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the-dirty-truth-about-scented-candles

The Dirty Truth About Scented Candles

hi I'm Dr Mike vski a board certified Family Medicine doctor welcome to the new series Truth or Scare where I dive into the latest research and give you my take on the scariest most viral Health claims making news today this episode's claim that burning candles indoors can emit toxic chemicals that cause all sorts of serious health problems and the type of candle could make it worse burning a candle for 1 hour has the same negative effects as smoking a whole cigarette let's get into it whenever you burn anything you will have chemicals released into the air that can be harmful for you this will change drastically based on what's being burned where it's being burned and how long you're exposed to it one group of chemicals detected in those emissions are called volatile organic compounds or voc's for short some voc's like Benzene and formaldahyde are well-known carcinogens meaning they can cause cancer then you have particulate matter a mix of solid and liquid particles small enough to get deep into your lungs and enter your bloodstream these particles are a component of soot that dark powdery residue you might see on the floor of a fire place or inside of a glass Candle jar inhaling them can increase your risk of lung and other cancers and respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD soot is mainly caused by incomplete combustion this happens when the wax doesn't fully burn because there isn't enough oxygen available visible smoke is the most obvious sign of this incomplete combustion candles tend to give off this smoke right after they're lit or when the flame is dying out one older EPA study actually found that a few seconds of smoldering produce more particle emissions than several hours of normal candle burning did third are phalates or endocrine disruptors they're chemicals that truly can impact hormone levels as well as aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms technically phalates are considered like semi voc's phalates are actually specific to scented can they're used in synthetic fragrances which give most scented candles their Aromas burning a candle creates a very low level of exposure to all of these chemicals this is the case for both scented and unscented candles and candles really made from all different types of wax however there is some evidence showing the type of candle wax might play a role in worse emissions in addition to containing phalates scented candles are said to give off more soot and there's some evidence that paraffin wax which is made from petroleum produces more voc's and more soot than natural waxes like beeswax and soy wax but these differences are likely too small to make candles a true health hazard also at least one study found that I looked at showed that all types of wax basically release the same mix of chemicals into the air those worried about allergies should be on alert when it comes to scented candles in that case you'd want to avoid all products with added fragrance not just candles but if you use candles a typical amount amount should you panic while typical candle usage doesn't have a truly defined meaning the national candle Association does recommend 4 hours as a limit they also say to follow a candle manufacturer's instructions on ideal burn time using a well-ventilated space and limiting how many candles are burning at the same time there's actually been some research done to address the concerns surrounding scented candles in one 2014 study researchers burn candles for 4 hours in indoor spaces ranging from the size of a small bathroom to an average siiz living room they measured Airborne emissions of voc's semi voc's and particular matter throughout the entire burn session even in the smallest space the highest vocc levels were less than half of the limit for safe indoor air quality as recommended by The Who compared to Candle emissions you're exposed to far more particulate matter and voccs when you use a wood burning stove or an indoor fireplace and neither activity is considered unsafe when used in moderation however heavy exposure to combustion products is a valid concern for some groups of people like chimney sweeps or anyone who smokes cigarettes inside without proper filtration so what's the takeaway here burning a candle does release potentially harmful substances into the air and unless you're overdoing it or uniquely vulnerable the quantities are too low to make you sick with that said less soot is always better so if you notice that your candles produce a lot of it here are some suitable steps to take sorry I had to do it to take to minimize your soot exposure trim the wick to 1/4 of an inch remove any debris from the pool of wax around the wick put out the candle before it starts smoldering avoid placing a candle near an open window fan or air conditioner air movement like that can interfere with oxygen supply never leave a candle unattended especially around kids or dogos and no matter how often you burn candles you never need to do this and you may need to do a full body detox if you've been using candles for a number of years to get those toxins out of your body so on my Truth or Scare scale where zero is total BS and 10 is a true evidence-based claim this claim gets a three speaking of sense let's talk about how often we should be showering click here to check that out and as always stay happy and healthy [Music] oh

Dr.

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