Nothing makes a holiday cozier than twinkling lights, and for me that includes candles.
If you aren't seeking a fragrance, faux electric "flameless" candles can be a good way to go. They can be safer for forgetful people, and now come with energy-saving LED bulbs.
For those who still love the look of a traditional candle and may want the house-warming scents of pine or cinnamon or sugar cookie, an easy swap can be looking at the materials your candle is made out of.
You'll want to look for coconut or beeswax vs paraffin or palm oil.
Coconut (pros): Vegan, sustainable, no major red flags for impacting habitat. It's a softer wax so sometimes blended with beeswax or soy.
Beeswax (pros): Beeswax is collected at the same time as honey. Strict vegans may be opposed.
Soy (pros and cons): Soy wax is made from the oils of soybeans, and renewable. However, soybean farming is tied to impacts to the Amazon, jaguar, and local farmers in South America. Consider looking for organic labeling.
Palm oil (cons): Palm oil is a major driver of deforestation and habitat destruction for species like orangutans and tigers.
Paraffin (cons): Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum, both a non-renewable resource and releases benzene and toluene when burned. (Source)
Where can you buy better candles? The good news is: anywhere. With coconut, beeswax, and soy becoming more popular, you'll find them at popular stores and websites like Target and Amazon. Here are just a few examples:
(Coconut and soy blend. Scents include gingerbread, pine, snickerdoodle.)
(Red beeswax tapers, subtle honey scent)
Another resource I love is The Good Trade. They aren't a shopping site, but rather a resource site for sustainable shopping. Check out their guide for 11 Natural Candles here.
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