangers of chemicals in products, and companies are listening.
If you’re like me, some of those products mentioned above are your tried and true faves! It can be tough finding other personal care products that are free of dangerous chemicals. Thankfully, I’ve found a few good brands to check out (that are pretty affordable too)!
The Mustard Seed Wife 