to think that constantly breathing in the fumes from wax melts can’t be good for you?

[AngusDuck]

Constantly see people banging on about wax melts on Facebook at the moment, pushing their MLM products or home made stuff, and whilst I’m sure it’s lovely to have a nice fragrant home, surely it can’t be good for you to be constantly breathing that stuff in? I’m asthmatic and just the thought of being in an environment where I was always breathing in scented stuff makes me feel funny. So I might be being unreasonable, but just wondering if anyone feels the same way?

I can't wait for this entire fad, including air fresheners, to go away. It's disgusting.

Yeah, both the perfumes and the invisible particle in smoke from candles are harmful. Particulate pollution is why we are getting rid of diesels outside, so why bring the same into your house ??? Effects include heart disease, stroke, lung problems and dementia apparently. Nice.

This report makes for quite scary reading _

Oops posted instead of pasted, ill try again
www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/every-breath-we-take-lifelong-impact-air-pollution

YANBU. I have to say I've never really thought about it but you're right that breathing in chemicals all day cant be good. We dont use "everyday" air fresheners or similar. I have a spray in the bathroom in case someone does a particularly nasty smell - used about once a week. And very occasionally I light a scented candle to have a bath or something. But some people spray various chemicals and fragrances around their homes 24/7 and I'm sure it cant have a positive effect.

YANBU. Even the Danes are realising their precious hygge candle habit is bad for their health.

www.yourdanishlife.dk/candles-deadly-danish-hygge/

They are bad for you and the environment

Unless burning natural candles which don’t have the pollutants in them

These wax melts and cheap candles like Yankee candle will also gradually turn your walls dirty leaving residue as they burn

I always thought they must be bad for your health a never ever bought any of the plugins or other “fresheners”. The car fresheners are so strong and I can’t use them either or even a strong smelling household cleaner.

Can people please provide evidence that they’re toxic? Every time a thread like this pops up, out come the scaremongers. If they were that toxic, they wouldn’t be sold.

There was an article in The Times today linking cleaning products to childhood asthma. Your lungs are sensitive, chemicals can't be good for them (even if they smell nice).

@Jarvisisgod the reports are scattered and complicated. There's unarguable evidence that any type of candle is bad for cats. For humans it seems that continual use of any type and too much use of paraffin candles can cause problems. This was the response of some of the latest findings.

"Dr Noemi Eiser, Honorary Medical Director of the British Lung Foundation, said, "We would like to reassure people that occasional use of paraffin candles should not pose any risk to their lung health.

"However, we would advise people to take sensible precautions when burning candles, such as opening a window to keep the room ventilated to minimise the amount of emissions breathed in.""

A quick Google of air fresheners will tell you (from reliable sources) that we are better using them minimally. It's why we are being encouraged to use house plants again, to clean our air, because we are bringing pollution into our home, with these products.

I love deep cleaning my house with Zoflora clean linen. I also like to light candles when watching a horror film. It's the everyday usage and not enough ventilation. So I'm not in the 'never' camp.

"There was an article in The Times today linking cleaning products to childhood asthma"

It's probably the combination of insulated homes, not naturally building an immune system through dirt etc and chemicals.

“Can people please provide evidence that they’re toxic? Every time a thread like this pops up, out come the scaremongers. If they were that toxic, they wouldn’t be sold.”

That was the argument about cigarettes for decades

Scented candles, air fresheners, non-stick pans are deadly for birds (if you have a budgie for example)
If the fumes are deadly for them then they must be harmful to some degree

It depends what they're made with. Most commercial ones are paraffin wax and synthetic fragrances, so yeah very bad for your lungs (and your pet's if you have any). I make my own soya wax melts and tea lights and only use pure essential oils.

Agreed. Tired of one of my colleagues leaving her samples in our lunch room for her boss babe hun "business" and ruining my lunch!

All this stuff won't hold a candle to the deleterous affects of log burning stoves when it comes to lung health.

People always say soy wax is safer than paraffin wax as it's "natural". There is actually no difference between the two. Soy wax has to go through a chemical process, it's bleached with additives added to make it turn into a solid wax. Both waxes can give off soot, but that's only if they are incorrectly wicked in candles.
If you do your research you will see that paraffin does not equal bad and soy wax equal good.
You also have to be very careful with essential oils, there are a lot that are not safe for use around pets and children.

Can people please provide evidence that they’re toxic?

it says so on any pack.

I don’t think it can be great for you either, not all the time.

I grew up with shake n vac though so do spray a bit of air freshener about when I’ve vacuumed, because I associate that sort of smell with ‘just been cleaned’. Not much mind, one 300ml can lasts me close to 12 months. I occasionally light a scented candle when the dc are in bed. Opening windows is probably the best way though as long as it’s not muck spreading day

YANBU the horrible things give me a headache.

metro.co.uk/2019/10/11/are-scented-candles-bad-for-your-health-10903194/