How to ensure a healthy indoor climate

The Technological Institute in Aarhus has tested our candles and concluded that when good burning practices are followed, a Diederich Light does not soot. This, we are proud of!

However, research shows that actually most quality candles can have a soot-free burning, whether it’s a candle made of paraffin, stearin or other types of material.

Burning your candle the correct way is therefore crucial.

In this guide, we present some good tips and precautions to help you choose the right candle type, and then burn them in a way that ensures a healthy indoor climate.

Quality candles are your most secure choice when you value your indoor climate.

To achieve a soot-free burning it’s most of all important to choose a quality candle. But what does this actually mean?

A quality candle often has a longer burning time, is composed of pure raw materials and is designed to provide an even burning.

Pure raw materials minimize soot and particle emission.

At Diederich Lys we work with fully refined, food approved paraffin from certified suppliers. This means that our paraffin is as pure as the paraffin used in cheese rinds. The pure raw components ensure the absence of undesirable soot, when the candle burns. We also exclusively use wicks that are 100% led free and provided by Oeko-Tex certified suppliers.

Because it’s illegal in Denmark to import and sell goods which contain larger concentrations of led you are always sure to be safe from harmful levels of led in the candles you purchase in Europe.

A good starting point is to buy a candle that has a white core.

The pigment or dye used in colouring either the surface or the whole candle will always contain more impurities than raw uncoloured wax. Hence, a solid-coloured candle will emit more particles when burned.

Our candles have a 100% pure paraffin core, which is later hand dipped in colour.

Price is often related to quality.

Reports show a correlation between quality and price on the Danish candle market. Price can therefore function as an indicator in your assessment of whether you’re choosing a quality candle.

Good burning practice is the only thing that can ensure a soot-free experience.

This has been determined by the Ministry of Environment in a report from 2017.

There is a lack of research specified in harmful effects of soot emitted by candles – however it is generally assumed not to be healthy. That’s why it’s crucial to follow a good burning practice.

Good burning practice involves:

• The candle shouldn’t be placed in a draft – if the flame is unstable, the risk of soot increases.
• The wick shouldn’t be too long – cut it to be max. 1 cm long.
• The candle shouldn’t burn for too long but neither for too short. Short burning time affects evenness of burning.
• Ensure oxygen supply for the flame – do not put the candle into e.g. a glass
• Use a candle extinguisher instead of blowing it out.

If the candle burns evenly, has a stable flame and doesn’t leak – you are probably burning the candle correctly.

Source: Ministry of Environment