I have seen candles burned in the candle-lit dinner tables of hotels, lighting wax candles during festive occasions etc. My grandma and my mother however use lamps with a cotton wick and using a vegetable seed based oil only. Out of curiosity, I researched through the impact of burning wax in candles. The Egyptians made candles from beeswax, as long as 5,000 years ago which was eco-friendly. But the modern day candles made of paraffin wax are not only damaging to the environment but can also be carcinogenic.

Most cheap candles you buy at the supermarket are made from paraffin wax, which is a byproduct of oil refining. Paraffin wax consists of alkane hydrocarbons and melts between 47 Celsius and 65 Celsius. It is derived from light lubricating oil distillates. When burned, the fumes contain a number of carcinogens like Acetaldehyde, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons and Toulene.  By using paraffin based candles, we are helping the environmentally destructive oil industry and further poisoning our air. The synthetic chemicals that are used in scented candles can also emit damaging emissions.

The ideal solution is to buy 100 percent beeswax candles with cotton wicks. Beeswax can cost six times the price of paraffin, so many candle manufacturers blend paraffin with their beeswax to cut costs. Be sure your candles say 100 percent beeswax on the label.

Or buy candles made fully from vegetable-based waxes. To reduce soot, trim wicks. Soy wax is also good option, provided the soy beans are grown sustainably. Soy candles work best in glass holders due to their low melting point, which will make them to deform easily in hotter environments.