What are candles made of?

And why not all candles are vegan.

I’m shamelessly self promoting here. But mostly I want you to know what is sold here and what other companies are using. They say knowledge is power.

Wax

Soy wax, of course. This comes from soybean oil, so it’s naturally vegan. Copper Lane Candles uses wax that is 100% natural.

Then there is paraffin - an oil by-product from processing petroleum. It’s vegan, but I’m including this because it feels like something we should all be aware of. You care about what you buy and its ingredients. So FYI: Even the highest grade of paraffin wax has 0.5% or less of oil. And on that note, this wax is also considered food grade. (So what’s in a birthday candle then?)

Anyway.

Paraffin could have stearic acid as an additive. It’s common to use because it gives paraffin a bright white color and makes it a sturdier wax. It helps the candles overall look and performance. Stearic acid could be vegetable derived, or could come from tallow (animal fat). But since manufactures won’t tell you which one they use, vegans will probably avoid it all together. (Original Source)

Beeswax

Bees = not vegan.

If you’re not vegan, then you would probably find a lot of pros to beeswax. To each their own.

Dye

A dye is usually either a liquid, powder, or a wax block or wax chips.

It is usually aniline based. A quick google search said that aniline is an organic compound. I couldn’t tell you what that means because I don’t understand it yet. It does appear to be vegan, but that same search said it is a probable carcinogen.

It’s common for chemicals to be used, but it is possible for the dye to be made from plants. The problem is we’re unlikely to know because dyes are not controlled by the FDA, so manufacturers don’t have to disclose their ingredients. Found here. When I asked my supplier about some of the specifics of my dye, I was told that it is protected by trade secrets.

Fragrance oil

Wikipedia is not known as a reliable source, but it claimed that fragrance oils are a blend of synthetic and essential oils with a neutral oil

Essential oils can emit chemicals just as dangerous as fragrance oils. Wikipedia Article. Copper Lane Candles are made with fragrance oils that are phthalates and carcinogen free.

This blog backed up Wikipedia’s claim. They say fragrance oil is a combination of fragrance oils, synthetic aroma chemicals, and resins. Fragrance oil ingredients are considered a trade secret, so manufacturers do not have to disclose the ingredients.  

(Original Source) The fragrance usually comes as a liquid, powder, or crystalline, which needs to be dissolved. DEP (Di Ethyl Phthalate) is a common solvent. This is why phthalates are a normal ingredient in fragrance oils. Again, not in Copper Lane Candles. But just some general info.

Some biased vegan blogs have made claims that fragrance oils could be tested on animals but don’t back up their claims. The only thing I’ve been able to find related to that is the cosmetic side of fragrance being tested on animals. 

Plus I was only able to find 2 ingredients that could be derived from an animal. That is civet and musk. If you would like a definition, I would be happy to horrify you into staying away from the nonvegan stuff. As for Copper Lane Candles, the only fragrance oils used are vegan and cruelty-free. My supplier is leaping bunny compliant on all of their products.

Hopefully this gives you some background on what goes into your candles. It’s good to know, especially if you’re burning it in your home. Share your thoughts! You can contact me here.