I recently found myself in an online conversation where other candle makers were debating the use of terms like “clean-burning” and “non-toxic.” Most felt it was nothing more than a trendy marketing hook — and many were dismissive of anyone who claimed their candles were different.
I didn’t comment in the end.
Not because I didn’t have something to say, but because the conversation was already so charged — with little space for nuance, experience, or the possibility that someone might be doing things differently for deeply personal reasons. I was hesitant to add my voice to a thread that didn’t seem open to listening.
But I want to share my side of the story here... in my space, in my voice and for anyone that wants to listen because for me, “non-toxic” isn’t branding. It’s survival.
As some of you already know, when I first started making candles, I became seriously unwell. I was later diagnosed with chemical pneumonia (or severe lung inflammation that lasted months and months) making it incredibly difficult to breath, I spent months in and out of doctors’ surgeries and hospital appointments given multiple rounds of antibiotics (as a precaution and a just incase it should turn bacterial). As someone living with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), allergies, and asthma, this was more than a bump in the road, it was a wake-up call.
At one point, I thought I’d have to give up candle making entirely.
But I couldn’t let go of the dream. I knew I had to find another way, a way to do what I love without putting my and others' health at risk. So, I spent months and months doing intensive research, self teaching, examining and correctly learning how to read and understand Safety Data Sheets and chemical classifications (sorry... home fragrance jargon!), cross-referencing ingredients, and digging into hundreds of pages of documentation from the European Chemicals Agency to understand what exactly classified as a carcinogen, respiratory depressor, or endocrine disruptor. Hello, year 1 science degree!
I wasn’t just trying to avoid vague “toxins.” I wanted to confidently identify which chemicals I could and could not work with, the ones that were causing respiratory symptoms, dizziness and flare ups of lung inflammation and then also eliminate ingredients like carcinogens, mutagens, rerprotoxins, phthalates, silicones, PEGs, and other potentially harmful compounds from the fragrance oils I was using. It was slow, difficult, and incredibly frustrating work, but it was necessary.
And when I finally began formulating with safer ingredients, I realised another challenge: those “fragrance throwers” that give candles a powerful hot throw are often the exact ingredients we are trying to avoid. That meant working twice as hard on my formulations, double the effort and double the testing, because without being able to rely on certain toxic chemicals to throw the scent, finding and navigating ways around this to ensure a decent scent throw was key. Im honestly so proud to say that I've had incredible feedback from my customers and been told by many that my candles are not headache inducing like so many they have tried in the past as well as less artificial smelling with a more true to life scent and I am honestly just so, so grateful to have customers that truly appreciate these efforts. It has also meant saying no to popular fragrance suppliers and trends. But I did it, because I (physically) had to.
So no, I’ve never claimed that my candles are “chemical-free” (because nothing is). Burning anything, even essential oils can induce chemical changes that render them toxic (which is also why fragrance oils (albeit ones with certain chemicals eliminated) over essential oils wins that debate for me, but that's another topic for another day.)
However, I also know that I’ve done everything I can to make my candles as safe as possible — both for me to work with, and for anyone else who values that effort. These experiences have sparked a deep-rooted passion in this business, and quite literally lit a fire from within (pun intended!). One fuelled by care, intention, integrity, and the values it’s built on.
With all that said, I do agree with the core of the conversation. There are plenty of people who throw around terms like “clean,” “chemical-free,” and “non-toxic” without fully understanding what they mean — or without doing the work that earns the right to use them. I see the greenwashing. I see the bandwagon marketing.
But I also believe there’s space for genuine people and honest work. My candles exist because of a personal health journey. They were born out of the fear that I might have to give up something I love, and the determination to find a safer way — both for myself and for the people who value that effort.
When I use the term “non-toxic,” it’s not for show. It reflects the months of research, the real risks I’ve faced, and the care behind every ingredient I’ve chosen to leave out.
Everyone creates from a different place, with different values, limitations, and reasons. This post isn’t about calling anyone out. It’s a gentle ask for that to be respected — and a reminder that some of us really have done the work we speak about.
I wish more people would pause and consider the bigger picture. A different path doesn’t make the work less valid. Not everyone shares the same lived experience. And behind every product is a person, often shaped by a deeply personal journey.
The conversation stayed with me more than I expected. Maybe it was the judgement. Maybe it was a lack of understanding. Or maybe, in some quiet way, it touched something deeper in me — the part that’s worked so hard to do things differently. I’ll probably never know what was going through anyone else's mind. And that’s okay.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress, transparency, and intention.
And that, to me, is worth sharing.
