What Does a “Clean” Candle Actually Mean?

Natural. Non-toxic. Eco-friendly. Sustainable. Clean.

If you’ve shopped for candles recently, you’ve probably seen at least one of those words.

They sound reassuring. They suggest that a candle is somehow better for you, better for your home or better for the planet.

But what does a “clean candle” actually mean?

The slightly frustrating answer is: it depends what the brand using the term means by it.

And that’s exactly why it’s worth looking a little more closely at some of the language used to market candles.

What is a clean candle?

“Clean candle” isn’t, on its own, a particularly precise description.

Different candle brands use the word clean to mean different things.

One might use it to describe a candle made without certain ingredients. Another may be referring to the type of wax they use. Another might be talking about their fragrance formulation.

Without further explanation, the word itself doesn’t really tell you what makes that candle “clean”.

That doesn’t mean a candle described this way is necessarily making a false claim.

It simply means the useful question to ask is:

Clean in what sense?

The more specific a brand can be about its ingredients and materials, the easier it is for you to decide whether the product is right for you.

Are soy candles “clean”?

Soy wax is incredibly popular in candle making, including here at Whimsy & Wist.

But I don’t think simply using soy wax automatically makes a candle “clean”, “natural” or “sustainable”.

It tells you one specific thing:

the candle is made using soy wax.

And I actually think that kind of straightforward information is far more useful.

There are lots of other elements in a candle too - the wick, fragrance, vessel, packaging, manufacturing process and transport involved in getting the finished product into your home.

One ingredient alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

Are natural candles better?

“Natural” is another word we see constantly in product marketing.

The difficulty is that it can cover an enormous range of things.

A candle might contain a plant-derived wax but use fragrance oils containing both naturally derived and synthetic fragrance materials.

An essential oil candle may contain ingredients derived from plants, but those plants still need to be grown, harvested, processed and transported.

And importantly, natural doesn’t automatically mean safer, better or more environmentally friendly.

It is simply a description that needs context.

So whenever you see “natural candle”, it’s worth asking what part of the candle the claim actually refers to.

The wax?

The fragrance?

Every ingredient?

The packaging?

Specific information is much more valuable than a broad label.

What about “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” candles?

This is where things become particularly interesting.

A recent conversation with Trading Standards pointed me towards the government’s Green Claims Code, guidance produced by the Competition and Markets Authority to help businesses make environmental claims responsibly.

And it made me think much more carefully about the words used in our own marketing.

Terms such as eco-friendly, sustainable, green and similar descriptions can create a very broad impression of a product.

But almost every physical product has an environmental impact somewhere.

Materials have to be grown, manufactured or processed.

Containers have to be produced.

Packaging is made.

Components are transported.

Finished products are shipped.

Even if a product improves its environmental impact in one area, that doesn’t necessarily mean the entire product can accurately be described as environmentally friendly.

That’s why I think specific claims are much more useful.

For example:

“This cardboard box can be recycled with household paper waste.”

tells you something tangible.

Whereas:

“Eco packaging.”

leaves a lot more open to interpretation.

Can a true environmental claim still be misleading?

Potentially, yes.

This was one of the most interesting points I took from reading the Green Claims Code.

A claim can focus on something positive about a product while still creating a much broader impression.

Imagine one small component of a product contains recycled material.

It may be completely accurate to say that particular component contains recycled material.

But presenting the entire product as “sustainable” on the strength of that one feature could lead someone to believe something much bigger.

That’s why context matters.

The overall impression created by the words, packaging, imagery and information surrounding a product matters too.

And, when you think about it, that makes complete sense.

A kraft cardboard box, a leafy logo, neutral colours and the word natural can communicate a very strong environmental message before you’ve read anything about what the product is actually made from.

Are candles non-toxic?

“Non-toxic candle” is another phrase you’ll often see online.

Again, I think the most useful approach is to move beyond the buzzword and look at the actual product information.

Rather than simply being told a candle is “non-toxic”, I’d rather know:

What wax is being used?

What type of wick does it have?

What fragrance is used?

Are there particular ingredients the maker has chosen not to use?

Has the candle been made in line with the relevant safety requirements?

That gives you something concrete to base your decision on.

What should you look for when buying a candle?

For me, transparency beats buzzwords.

When you’re choosing a candle, look for specific information about what you are actually buying.

That might include:

• the type of wax
• the wick material
• the fragrance used
• whether the fragrance is vegan or cruelty-free
• what the vessel and packaging are made from
• which parts can be recycled, reused or disposed of in a particular way

And if a candle is described as “eco-friendly”, “sustainable”, “clean” or “natural”, look to see whether the brand actually explains what it means by that.

The more specific the information, the more useful it is.

What we mean at Whimsy & Wist

Reading more about environmental claims has made me much more conscious of the language I use around Whimsy & Wist products.

It would be very easy to describe our candles using broad words such as:

clean

natural

eco

sustainable

They’re appealing words.

But I’d rather tell you exactly what we use.

Our candles are hand-poured in small batches in our Northamptonshire studio using soy wax, cotton wicks and vegan, cruelty-free fragrance oils.

Those are specific things I can tell you about our candles.

And where we make an environmental claim about a particular component or piece of packaging, I’d rather explain exactly what that claim relates to.

Does that mean our candles have no environmental impact?

No.

They’re physical products.

They require raw materials, glass, fragrance, packaging, energy and transport.

Like any product, they have a footprint.

What I can do as a maker is make thoughtful choices, keep questioning the materials I use, make improvements where I can and be transparent with you about what goes into the finished product.

I think that’s far more meaningful than simply putting a green leaf on the box and calling it sustainable.

So, what does “clean candle” really mean?

On its own, not very much.

The useful information is in the detail behind the claim.

What is it made from?

What does the maker mean by “clean”?

What evidence sits behind claims such as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable”?

And is the brand giving you enough information to decide for yourself?

Because perhaps the candle industry doesn’t need more reassuring buzzwords.

Perhaps we just need clearer information and a little more transparency.

And then you can choose the candle that feels right for you.

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Further reading

The UK Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code provides guidance for businesses on making environmental claims about products and services.