Purely Kelley

Laney Madora Elliott
January 21, 2021
7 lb. 13 oz.
21 in.
7:18am

Our girl is here! 💕 Perfect, healthy and already FULL of personality.

If you caught my last blog post, you know I chatted all about candles and how to choose a safer option. One of the biggest topics I addressed was about which types of wax may be best. For today’s Label Lingo, I wanted to break down paraffin wax a little bit more.
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Paraffin wax is a byproduct of the oil purification process. The wax of crude oil is then broken down into further refinement processes and paraffin wax is created. Petroleum-based paraffin can be found in wax paper, cosmetics, polishes and candles.
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Not going to lie...anything that comes from petroleum sounds a bit sketch, right? So, what does the research say about paraffin wax? Well….it’s super mixed. Some research clearly highlights that toluene and benzene are toxic and carcinogenic byproducts of these candles. However, some leading authorities like the National Candle Association say that these results are inflated and there is too little toluene and benzene to actually cause harm to health.
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By now, you guys know that I choose to err on the side of caution. While the evidence may not be overwhelming, it’s good enough to give me pause and look for other options like soy or beeswax. But neither of these options are perfect either, so be sure to check out my link in bio for the low-down and what to look for if you opt for soy and/or beeswax candles.
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