Fragrance oils vs. essential oils
What is the difference and what is safe?
With today's emphasis on natural, non-toxic products, you may be looking for scented candles that are safe for you and your family.
It is great! Not all candles are created equal, so it's a good idea to do your research.
Unfortunately, there can be a lot of confusion around the topic of scented oils for candles, including questions like, are essential oils and fragrance oils the same thing? Are perfume oils natural? and finally, are perfume oils safe?
Essential oils and fragrance oils in candles
The short answer is that essential oils and fragrance oils are not the same thing, although many of the best fragrance oils are infused with essential oils.
Also, while fragrance oils tend to get a bad rap for not being “natural,” good oils have been thoroughly tested and scientifically approved to be safe for use not only in candles, but also in external bath and body products like soaps and lotions. .
In fact, in some cases, fragrance oils are even safer to use in candles than essential oils!
This blog will cover what fragrance oils are, why fragrance oils are non-toxic and how they compare to essential oils for candles and the environment.
What are perfume oils?
Fragrance oils are synthetic oils designed for their fragrance, use in candles and body products.
Their safety is managed by two scientific institutions - RIFM (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials) and IFRA (International Fragrance Association).
To determine whether a perfume oil is safe, RIFM tests each individual ingredient and their results are published in a peer-reviewed journal.
From there, IFRA takes this data and publishes its recommendations and guidelines for use. These guidelines will include information on whether the oil is safe to use in bath and body products, as well as candles or diffusers.
What about essential oils?
You may have heard of the power of essential oils, and it's true that they've been used for thousands of years to improve physical, mental, and even spiritual well-being.
Essential oils are used in diffusers, topical applications and candles.
However, if you are trying to find a candle made with only essential oils, your options will be very limited.
Although these oils are completely natural because they are extracted directly from the plant, they are not automatically good for you or sustainable for the earth – it is important to remember that they are also chemical compounds and should be handled with care.
For example, tea tree oil is considered hazardous waste if it occurs in a spill.
According to aromatherapist Mindy Green, founder of Green Scentsations and author of books such as Aromatherapy: The Complete Guide to the Healing Art, "It often takes hundreds of pounds of plant material to make 1 pound of essential oil."
For example, it takes about 50 pounds of eucalyptus to make 1 pound of eucalyptus oil, about 250 pounds of lavender to make 1 pound of lavender oil, and a whopping 10,000 pounds of roses to make 1 pound or rose oil.
Whoa. That's a lot of roses.
Obviously, there are some problems with the scenario where candles are scented with only essential oils:
#1. No one could afford them.
A small 5ml jar of rose essential oil costs about $200-$250 (thanks to the 22 pounds of rose petals that went into that jar!).
The amount of oil you need to pour into a candle to get any kind of scent after burning, this candle is beyond most of our price ranges.
Even if you had the money to make a rose essential oil candle, not all essential oils can withstand the heat of burning a candle.
While the candle may be cold (how it smells when it's not lit), the oil can burn all the way through and you won't even smell the precious essential oil.
On the other hand, essential oils also have a very low flash point, which means that if there is a high concentration of essential oil in a candle, that oil can catch fire!
In a starving world where clean water is very expensive in many areas, growing and harvesting 10,000 pounds of roses for one pound of rose oil is not exactly environmentally friendly.
At that point, a fragrance oil infused with smaller amounts of essential oils is much more sustainable than using only essential oils.
So what's the bottom line when it comes to scented candles?
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The bottom line is that essential oils are great, but not cost effective or sustainable in large quantities.
Fragrance oils that have been approved by the scientific community (specifically RIFM and IFRA) are a more budget-friendly and environmentally friendly alternative.
The best candle you can buy
For extra safety, Scented Designs uses only phthalate-free fragrance oils infused with essential oils in our candles. We believe they offer the best, safest candle burning experience for you and your family.