After defining HLF's mission, the first big hurdle at the beginning of this endeavor was to figure out what ingredients to use. Being new to the industry, I was overwhelmed with all of the "starter kits" out there and trying to figure out what types of wax were ACTUALLY natural and non-toxic. Although not as widely known as it should be, certain waxes can be hazardous to your health. Paraffin wax, for example, is a petroleum waste product that emits carcinogens into the air when burned. Paraffin candles can release highly toxic chemicals, including benzene and toluene – both known carcinogens - into the air when lit. This combined with heavy loads of fragrance and other additives can be a pretty toxic concoction. For those that may not know, paraffin wax is the most commonly used wax for candles made in the US! Ever wonder why you get headaches when you burn those big-box store candles?

According to the American Chemical Society, natural wax, like soy, is a much healthier alternative as it "does not release potentially harmful amounts of indoor air pollutants while retaining all of the warmth, ambience and fragrance of paraffin candles”. But most soy candles on the market today are actually made with paraffin (!!!) along with other ingredients like UV inhibitors to prevent fading, and Vybar, a polyalphaolefin added to enhance color and fragrance. All of which are completely unnecessary, and, you guessed it - toxic.

After all of my initial research, I choose to move forward with natural soy and coconut waxes, which I purchase separate (not as a blend), and pure (containing no additives or other waxes). The soy wax, because of it's non-toxic, clean-burning attributes, and the coconut wax to enhance the fragrance. Because who wants to burn a scented candle if you can't smell it?

I also learned, contrary to popular belief, that essential oils should not be used in candle making. Not only can they can release potentially toxic compounds when they come into contact with a flame (caused by changes to the molecular structure), but they lose their beneficial health properties and scent when heated to a certain temperature. Massive EO companies such as doTerra & Young Living even have this information published on their websites! Armed with this new information, I set out to find an alternative: one that would allow me to make a truly clean candle that could be used around babies, pets, and people with allergies and sensitivities, AND actually fill the room with fragrance. And we did! We found a company that makes high quality fragrance oils (designed for burning in candles) that exceeds industry standards by avoiding the use of chemicals found in most synthetic fragrance oils (carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins, organ toxins, and acute toxins).

So while our candles are not "ALL-NATURAL", they are intentionally crafted with very specific ingredients that are clean, non-toxic, and safe for the whole family!