I started making candles for the same reason I stopped buying them. The ones I could find — even the expensive ones — left a residue on my walls, a faint headache behind my eyes, and a nagging feeling that something beautiful shouldn't come at a cost to the air I breathe.
That residue is paraffin. And once you know what it is, you start noticing it everywhere.
What Is Paraffin Wax?
Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum — the same raw material that produces gasoline, diesel, and plastic. It's the most widely used candle wax in the world because it's cheap, widely available, and easy to work with. The vast majority of candles sold at mass retail — including many marketed as "luxury" — contain paraffin, either entirely or blended with other waxes.
What Happens When You Burn Paraffin
When paraffin burns, it can release a cocktail of volatile organic compounds. Research has identified toluene, benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde among the emissions. A single candle on a single evening won't harm you. But candle lovers don't burn one candle once. They burn candles daily, in bedrooms, in bathrooms, in every room where they want beauty and comfort — which is to say, in the rooms where they spend the most time breathing.
Black soot on walls and ceilings near where candles are burned is another telltale sign of paraffin. That soot isn't just cosmetic — it's particulate matter that was in the air before it settled on your surfaces.
What Makes a Candle Truly Paraffin-Free
Here's where it gets tricky. The candle industry is largely unregulated when it comes to ingredient labeling. A candle can be labeled "soy blend" and contain as little as 10% soy with the balance being paraffin. Terms like "natural," "clean," and "non-toxic" have no legal definition in the candle industry.
What to look for instead:
- 100% coconut soy wax or 100% soy wax — the word "100%" matters
- No additives — vybar, stearic acid, and UV stabilizers are paraffin-adjacent additives used to improve the performance of cheaper waxes
- Transparency about ingredients — if a brand won't tell you exactly what's in the candle, there's a reason
Every Caroline Francis candle is 100% paraffin-free coconut soy wax with non-toxic fragrance oils and natural fiber wicks. No additives. No exceptions. We list our ingredients because we're proud of them.
The Environmental Angle
Beyond personal health, paraffin wax is a non-renewable petroleum product. Coconut and soy wax are plant-based, renewable, and biodegradable. Our packaging is FSC-certified, printed with water-based inks. Our vessels are 100% recyclable — and many of our customers repurpose them as planters, pencil holders, or small vases once the candle is done.
Sustainability isn't a marketing angle for us. It's the reason we exist.
The Scent Difference
There's a practical benefit to going paraffin-free that doesn't get enough attention: the fragrance is cleaner. Without the chemical interference of petroleum byproducts, you smell the actual fragrance — the fig, the cedar, the peony — not a synthetic approximation filtered through a petrochemical haze.
This is why our candles smell the way they do. Because nothing is in the way.
Experience the difference — shop paraffin-free candles →