Candle Science & Safety

Farm & Ranch Candle Co. DOES NOT use products with paraffin in them, and instead makes candles using a proprietary recipe mix of waxes that consist of beeswax, soy wax & coconut oil.  Beef Tallow, the original candle wax, is also being tested as a possible candle wax.

Wax is a fatty/greasy substance do NOT extinguish a candle fire with water, instead follow some of these instructions below:

 

BEESWAX | has a higher melting point than other waxes, it emits the brightest, most warm-toned flame, and produces a candle with a lovely, dense, creamy & opaque luxe quality.  It also lends itself to shipping better in warm months.

Beeswax candles also last longer than most other candles.  Because it is so dense (0.958), it burns slower and drips less, and many consider beeswax candles to be drip free.

Beeswax candles clean the air by releasing negative ions into the air which bind with toxins and help remove them from the air.

SOY WAX | a completely natural and renewable resource, it's non-toxic & burns clean.  Soy produces measurably less soot than other waxes. When burned correctly it is virtually soot-free.  Candle spills clean up easier - simply use soap and hot water to get the wax out of carpets or upholstery.  Burn time is longer than with paraffin waxes & purchasing soy helps support the American farmer.

COCONUT WAX | a colorless and odorless wax made from cold-pressed coconut meat or coconut oil mixed with soy wax. It is considered as one of the best and healthiest types of wax to make candles.  It helps the beeswax burn easier.  It allows candlemakers to increase the amount of fragrance oil in the batch, and it can function like paraffin in that it has a lovely hot throw.

TRIM YOUR WICK | Although lovely, it's dangerous to put dried flowers or other foreign objects into a candle.  Even clipping-off the wick & dropping it into the melt pool of wax on the top of your candle can be a fire hazard.  Be sure to use wick trimmers before each burn session.

OUR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT, thus, we don't use paraffin wax nor fragrance oils with phthalates in them, unless noted.  And I'm working on changing out any/all fragrances that do have phthalates like the ever popular, Barn Wood.

Paraffin Wax | known to produce one of the best hot throws (that is how strong a candle scent is while the candle is burning or a wax melt is warming in the wax melter); HOWEVER, PARAFFIN HAS 11 KNOWN TOXINS!  When paraffin candles burn, they emit black soot and toxic fumes—similar in chemistry to diesel exhaust—containing poisonous chemicals such as benzene, toluene, naphthalene, tri-decane, tetra-decane, penta-decane, and hexadecane.

Paraffin | This petroleum byproduct is found in 60-80% of commercial candles and is known to contain at least 8 different carcinogenic substances. These chemicals can also cause respiratory problems and will aggravate the conditions of those who already have asthma, lung, or heart problems.

Mutagens | Agents (physical or chemical) that alter the genetic constitution, usually DNA, of a cell. Mutagens are linked to a host of diseases including cancer.

Phthalates | 75% of candles contain these salts or esters of phthalic acid. They are linked to breast, liver, and other cancers, disruption of hormone activity, reproductive malformation, diabetes, and obesity.

Organ toxins | Chemicals that adversely effect specific organs or organ systems (e.g. respiratory toxins, cardiovascular toxins, immunotoxins, dermal toxins etc.).

Carcinogens | These are materials known or thought to cause cancer, including everything on Prop. 65. If a chemical is thought to cause cancer in CA, it isn't any safer elsewhere. Most commercial candles contain these in the form of paraffin wax or various components in their fragrance oil.

Acute toxins | Highly dangerous chemicals or biological substances that cause adverse effects from either a single exposure or a series of exposures within 24 hours.