Although using candles for lighting purposes isn’t important nowadays, many people still use them as popular ornaments in their houses. Lighting up a candle can create a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, or even regulate your emotions and mood states.

However, many people following the eco-friendly lifestyle are concerned about the environmental impact of conventional candles, especially the smoke and their animal-derived origins. 

This article will walk you through a viable alternative to conventional candles – a mysterious world of vegan candles – and the reasons why it should be the optimal choice.

What Is A Vegan Candle?

Most conventional candles are made from paraffin. Although paraffin is vegan because it’s made from petroleum, it is too soft to make a good candle. That’s why people usually add a small amount of stearic acid to harden the wax and increase the burning time. But stearic acid is usually derived from animal fat, which makes it non-vegan. Stearic acid can be derived from coconut oil, but the choice of this material is not popular due to its higher cost compared to that of animals.

However, paraffin is not the only ingredient to make candles. Instead, the alternative substance to be used is beeswax. Beeswax is produced by melting and then straining and cooling honeycomb. While the use of beeswax makes candles safer and lasts longer, it’s, still, a non-vegan ingredient. This is because the process of producing the honeycomb is exploitative and cruel to bees. Many bees have suffered from death and torment to produce this type of candle.

So, what is exactly a vegan candle? Candles can be called vegan if the only substances added are plant-based. The most common vegan candles are made from soy wax. Basically, the combination of special vegetables or plants creates a variety of vegan candles for different purposes of use. 

The following parts of the article focus on why we should choose vegan candles rather than others. 

Vegan Candles Contain No Animal-derived Ingredients 

As mentioned above, the appearance of non-animal-derived ingredients makes candles more appealing to vegans. Vegans nowadays can continue using candles as a type of their ornaments or even for mood controlling purposes without worrying about its negative impacts on the animals.

Most vegan candles nowadays are labeled vegan friendly, which will distinguish them from conventional candles. However, you’ll learn as you read more here that even some plant-based candles may have several non-vegan substances. Therefore, it’s necessary to take a look at the ingredients or contact the manufacturers in advance for more information. 

Plant-based Candles Are Better For The Environment

One of the foremost reasons to choose vegan candles as an alternative to conventional ones is because they don’t do great harm to the environment. Specifically, vegan candles are natural and biodegradable. For example, soy candles are found not to emit unwanted chemicals into the atmosphere compared to candles made from fossil fuel. Moreover, it takes less effort to clean off the soot as the leftover produced by vegan candles is much less than the traditional ones. People can easily clean this soot by just using water and soap.

On the contrary, non-vegan candles are usually made from paraffin so that they can release harmful amounts of toxins into the air, which may pollute the atmosphere or cause several health hazards to humans.

Vegan Candles Produce A Better Scent 

Vegan candles, especially soy wax candles, burn more slowly and release the scent gradually. As a result, there’s no immediate wave of strong scent released as opposed to paraffin candles. Moreover, as the added ingredients are plant-based, the smell of vegan candles is naturally amazing. For those who want to leisurely enjoy the soothing smell, it’s worth considering because the created atmosphere becomes more pleasant and relaxing.

Furthermore, the slower burning time also helps to increase the longevity of vegan candles. Most vegan candles take a longer time to be completely used compared to paraffin candles of the same size. Although the cost may be higher, the longer-lasting time means you don’t have to buy the new one very often.

Cruelty-free Candles Are The Best Choice All-Around

Conventional candles are not only popular in homes, but also at restaurants, hotels, etc. due to their inexpensive cost and the diversity in types. However, those who follow an eco-friendly lifestyle should consider switching to vegan candles. They are animal-free, environmentally friendly, longer longevity, but still contain the same or even better fragrance. 

For those who are not vegans, it’s also joyful to explore the world of vegan candles. Apart from the conventional ones, you will be surprised by a wide range of vegan candles. Take the selection of vegan candles for your house, and you will be pleased with the result it may bring.