Scented Candles Dangerous to Your Health: Study - Here's Why

While using scented candles can be therapeutic for some, new research has found that the fragrant chemicals that are being released into the air when using scented candles inside your room produce a cancer-causing element that's not good for you.

BBC Two's “Trust Me, I'm A Doctor” series teamed up with Dr. Alasdair Lewis of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science in York, England to measure certain fragrance chemicals that scented candles release inside rooms.

To check for the kinds and corresponding amounts of chemicals found inside homes, Dr. Lewis and his team from the University of York set up air samplers in six York households recruited for the 5-day study. The houses were of modern designs (more “air-tight” compared to old homes) and had the same outdoor air quality.

The households were also asked to write in a diary the household products that they used, noting how often it was used, during the 5-day period.

The researchers found that, among other chemicals, what stood out the most was limonene, a chemical commonly used to create citrus fragrances. Three of the six households had the highest concentrations of limonene, corresponding to the amount of household products and scented candles that they used.

The researchers noted that limonene in itself is not dangerous. However, when released, it reacts with the ozone found in the air to produce formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical. Dr. Lewis found out that, for every two molecules of limonene in the air, one molecule of formaldehyde is formed.

The National Cancer Institute stated that the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified formaldehyde as a human carcinogen. Exposure to the chemical has been associated with certain types of cancer.

The Huffington Post reported that formaldehyde can cause the eyes to burn, irritate the skin, induce coughing and nausea and, in serious cases, lead to nose and throat cancers.

On a good note, the researchers have tried possible helpful solutions to the problem. One of such is putting houseplants that could absorb the formaldehyde present in the air. They found out that, although the amount of limonene rose (most likely due to the extra candles and few open windows), formaldehyde levels fell down, likely because of the plants.

Suggested houseplants are the Spider plant, Dragon tree, Golden Pothos, English Ivy, Japanese royal fern, squirrel’s foot fern, grub fern, common guava, lavender, spider fern and geranium.

The researchers also suggested using fewer scented or perfumed household products, opting to use “fragrance-free cleaning products where available.” And, of course, opening windows would help too.