It’s true that your mood and scent are interlinked, which is one good reason why many people burn candles to enter a calm and relaxed state.
But could candles do harm instead of good? It’s a controversial topic, but many candles today are made with questionable ingredients that can cause harm.
So, are Aldi Candles toxic? What types of ingredients are used? Let’s find out if they’re actually toxic or not.
Key Takeaways
- Aldi candles include harmful materials such as paraffin wax
- Aldi candles include essential oils for adding fragrance, which is less harmful.
- Aldi Candles are generally harmful to use around pets, so precautions must be taken to ensure rooms are well-ventilated and away from your pets.
Are Aldi Candles Toxic?
For most people who can’t afford expensive candles from brands in the likes of Jo Malone, Aldi offers a much cheaper alternative to purchasing scented candles. In fact, they’re so high in demand that Aldi candles usually get sold out pretty quickly.
But, most scented candles are composed of paraffin wax, a type of wax derived from coal, petroleum, or shade oil. When burnt, this paraffin wax releases harmful compounds, including Benzene, Toluene, acetone, etc.
So, the real question is, do Aldi candles have paraffin? Yes, Aldi candles do contain paraffin, and this is why their candles are pretty cheap. In fact, this is one of the main selling points of Aldi.
Their candles are often cheaper knockoffs of popular candle brands like Jo Malone. But to match the scent of such high-quality candles at a more budget-friendly rate, Aldi often uses a blend of paraffin wax, and beeswax or soywax. It really depends on what flavor and how much the price is.
Some Aldi candles are made from a blend of paraffin wax and soy wax. Such blended candles offer some advantages because of the healthier soy wax properties. The candles hold scents a lot longer. However, the paraffin wax would still emit toxic chemicals on burning.
Ingredients You Need To Watch Out For
Always check the ingredients of your favorite Aldi candle before buying. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
| Ingredients | Harmful? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Soy wax | Less Likely | Safer for the environment & non-toxic |
| Paraffin wax | Yes | Carcinogens released by emissions have been linked to respiratory problems and lung disease. |
| Essential oils | Less Likely | Harmless and extracted from plants |
| Cotton wick | Yes | Usually Soaked in nasty chemicals |
Aldi Candles: Harmful For Cats, Dogs & Birds
Like many of us, you might also be a scented candle enthusiast but prioritize your dog’s or cat’s health more. Although they can smell quite beautiful, sometimes they can have a negative impact on not just our health but our innocent pets. The candles can potentially cause allergic responses in your pets, including birds.
So, how do you know if Aldi candles are bad for you? Candles from Aldi contain a blend of soy and paraffin, so although it’s half-good, the other half is quite unhealthy. You may revel in the non-toxicity of the essential oils used in the blend; they still have toxic cotton wicks dipped in lead or other chemicals to make them look more rigid and straight.
As discussed in the table above, paraffin wax is linked to harmful illnesses such as lung cancer and asthma. This is because of the harmful toxins released during burning that emulate those emitted by diesel fuel. It also contains chemicals such as Benzene and Toluene, which are known carcinogenic agents that can cause rashes on the skin or, worse, cancer.
Burning it around your pets can be pretty dangerous. If they are that harmful to humans, imagine what they can do to our pets. So, if you burn them, ensure your pets are not in the same room. Otherwise, you may notice your pet sneezing, coughing, or eyes watering.
Carcinogenic elements & VOCs
Aldi candles are often a blend of soy and paraffin wax, mixed with essential oils and topped with a lead-dipped cotton wick. Even though soy wax does not contain carcinogens, paraffin sure does. There are small amounts of VOCs due to the fragrance of the candles, which are released when melting paraffin wax.
So, when burning, the candles can emit odorless but toxic gases that contain harmful compounds such as the Benzene mentioned above and Toluene. These are known carcinogenic agents and can cause headaches, damage to internal organs like kidneys, reproductive problems, or even cancer.
Phthalates
Phthalates are a set of chemicals that manufacturing companies widely use to make beauty products, package products, etc. They are pretty disruptive to human health, particularly the endocrine system. These chemicals have negative impacts on pregnant people, child growth, etc., and are quite toxic.
With this in mind, you must remember that these chemicals are abundant in fragrance oils. However, Aldi makes use of essential oils so you can keep your worries away.
Our Readers Asked
What is the correct way to use Aldi candles for safest use?
There have been a lot of incidents with Aldi candles where the glass containers burst. So, make sure you keep it on a heat-resistant surface with no other sources of heat close by.
Do Aldi candles use lead in the wicks?
Most cotton wicks are made to be dipped into chemicals like lead, so they are straighter and burn smoother. Aldi uses lead coats on their cotton wicks, which can cause immense harm to your health.
How long does an Aldi candle last?
The burning time of Aldi candles will depend on their weight. If it’s small (60g), the burn time is about 18 hrs. For medium (120g), it’ll burn for 30 hours max. And for large (200g), the burn time is 45 hrs.
Wrapping Up
Now that we have addressed most of your concerns, it’s entirely up to you if you still want to use Aldi candles or not. Since Aldi is on the cheaper end, they use ingredients such as paraffin wax and cotton wicks. But they are somewhat healthier due to the soy wax blend.
You now know that you must buy candles that contain soy wax if you want a healthier and more ecological solution. Essential oils are always preferred over fragrance oils, so Aldi is a good choice in that regard. Be mindful and ensure to burn them away from your pets.
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