The romance of the flickering candlelight plus the faint aroma . is the fad of many young families. However, if overused, the aroma of candles will have a significant impact on health.
Mr. Tran Thanh Dung - a shop owner specializing in scented candles on Kim Lien Street said: scented candles have many different types and smells. Scented candles are as diverse as perfume products. The price of scented candles is also very different, only a few thousand dong, but up to silver million! Song, Mr. Dung revealed: with a kind of handmade candle, it often has a very bad smell because of synthetic chemicals. The expensive candles are more pleasant, but using them also causes headaches.
Allergy for aromatherapy
Associate Prof. Dr. Pham Gia Dien, Institute of Chemistry, said that the cause of poison of scented candles is often due to lead core wicks on candles, especially the type of candles with unclear origin. Using metal wire (usually lead) to make wick core helps candles have beautiful flame, long burning, wick is not broken. Some scented candles also contain additives to prolong the burning time. These substances can also be harmful to health.
Regarding the aroma effect of aromatherapy of scented candles, the world science has proved: an estimated 2% of the world's population suffers from aromatic allergies. Common side effects of aromatherapy are: sinusitis, headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, eye pain, overwhelming, damaging the central nervous system, affecting pregnancy, amnesia , cancer…
In particular, many substances in aromatic products are toxic to the body, such as toluene, aeton, focarbaldehyde, derivatives of benzene, methylene chloride in which many substances have been shown to cause cancer, heterosexuals. congenital, infertility, nervous system damage . The most common harm of aroma abuse is that it can trigger asthma attacks (asthma) sometimes very seriously in both adults and children I usually happen to synthetic scented candles from chemicals.
How much is enough?
Of course, don't just use aromatherapy candles to poison, or immediately affect health. Researchers believe that sometimes it is not harmful to use candles, but it is dangerous to use them every day. They advise people not to use candles in the bathroom and in enclosed rooms, less ventilated to avoid smoke from the candles that cling to the body.
Do not light candles in closed rooms or near places where there are many furniture items such as curtains, rugs, blankets, etc., which are easy to cause fires, as well as an environment for toxic substances in candle smoke to remain for a long time. .
In principle, Dr. Tran Huu Hoan, Institute of Analytical Chemistry Industry: The more fragrant smells the more toxic chemicals are. So Dr. Hoan advises, best to stay away from fragrant types, especially the aroma synthesized with chemicals.
Consumers should not rely too much on advertisements that scented candles are made from natural aromas. There is a fact that it is very difficult to produce candles using natural oils completely because they are very expensive, they do not combine well with candle wax. Natural essential oils are often volatile and cannot be used to make candles without adding stabilizers. It should be noted that, in the process of living, the body accumulates chemicals with odors over time to a sufficient extent, when only a small amount of inhalation can cause illness.
- If conditions permit, buy candles made of natural materials such as beeswax, which are both safe and healthy and have a pleasant fragrance.
- If the wick is too long, before cutting it should be shortened, leaving only about 1cm. The longer the wick, the bigger the fire, the more toxic the soot.