Scented Candles 101: A guide to the Pro's and Cons of scented candles

Easily accessible, scented candles can provide an array of benefits. However, this wax-based product can also have its disadvantages. Mummy Matters provides a few pros and cons of scented candles.

Pros

Improves home decor

Scented candles can help improve your home decor by enhancing a person’s mood in any room to make it more inviting or relaxing.

Assists in meditation

Finding difficulty meditating due to all the distractions? Use scented candles to help you focus. Light the candle in a room or in a quiet area where outside noise will not cause any distractions, interrupting your concentration.

Unsplash

Creates a special ambience and atmosphere

If you are looking to create an atmosphere that is relaxing and peaceful in your living or workspace, using scented candles is a great way to do so. The candles are also a great way to create a romantic setting for you and your partner.

Provides a pleasant fragrance

If your home has an odour you are trying to get rid of, scented candles might just be one of the products that will help do the trick. The great thing is that you do not only have to use it for foul odours. If you are looking to have guests enter a lovely-smelling house, purchase a few scented candles to give them a warm welcome to your home.

Cons

Can cause allergic reactions

Certain ingredients used in scented candles may be the cause of allergic reactions. Some symptoms may include the following:

Sneezing, runny nose, coughing, itchy eyes, or wheezing from inhaling the burning candle’s smoke.
Hives.
Itchy or swollen skin.

Unsplash

The soot released into the air can affect your health

This poses a severe health concern as scented candles can cause asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer. Mummy Matters states, “Soot is made up of fine particles of carbon that are created when you burn something like wood or coal in an open flame. These microscopic particles are inhaled into your lungs, where they lodge in your airways, causing inflammation and irritation of the cells lining them, which leads to diseases like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).”