Natural Candles - What's The Low Down?

Why are we SO passionate about Natural Scented Candles?

We started making natural candles way back in 2005. It was SO hard to find waxes that were 100% natural and scent ONLY with aromatherapy oils – try as we might we just couldn’t find anyone who had made it work. Perhaps because paraffin wax (the by-product of petroleum) was then, and still is now, the no 1 wax used globally.
Plus, all the “luxury” candles were, and still are, made primarily with synthetic scents and often include ‘scent boosters’ to help a smaller amount of fragrance go further (cue – cheaper for the manufacturers).

In fact, did you know in the majority of cases, if say a candle says it contains “lemon, lime and mandarin,” it has probably never been near those natural oils, just a synthetic scent that smells just like them!

Natural, Non-Toxic, Paraffin-Free Candles

So, at this stage you may be thinking, “what exactly is a natural candle?” Well, we get this question a lot, so we’ve written a whole blog post dedicated to explaining what a natural candle is and why this is important.

Related NEOM reading - What is a natural candle?

If you’re hoping to use candles as part of a wellbeing routine, paraffin candles aren’t exactly an ideal solution.

But fear not! Natural candles offer the perfect alternative. A candle that isn’t filled with synthetic ingredients. A candle that harnesses the power of natural ingredients.

Natural candles only use pure, natural wax – scented with only pure essential oils.

Here at NEOM, natural candles are synonymous with essential oils and aromatherapy. All our candles are designed to help boost your wellbeing. From relaxation to energy boosts, these candles contain purposefully selected essential oils.

Back To Our Plight...

Anyway, where were we?

The NEOM team recognised that if you’re choosing candles for your home, then they should be natural but at the time, the industry simply couldn’t understand why we were trying to develop such a thing.

“Who were these people wanting to put a massive 10ml of essential oils in each candle? Are they mad?” laughed all the candles factories we spoke to across the UK.

“No, we are the NEOM Team! And we won’t use paraffin wax, a crude oil derivative, and we won’t use synthetic scents with unfathomable names. We want to make a unique blend of soy, rapeseed and other natural oils only for a base, and scent with so much essential oils that the candle isn’t just the purest around, but that it works as when you inhale the aroma therapeutic air.”

The phone went down on us dozens of times.

But finally, after two years of intense development, and over 250 samples (imagine how my 2 bed flat smelt!) we cracked it. The purest candle I had ever experienced (and my goodness I have combed this globe) and once with the power to work in a pure, natural, aromatherapeutic way. Something that after 20 minutes filled the scent of an average room with enough oils. Genius.

There was a sleep one for my sister (a staunch greenie who wouldn’t go near a synthetic chemical and only ate organic food way before it was cool), an energy boosting for my husband who was a sports teacher and came home pooped, a mood booster for my friend (who was up and down to say the least!) and perhaps the most important, one to de stress myself, who suffered anxiety (more on that in another blog but by God the essential oils and natural candle oils helped).

And this leads into the benefits of going natural – the underlying why behind our products and our mission as a company.

Benefits of Natural Candles

There are clear benefits of natural candles, including:

Aromatherapy

Blending pure essential oils within natural wax like we do at NEOM means no synthetic fragrances are used what-so-ever.

Essential oils, on the other hand, are used in aromatherapy due to their pure and beneficial properties. As the essential oils burn in the candle, pure fragrances and scents are released into the air. As you breathe the air in, there is nothing but pure, natural oils being inhaled.

The complex blends of essential oils means you can get the wellbeing boost YOU need. When you breathe in the essential oils the scent travels to your hypothalamus gland in the brain and produces the hormone that addresses your wellbeing need whether that's better sleep, less stress, more energy or a mood life. Our natural candles help support - sleep, stress, energy, happiness and calm.

Once you smell a candle scented by essential oils, you’ll instantly notice the difference compared to when you smell synthetic scented candles.

Non - Toxic

Probably the biggest concern with some candles is the use of paraffins and other synthetic ingredients.

When burnt, harmful fumes like toluene and benzene are released. The amount of these fumes released is likely to be small, but it is more than concerning that such by-products are used so widely in products like candles. It is recommended the use of paraffin candles should include natural ventilation (basically to get rid of the toxins released).

All-in-all, when ingredients like soy wax and beeswax offer non-toxic alternatives, paraffin candles simply don’t appear to offer any sorts of benefits (other than for manufacturer’s profits!)

Sustainable

Natural waxes aren’t a by-product of the oil purification process and don’t need to rely on such unsustainable sources.

Natural waxes typically include, beeswax, and vegetable waxes, which have very low environmental impacts and footprints.

They also burn cleaner, so little to no soot is created.

Long Lasting

Natural waxes, like soy, burn slower than cheaply manufactured waxes. This simply means your candle will last much longer. They also tend to burn evenly, so you don’t get the wax dipping in the middle and causing issues like the wick falling in it.

Clean Scents

Scenting candles with artificial fragrances and boosters mean you’re releasing these synthetic compounds into the air. This can sometimes cause skin, eye, and nose irritations for some (especially those with potential allergies).

If you do have sensitive skin, burning pure, natural ingredients is definitely the way to go. From candles to skin care products, using the power of clean ingredients really defines us as a brand here at NEOM in everything we do.

We scent all our candles with purposefully selected essential oils.

What Goes Into OUR Natural Candles

It's all CLEAN. The way WE create our natural candles is with the purest natural ingredients and essential oils. No harsh chemicals, using natural and wherever possible organic ingredients instead. And we never use synthetic fragrances. We ONLY blend with 100% natural fragrances. Simple.

Natural Wax

Natural wax includes waxes like beeswax, rapeseed and soy.

Here at NEOM, we use a special vegetable wax blend.

100% Natural Fragrances

You only get the wellbeing boost when you use naturals and essential oils, so for us there is no other way. We put up to 30ml of essential oils into each 3 wick candle. They are also blended fully through out the entire candle (not like some cheaper candles that just add the scent to the top). So your NEOM natural candle will release beautiful scent as well as work on your wellbeing too.

Wick

We use all natural wicks such as cotton and paper.

For larger candles, using multiple wicks, such as 3 or 4, can help the wax burn evenly and distribute the essential oils more effectively.

Craftsmanship & Expertise

Although the ingredients may be simple yet super powerful, the way they are blended together and poured needs expertise and craftsmanship.

The scent of the candle is created by the use of essential oils. Knowing how much essential oil to add, what type of oils and how to blend them will determine the overall effectiveness of the scent candle.

Real expertise in mixing and pouring the wax will also ensure it burns evenly, cleanly and that the fragrance is evenly distributed.

This is something we have spent years perfecting here at NEOM. All our candles are expertly hand poured with love.

NEOM Natural Candles

Our passion for natural is in EVERYTHING we do, not just because we don't believe in letting toxins into your home or the use of synthetic fragrance, but because we believe in the power of real power of natural oils and the brilliant effects they can have on your wellbeing daily.

The way you can light a NEOM candle and create your own little home spa, pick a gift that is personal, thoughtful, bespoke to your (or someone else’s needs), that you can gift a moment of calm, help yourself with a better night’s sleep… after all we believe the small steps really make a big difference to your wellbeing.

View our range of natural, essential oil candles online to learn more.

Have you seen our NEW Bedtime Hero 3 Wick Candle? Super fruity, sweet and calming. Discover the rest of the range too...

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