Deciding to begin a vegan lifestyle is a choice that can affect every aspect of your life. While some people only focus on their diets when they become vegan, others want everything in their lives to be vegan, including their toiletries, and a great deal more. If you’ve just begun a vegan lifestyle and you’re trying to switch everything in your life to a vegan form, then there are some things that you can easily forget, like candles. So, what are vegan candles made of?
What are traditional candles made from?
Most traditional candles are made from paraffin, which is a derivative of petroleum. It is often considered to be vegan-friendly, but paraffin is often too soft on its own, so other not-so-vegan-friendly ingredients are added to strengthen its overall structure.
This gives these candles their hard, wax feel and appearance that we’re all familiar with. Even if you were to find a vegan-friendly paraffin-based candle, these candles aren’t exactly environmentally-friendly.
If you are a true vegan and not just a dietary vegan, then you obviously want to do what you can to protect the environment.
Paraffin-based candles emit toxins into the atmosphere, which contributes to respiratory issues, allergies, and even cancer, among other possible illnesses. Due to this fact, you will definitely want to find some alternative candles that are both vegan and environmentally friendly.
Beeswax is another common ingredient that candles are made from, but as you likely already know, beeswax is not vegan friendly.
This might lead you to wonder: what are vegan candles made of, and what are the benefits of vegan candles over conventional choices.
What are vegan candles made of?
Vegan candles are made from many different ingredients, including soy, palm, coconut, olive, and other oils.
While vegan candles are typically costlier than traditional candles, vegan candles burn a lot more slowly, which means that they also last a lot longer than the candles that many people are used to.
Candles, regardless of the type, also contain a wick, which is lit for burning the candle, as well as essential oils to scent the candles.
The vegan candles that you find may have different ingredients, depending on the specific scents you opt for. Glue is also necessary to attach the wick to the wax before the candle’s set.
Where to buy vegan candles?
You can buy vegan candles just about anywhere you purchase traditional candles. If you are having a difficult time determining if the candles are vegan in a store, then you might want to shop online.
Online you can ensure the candles are vegan by purchasing them from websites that specialize in selling various types of vegan candles or are vegan certified.
Furthermore, you could shop at local health food stores like Whole Foods and similar stores. These types of stores are more apt to carry the candles that you seek.
Candle stores
Stores that specialize in the sale of candles are apt to offer various types of candles, including traditional and vegan.
A store employee should be able to quickly point you in the right direction if you visit such a store and begin feeling completely overwhelmed.
Many malls have stores that exclusively sell candles, like Yankee Candle or similar stores. All you have to do is conduct a Google search by typing in “candle stores” and Google will provide you with a list of all the candle stores within a search vicinity.
Making your own candles
Many people who consider themselves to be creative might opt for making their own vegan candles.
You can find numerous candle ingredients and supplies online, as well as instructions.
When making your own candles, not only can you choose your own base ingredients as well as scents, but you can actually have fun while completing your project.
Additionally, making your own candles can be very therapeutic and be a great way of helping you to relieve stress.
Why not have a go at making your own vegan candles by using one of these vegan candle making kits. They talk you through what you need to do step by step and can be fun for all of the family, especially if you have children that you are trying to introduce to a vegan lifestyle.
Candle Making Kit with Natural Soy Wax
If making your own vegan candles is not your thing and you are more interested in just buying them, there is a great selection of vegan candles available on Amazon.
Vegan candles vs Traditional Candles
There are many benefits of using vegan candles instead of traditional choices.
First of all, you don’t have to worry about damaging the Earth further with toxic fumes. Soy wax is also very easy to clean up with simple soap and water, unlike traditional candle wax, which can be more difficult to clean up.
Also, you don’t have to worry about the nasty synthetic scent of traditional candles making you sick, as vegan candles are usually scented with naturally-sourced ingredients that are not only safer for the environment, but they’re safer for your respiratory system, as well.
Most people who decide to live a vegan lifestyle never think about the things that we use on a daily basis that could be non-vegan. This is why it’s important to do your homework, especially if your reason for going vegan is because you’re against animal cruelty. So, the next time you go out looking for candles, be sure to remember what are vegan candles made of, so you can choose candles that help support your healthy lifestyle.
