Maddie James
Lighting a candle is often thought to help eliminate nasty smells, particularly in the bathroom. However, this is not as simple as it seems. While candles cannot burn away bad smells, scented candles can mask odours and release pleasant fragrances into the air. This is because scented candles contain essential oils or fragrances in their wax, which evaporate when the candle is burned, filling the air with volatile organic compounds. These compounds react with the receptors in your nose, helping to cover up any unpleasant scents. Nevertheless, it is important to note that scented candles can contribute to indoor air pollution, especially those made with paraffin wax, which releases carcinogens.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Do candles help with smell? | Scented candles mask odours and give off a pleasant aroma. |
| How do scented candles mask odours? | They contain essential oils or fragrances in their wax which evaporate and fill the air with volatile organic compounds. |
| Do scented candles eliminate odours? | No, they only mask them. |
| Do scented candles cause indoor air pollution? | Yes, especially paraffin wax candles, which release carcinogens into the air. |
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What You'll Learn
Scented candles mask odours
Scented candles are a popular way to eliminate bad odours and introduce pleasant fragrances into a space. While they do not entirely eliminate odours, they work by masking them.
Scented candles contain essential oils or fragrances in their wax. When the candle is burned, the wax melts, and the oils evaporate, filling the air with volatile organic compounds. These compounds interact with the receptors in your nose, thereby masking the unpleasant odours.
Citrus scents, such as lemon, bergamot, and lemongrass, are particularly effective in covering up bad smells due to their high acidity and sharp, clean scent. Other scents that are commonly used to mask odours include eucalyptus, lavender, pine, and citronella.
It is important to note that scented candles, especially those made with paraffin wax, can contribute to indoor air pollution by releasing carcinogens and toxic soot into the air. Therefore, it is recommended to opt for candles made from natural materials, such as vegetable wax or beeswax, which are less harmful and can also help eliminate unpleasant scents.
Additionally, it is advisable to identify the source of the foul odour and clean it accordingly before lighting a scented candle. This ensures that the source of the smell is removed, and the candle helps to maintain a pleasant aroma in the space.
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Burning candles don't remove smells
While candles are a popular way to eliminate odours, they do not actually remove smells. Unpleasant odours are caused by gases, and while some gases are flammable, the gases that catch fire are not the same as the chemicals that make the bad smell. Therefore, burning a candle will not get rid of a bad smell.
However, scented candles can be used to mask unpleasant scents. When a scented candle is burned, the wax melts and the oils evaporate, filling the air with volatile organic compounds. These compounds react with the receptors in your nose, masking any nasty odours.
It is worth noting that scented candles, especially those with paraffin wax, can cause indoor air pollution by releasing carcinogens and toxic soot into the air.
Beeswax candles are a natural alternative that can help purify the air while burning, removing negative ions in the air. Vegetable wax candles also work in a similar way to beeswax candles and can be effective in getting rid of bad smells.
Therefore, while burning candles may not directly remove smells, certain types of candles can help eliminate odours by purifying the air or masking unpleasant scents with pleasant aromas.
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Candle wax contains essential oils or fragrances
Scented candles are made with wax that contains essential oils or fragrances. The essential oils are added to the melted wax before it is poured into moulds or containers. The amount of essential oil used varies depending on the desired fragrance intensity and the type of wax used. For example, soy wax and beeswax are popular choices for scented candles due to their ability to hold scent and their slower burn rates. Soy wax is also known for its consistent fragrance release throughout the burn time of the candle.
When creating scented candles, it is important to test the wax and oil blend to ensure the desired fragrance strength. This can be achieved by adjusting the ratio of oil to wax. For a light fragrance, around 6% essential oil is used, while a stronger fragrance may use up to 10% essential oil. It is also important to consider the temperature of the wax when adding essential oils, as high heat can cause the oils to evaporate too quickly or become damaged. The ideal temperature for adding essential oils is between 120°F and 180°F.
Once the essential oils have been added to the melted wax, it is important to stir thoroughly for proper distribution. The wax is then poured slowly into the mould or container, ensuring that the wick is centred and secure. After cooling and solidifying, the wick is trimmed, and the candle is allowed to cure for 1-2 weeks, which helps the fragrance oils bind with the wax, resulting in a better scent throw.
The use of scented candles can help to mask unpleasant odours and fill a space with pleasant aromas. When burned, the wax melts, and the oils evaporate, releasing volatile organic compounds that react with the receptors in the nose, masking any unpleasant smells. However, it is important to note that scented candles, especially those made with paraffin wax, can cause indoor air pollution by releasing carcinogens into the air.
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Candle wax releases volatile organic compounds
Scented candles are known to mask foul odours and release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. These VOCs include pleasant aromas and toxic components, both before lighting and when lit. For example, when lit, limonene, found in citrus fruit scents, linalool in lavender, or pinene in pine react with the receptors in your nose, masking nasty smells.
However, it is important to note that burning candles release chemicals that may pose a danger to your health. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that scented candles release compounds, but it is unclear if they affect your health. Burning candles made from paraffin wax, beeswax, soy wax, or palm wax can release toxins, although it is debated if there are enough toxins to pose a health threat.
A study by Petry et al. (2014) analysed the human health risks of VOC, SVOC, and particulate emissions from scented candles. They found that certain scented candle products acted as potent sources of VOC emissions, with increased concentrations of low boiling point compounds. Formaldehyde, a toxic compound, was found to have the highest emission concentration.
Another study by Klein et al. (2019) investigated the impact of candle burning on indoor air quality, finding that candles emit volatile organic compounds and primary and secondary organic aerosols.
To minimize potential health risks, the European Candle Association recommends the following:
- Avoid burning candles in drafty areas.
- Trim the wick if it exceeds 5 to 10 millimetres.
- Use a candle snuffer or dip the wick in wax instead of blowing it out.
- Ventilate the room after extinguishing a candle.
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Candles can cause indoor air pollution
While candles can be great for providing ambiance and covering up unpleasant odors, they can also cause indoor air pollution. When candles are burned, they release toxins, including benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein. These toxins are also found in diesel fuel. Paraffin wax candles, which are derived from petroleum, are particularly harmful in this regard.
Scented candles can be even more problematic, as the synthetic fragrances they contain create more soot than unscented varieties. This soot can stain walls, furniture, and even contaminate your home's ventilation system. Additionally, the fragrance in scented candles is often composed of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as limonene, linalool, and pinene. These VOCs can react with the receptors in your nose, potentially causing irritation or allergy-like symptoms.
The effects of candle pollution can be especially detrimental to those with asthma or respiratory tract sensitivities. Lighting multiple candles in an unventilated space can aggravate these conditions and cause breathing difficulties. Therefore, it is recommended to only burn candles in well-ventilated areas and to avoid direct drafts onto the candles.
To mitigate the negative impact of candles on indoor air quality, there are a few alternatives and precautions that can be taken:
- Opt for beeswax or soy candles, which are considered safer options.
- Use candle warmers or electric space heaters instead of an open flame. These alternatives provide ambiance and warmth without emitting smoke, soot, or chemicals.
- Choose essential oil diffusers or reed diffusers to fill your space with fragrance. These options avoid the release of smoke and soot associated with burning candles.
- Ensure proper ventilation in the room by keeping windows open or using a fan to circulate fresh air.
- Limit the burning time of candles to one hour at a stretch, and always allow them to cool before relighting.
- Consider using an air purifier to remove toxins from the air and improve the overall air quality in your home.
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Frequently asked questions
Scented candles can mask bad odours and give a room a pleasant aroma. This is because they contain essential oils or fragrances in their wax, which evaporate and fill the air with volatile organic compounds. However, they do not eliminate the source of the bad smell.
When a scented candle is burned, the wax melts and the oils evaporate, filling the air with volatile organic compounds such as limonene (found in citrus fruit scents), linalool (found in lavender), or pinene (found in pine). These scents react with the receptors in your nose, masking other smells.
No, only scented candles can mask odours. However, an unscented candle can burn away gases such as hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and methane, which are produced by flatulence. However, only hydrogen sulfide contributes to the odour, so the candle does not tackle the smell problem.
Yes, some candles are designed to eliminate odours rather than just mask them. For example, Fresh Wave candles are designed to eliminate food smells.
No, in some cases, scented candles may not be strong enough to mask certain odours. For example, one person reported that their Homesick candle was unable to mask the scent of food.
