Found this on a Canlde Website... Oh boy

[darrell]

Funny what folks will post... In my research this is not what I found. Any comments ?

It might surprise you to know that paraffin is basically the grayish left over sludge produced by petroleum refineries.

This paraffin residue is bleached with toxic chemicals and then used to mass produce your average candle. Paraffin waxes contain aromatic compounds which are released when a candle is burned. These compounds have been proven to be carcinogenic. As paraffin wax burns it creates a black soot that coats your walls ceilings and lungs. This petro-soot is as harmful as second-hand tobacco smoke.

It turns out that some paraffin candles emit such hazardous pollutants

as acetone, benzene and lead. These harmful substances impair the quality of indoor air. The National Candle Association has recognized the fact that beeswax candles burn cleaner and drips less than those made with paraffin wax (the fumes of which have also caused kidney and bladder tumors in laboratory animals). If you have noticed sooty deposits in your house, paraffin wax candles may be at fault. Initially beeswax candles may seem to be more expensive than paraffin candles yet this is not so. Paraffin wax burns away much quicker than beeswax nullifying any price disparity

[burnt_fingers]

The internet is full of bad and misleading info. You need to do your research and not rely on a single source.

[Kitn]

I so agree.

[CaftCandles]

It might surprise you to know that paraffin is basically the grayish left over sludge produced by petroleum refineries. This paraffin residue is bleached with toxic chemicals and then used to mass produce your average candle. Paraffin waxes contain aromatic compounds which are released when a candle is burned. These compounds have been proven to be carcinogenic. As paraffin wax burns it creates a black soot that coats your walls ceilings and lungs. This petro-soot is as harmful as second-hand tobacco smoke.

It turns out that some paraffin candles emit such hazardous pollutants as acetone, benzene and lead. These harmful substances impair the quality of indoor air. The National Candle Association has recognized the fact that beeswax candles burn cleaner and drips less than those made with paraffin wax (the fumes of which have also caused kidney and bladder tumors in laboratory animals). If you have noticed sooty deposits in your house, paraffin wax candles may be at fault. Initially beeswax candles may seem to be more expensive than paraffin candles yet this is not so. Paraffin wax burns away much quicker than beeswax nullifying any price disparity

That very mis-information is something that has angered me ever since I started making candles. I have worked in the petroleum industry for many years including refineries. The information pertaining to paraffin wax couldn't be more wrong. Paraffin wax or slack wax is a naturally occouring by-product in crude oil that is removed during the process to make many petroleum based products. I believe most people misunderstand the real meaning of the word "refine", it simply means "to bring to a fine or a pure state; free from impurities: to refine metal, sugar, or petroleum", it does not mean to add chemicals. I've done a lot of researched and continue to do so on the different types of waxes, their pro's and con's looking for the perfect combination, like most people do I pressume. Some interesting information that I found along the way is that ALL waxes contain hydrocarbons (including Beeswax) and ALL wax can and do smoke and emitt toxins (minute amounts) if not wicked properly. This may surprise most of you, ALL wax is natural, Paraffin more so that Soy and Palm and ALL wax is BIODEGRADABLE. The same people that put down paraffin are the very people who use it (actually ingest it) everyday without knowing.

I hate it when some people point fingers at others to make theirselves or their products look better. I always promote myself and my products as being what they are (The best in the World, lol) and I do not point out others faults.

Edited November 26, 2011 by CaftCandles

[Stella1952]

Facts, like statistics, can be twisted into nearly anything! The basic facts above are true, somewhere, sometime, but they are cherry-picked and presented in a negative, sensational manner to manipulate and slant the readers' POV. Some of the "facts" cited were plucked from tests conducted many years ago which are no longer valid because the ingredients of the candle have changed (the reference to lead, for example) due to abandonment of certain materials such as lead in candle wicks. And so on, and so forth.

Whenever I read sensationalized text, I automatically become suspicious because I have learned to recognize this "style" of deceptive informaton. This type of written material has the opposite effect on me than the writer planned: I RUN from their site and would not buy ANYTHING from them because of their ignorant attempt at disinformation. They get ZERO of my dollars. If their disinformation is egregious enough, I make it a point to identify them as a BAD SOURCE of information to others.

[Ravens]

In response to the "facts' you read, I just have 5 little words that will sum up what I think: "What A Load Of Pooey", lol.

Do not assume everyhting you read on the 'net is gospel truth.

Here's something interesting you may want to read:

http://www.candles.org/researchstudies.html

HTH

[lmc]

Ravens, thanks for the link...great info!

[Ravens]

That's what I thought also; and you're very welcome, lmc! :smiley2:

Ravens, thanks for the link...great info!