I get it. Believe me, I get it. I used to live for the sales at Bath & Body Works and stock up on plug-ins and candles. Not so long ago, I was even trying to make a business out of selling candles, wax melts, and other synthetic fragrances! But I learned there's a better way - a MUCH better way - to scent my home.
I'll teach you the easy way to ditch toxic candles and elevate your home's atmosphere. Stick with me through to the end of this article for some yummy candle copy-cat recipes, covering some of your favorite scents for fall - all totally free from toxic fragrances and chemicals. *And starting in 2022, we have the Simplified Collection - it's basically the easy button for all your seasonal scent faves!
Here's the deal - I'm not going to tell you to throw every single candle you have in the trash and never buy another one again. What I am going to tell you is what I now know about candles and how that has changed where we spend our money when it comes to scenting our home. It's up to you to decide if any sort of ditch + switch is best for you.
(Pro Tip: It is.)
The Dirty Details
The air in our homes is more polluted than the air outside. The long list of chemicals and fragrances in the average household and personal care products get circulated within the home from what you clean with, use on your laundry, and wear around the house.
Did you know that candles release toxins that contribute to this indoor air pollution and are considered just as dangerous as second-hand smoke?
Many candles contain chemicals that can cause damage to the liver and brain, as well as:
• parrafin (a petroleum waste product)
• benzene (linked to leukemia)
• toluene (disrupts the nervous system)
Say No to "Fragrance"
That word the ingredients list - "fragrance" - is used as an umbrella term to cover over 100 toxic ingredients that are protected as "trade secrets." These ingredients have been linked to causing or exasperating issues such as:
• allergies
• hormone disruption (sleep, mood, metabolic, and fertility issues)
• asthma
• skin conditions
• neurotoxicity
• respiratory infections
• developmental issues
• cancer
Some brands market their products with terms like "natural" or "made with pure essential oils," but those products have just been what is called "greenwashed." Marketing language is manipulated to make it appear more green or clean, but it really doesn't apply once you look at the product ingredients. It's time to read beyond the label! Try using the search engine DuckDuckGo to research each ingredient along with the keywords "harmful effects of." Look into where the brand / company sources their ingredients; something that may seem like a natural chemical name may still be synthetically or lab-made and not easily assimilated by the body!
Making the Switch to Diffusing
Our sense of smell is pretty powerful and can even re-wire our brain. Diffusing the highest quality essential oils lets us enjoy the benefits and therapeutic action of our oils while we enjoy the scent throw in our space.
What is diffusing? With an ultrasonic metal plate and some cold water, diffusing breaks up our drops of oils into millions of even smaller molecules that then get dispersed through the air. This process lets us inhale them throughout the day and benefit from their powerful properties. It's so easy to get started and after a little while of using them, you'll probably notice a shift in your mood and in how different your body feels, both by getting rid of the toxins your body has been overtaxed with and by using body- and emotional-supporting essential oils instead.
And what if I told you I can show you how to spend less than half of what you'd spend on candles? Pretty sweet, right? But there's gotta be a catch. Well, not really...the only "catch" is that quality absolutely matters.
My Story
For years I was using whatever was labeled as an essential oil and smelled good to me; I bought them from the local natural market, a booth at the county fair, a couple of times from friends, and I occasionally used the different brands that my aunt had at her house. I spent a lot of time looking for solutions to our needs - like getting our son with Angelman Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy to sleep through the night without a prescription, for instance - and kept throwing money at things that weren't working. I didn't understand why.
Brands never mattered to me; I used to think all essential oils were the same quality and had zero clue as to what went into the process of making an essential oil and never thought that different methods could exist. I didn't even fully understand that there could be a "therapeutic action" to essential oils, I just knew some people used them for sleep, stress, and swore by them for other health needs.
One day in April of 2015, I started to feel some changes in my throat and like it needed some support. I have a history of having my tonsils prodded by doctors at least once a year (so much so since I was a kid that it's now a non-issue to even have a doctor stick a camera down my throat to look for vocal cord damage). Anyway, at that time a friend shared some products from a particular essential oil company to help support my immune system. While I can say I experienced some feelings of comfort from those products, I definitely didn't get all the support I needed and ended up diagnosed with tonsilitis. At a time where I had a solo in a local musical review. Not fun.
In May of 2015, I met a gal at a local Momtrepreneur gathering and she started sharing some resources with me about what pure, therapeutic essential oils can do for our bodies. I was encouraged to do my own research about the process different companies use to get what consumers end up with and how that impacts the beneficial chemical constituents of the finished product. The more I learned, the more empowered I felt as a consumer when it came to all the products I was using. I had fallen for marketing tactics my whole life and used products from off the shelves because I genuinely thought that, if they're being sold here in America, they must be "safe." Boy, I didn't realize how wrong I had been!
My research led me to choose Young Living. It was hard for me at first because I wanted to be loyal and support my friend who was with another company, but my research 100% led me to Young Living. I'll admit, I had to pray about it to make sure I was making the best choice for our family; I got my answer immediately upon saying "amen." Crazy! So, I grabbed one of their starter kits and slowly began switching out my old personal care and household products for oil-infused, natural products from Young Living. Ditching the toxins in our household cleaner, laundry soap + dryer sheets, and paying closer attention to what we put in and on our bodies has had a HUGE impact on our wellness.
Our bodies are no longer experiencing toxic overload, so they're able to operate better. The support we give our bodies now allows our immune systems to fight off whatever it needs to and keep us well. After a life of strep throat and tonsilitis (at least once a year), I haven't even had more than three days worth of a tickle...since June of 2015! Our son falls asleep quickly and stays asleep all night long, unheard of within the Angelman Syndrome community. Isn't it amazing what our immune systems can do when they're allowed to operate in wellness?!?! And those are just two of the many, many wins we've experienced with our wellness since becoming empowered consumers.
Doing your own research is paramount in choosing an essential oil company that aligns with truly ditching toxins and supporting your body. Buying something from a local store is likely going to be packed with synthetics and fillers and do little-to-nothing good for your body + mind. You're not the type of person to try and kick toxins out just to waste your money on using more toxins, right? Here are some really great Questions to Ask Your Essential Oil Company to find the company that best fits your needs.
Money-Saving Swaps for Your Favorite Fall Candles
Once you get started with your own ultrasonic diffuser, some water and a few drops of oil is all it takes to replace your candles. Check out a few of the yummy recipes we have and have fun starting to make your own -or- hit the easy button and snag our Simplified Collection!
Check Out our Free Guide + Quick Class
You are the gatekeeper of your home, deciding what you allow in your products and on your body.
And this is one of those situations where ignorance is NOT bliss...not at all...because daily toxic exposure can lead to sooo many health problems and you may not even realize that it's this exposure that's causing your aches and sleeplessness.
But you can become a more educated consumer! Click the image to start learning more + get some freebies.
Ready to jump in? I'm here to walk alongside you + plug you into our incredible community of resources, education, and support. Send me a message so we can put together a custom order together that meets YOUR individual needs + budget -or- head here for some of my favorite bundles.
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