How Large Candle Companies Con You Out of Your Money

It's sad but true that many major candle companies have some sneaky little tricks up their sleeves to get you to spend an extra buck or two. It's important to understand these deceptive ways of advertising so you know what you are spending your hard earned money on. 

Candles "Made with Essential Oils"

Because who wouldn't want a candle scented with essential oils? Essential oils are healthy and are the purest fragrance you are going to get. However, the term "Made with Essential Oils" sounds great, but what does it really mean? This term is a little vague because how much of the fragrance comes from essential oils? Well, the fact is, a candle scented 100% with essential oils would cost a pretty penny, so be weary if it looks like you are getting a good deal. The candle may be scented with some essential oils, but the fact is, it's probably blended with other synthetic fragrance oils.   

What is Mineral Wax?

Mineral wax sounds great, but what actually is it? Mineral wax comes from the distillation of petroleum, shale oil and coal (Mineral Wax, n.d). Yah. That's kind of gross. Paraffin wax, a very common wax amongst candle companies (due largely in part to its low cost) is a type of mineral wax, however, with the bad publicity paraffin wax gets, many companies like to use the term "mineral wax" to make it sound more appealing.

Soy Blend Wax

There is a fandom for soy wax. While its not the best wax for the environment due to the large amounts of fertilizer necessary to produce, its a decent wax for making candles out of and its relatively cost effective. However, many candle companies try to alter their wording to trick you into thinking you are getting something more premium than what you actually are. "Soy Blend Wax" is a blended wax with some amount of soy in it (O'Brien, 2020). Most of the time, the soy is blended with paraffin, so if your candle mentions "Soy Blend Wax" its important to see what kind of waxes it was blended with. 

Final Take

There are so many ways candle companies word-smith their advertisements to make you think you are buying something quality, when in reality its not the best. It's important to be aware of these tricks so you can avoid spending money on something subpar.  

References

Mineral wax. CAMEO. (n.d.). http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Mineral_wax.

O'Brien, L. (2020, April 9). What is a "soy blend" candle? Pretty Frank. https://www.prettyfrank.com.au/blogs/chandlers-blog-making-vegan-soy-wax-candles/what-is-a-soy-blend-candle.