There are so many different therapeutic benefits to essential oils - everything from helping relieve stress to boosting your energy.
That being said, they aren't our first choice for candles.
While essential oils are extremely concentrated, they often have a difficult time shining through once they’re mixed with wax.
Therefore, a lot of essential oil is required per candle to achieve the same hot throw you get with fragrance oils - which is both costly & resource-intensive for the environment.
Further, the more essential oil added, the more likely it is to aggravate allergies or irritations, if it's burnt for too long.
A non-toxic alternative to essential oils are fragrance oils, which we tend to use in the majority of Vuur candles.
While fragrance oils are synthetically-produced, they aren't as environmentally-draining as essential oils, as they do not require high quantities of plants or flowers to achieve their scent.
Due to this, fragrance oils provide a fuller scent in candles, when compared to the same amount of essential oil.
Benefits of Essential oils in Candles
1. Essential oils are 100% natural as they are derived from plants
2. Essential oils have aromatherapy properties and candles made with EOs can be marketed as such
3. Essential oils can contain less toxins than traditional fragrance oils (However, at Vuur, we only use natural, non-toxic fragrance oils!)
Benefits of Fragrance oils in Candles
1. Fragrance oils tend to be more economical than essential oils
2. Fragrance oils offer a wider range of scents - such as Gingerbread or Lime, Basil & Mandarin
3. Fragrance oils can be more sustainable and less resource-intensive than essential oils
4. Fragrance oils generally last longer and do not dissipate
5. Fragrance oils are produced specifically for candles and tend to offer a stronger and safer burn.
At Vuur, our fragrance oils contain a blend of pure essential oils, isolated natural fragrance compounds, and synthetic compounds where their natural counterparts would be unsafe in candle use (or too expensive).
They are perfume-grade, non-toxic and vegan-friendly. They're also free of any petrochemicals, parabens and phthalates - meaning they are as good for the environment as you can get.