Here’s a few things you may not know about candles.
Candles may be pretty and smell nice, making them the perfect gift for family and friends, but behind the picture-perfect façade of even some of the most popular “au naturel” scents, often hide very harmful chemicals.
Our first culprit: Phthalates
Phtalates (prounounced THAL-ates and not FTAL-ats, it’s ok we know you tried), are a group of chemicals used for various purposes. They are, however, mostly known for helping dissolve other substances e.g. in plastics they help increase flexibility and softness of the material. The most common phthalate in candle-making is the Diethyl Phtalate (stage name DEP), found in fragrance oils to extend their aromatic strength.
The accomplice: CMR
CMR (spell it out?) refers to chemicals which have been designated as Carcinogenic (cancer forming), Mutagenic (can lead to mutations) or Reprotoxic (toxic to reproduction). A killer combination, literally. Working hand in hand with their Phtalates friends, CMRs have perfected their spy game as they are often found in fragrance oils in very small quantities.
Unfortunately, as we started making candles and looking into candle-making businesses, we realised the use of Phtalates and CMRs in candles was quite wide-spread. This is because finding suppliers of high-quality fragrances at an accessible price is not as easy without these harmful ingredients.
With BOUJEE, we wanted to create a product made from locally sourced natural ingredients, free of any harmful chemicals and grounded in a transparent candle-making process. Something for all our friends & family to enjoy safely -yes, even annoying cousin Jacques, who always tries to compete for attention with his successful finance firm (we get it Jacques, you’re great at closing deals. We’ll just try not to kill you with another Christmas gift. In true Christmas spirit).
Always check "Phthalates & CMR-free" mentions on labels when you are looking to buy a candle and remember, it’s not because it is a well-known and expensive candle that you should assume it is safe.
With love,
BOUJEE
