We see misinformation about essential oils pretty frequently, from conventional companies vilifying them by saying they are dangerous for you and your pets, to MLM brands telling you to drink them, wear them, and use them as a cure-all for every possible ailment. So what's going on?

Verifying what’s just marketing vs. honest information from a company can be difficult, especially with the prevalence of green washing as more and more people have begun to demand healthier products. To us at Candle Stork, being transparent with our products and putting your safety first is what we've built our company on. If our community has questions, we want to talk about it! Let's delve into some of the most frequently asking questions when it comes to using essential oils. 

Common Concerns

→ Are essential oils dangerous?

→ Are essential oil candles going to harm my pet?

→ Why does Candle Stork proudly formulate products with essential oils?

→ Why aren't essential oils used in candle making more often?

Are Essential Oils Dangerous? 

While we certainly do not believe essential oils are a cure-all, we also can't disregard their incredible medicinal properties when used correctly. Can they become dangerous when misused? Absolutely. This is because essential oils are extremely potent. An essential oil is a concentrated liquid extract derived from various parts of aromatic plants such as flowers, leaves, stems, and roots. These oils capture the plants natural scent and contain the essence of its beneficial compounds.

When used correctly, these powerful extractions have medicinal properties and can be used for their health benefits in skincare, aromatherapy, etc. But just like any medicinal product, it’s important to follow safety guidelines to avoid misuse. Too much of a good thing can become dangerous. 

Things to avoid:

• using in extreme excess
• applying directly to the skin without proper dilution of a carrier oil
• ingesting inappropriately
• using products where the exposure exceeds a safe threshold

If you avoid these mistakes then it's highly unlikely for you to experience any harm from essential oils. That being said, If you think you're having an allergic reaction to an essential oil, please consult a professional allergist. 

Are Essential Oils Going to Harm My Pet?

Essential oils can be harmful to pets if misused. Cats specifically can be at risk when using undiluted oils because they have a unique metabolism. They lack an essential enzyme in their liver to metabolize and eliminate certain compounds like those found in essential oils. You should absolutely never apply any pure essential oil topically to your cats fur or skin, and you should never allow your cat to ingest them. 

However, when it comes to burning essential oil candles, the risk for your pet is very low. Our essential oil blends are heavily diluted by beeswax and coconut oil, and the method of exposure from burning essential oils in a candle does not pose any significant risks. As your candle burns, the essential oils are being evaporated as the scent is released. When choosing the essential oils we use in our products, we carefully examine each safety data sheet to determine whether they are safe for candle making. Conventional fragranced candles have severe effects on your pets health in the same way they are harmful for humans, so we still believe essential oils are the healthiest option to scent our candles, for both pets and people. Our products are always responsibly formulated to ensure they are safe for you, your family, and your pets.

If you have pets at home, we recommend to always have proper ventilation when burning any candles. You can do this by turning an oven fan on, or leaving a window open to help circulate the air. Always keep candles out of reach of your pet, and monitor their behavior whenever you bring a new scented product into your home. If your pet has a pre-existing condition such as asthma or airborne allergies, then you may want to opt for unscented products like Sonnets of Honey. 

Why Does Candle Stork Proudly Formulate Products with Essential Oils?

We exist to create safe, non-toxic, and natural home products. So, while it’d be easy to just claim that our products use essential oils safely, we want to stand by our mission to be completely transparent. We’re going to share the intentional steps we take to protect you from any potential negative side effects of essential oils.

How Candle Stork Safely Uses Essential Oils 

• Being intentional with sourcing.

• Storing and handling responsibly.  

• Ensuring the aromatherapy benefits are within safe exposure

Why Aren't Essential Oils Used in Candle Making More Often?

We believe that essential oils are the absolute best and healthiest option for scenting our candles. Using essential oils is the only way we can achieve full knowledge and transparency of what ingredients are actually in our products. We are one of the very few companies making our candles this way, and we will admit there are some downsides. 

Cost

Essential oils are considerably more expensive to purchase then synthetic fragrances, especially because we only source high quality, pure, and organic/wild harvested oils. For reference, one of the oils we use is $273/lb and for the equivalent synthetic fragrance version, it only costs $28/lb. Obviously this cost has to be reflected in the prices of our products, which we understand can be a deterrent for some people. 

Creating Blends

We think you might be surprised that most candle makers aren't creating their own blends. A lot of these brands (big and small) are using the same synthetic blends made by the same handful of fragrance manufacturers. It is important to us at Candle Stork to be testing and developing our own blends of essential oils so that we have full control of our ingredients and concentrations. While most essential oils can be beautifully scented all on their own, making blends of multiple scents is part of the fun of candle making! It takes more time, materials, and trial and error to formulate our own blends, but the fun is in the figuring it out. 

Fewer Options

Due to the nature of essential oils, (pun intended) not every scent can be replicated like what is possible with synthetic fragrances. Not to say there aren't still hundreds of combinations of essential oils to make great smelling candles, but not every plant can be made into an essential oil, and not every essential oil can be used in candle making because some have very low flashpoints. For example, there is no such thing as an apple or blueberry essential oil. Certain plants simply don't contain enough natural oil (or scent) to be extracted. However, using other essential oils that are safe to burn can create a similar scent, and that's where getting to experiment with blends comes into play!

Lighter Scent

While the thought of burning a Bath and Body Works candle or using a Glade plugin in our home might be enough to give us a fragrance-induced migraine, some people... enjoy it. Our candles aren't going to be for everybody, because essential oil candles are generally lighter in scent, and some people just want to waft in over-powering fragrances. To each their own!

Essentially, using essential oils in candle-making is more expensive, more time consuming, and more exclusive. But we didn't choose to make candles the hard way just for an extra challenge. We truly believe candles should be healthy and safe for everyone who wants to enjoy them, so scenting with essential oils is the only way we could make our candles in good conscious. 

We hope this post has set your mind at ease, allowing you to enjoy the endless benefits of essential oils in the products we offer. Your safety is always our priority and we always hope to provide education for you to live healthily.