karona Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Hi everyone! I wrote earlier about my sensitivity to fragrances. This problem was solved by good respiratory mask. No more symptoms. I studied fragrance sensitivity more and I found many articles about fragrances and health risks/illnesses they cause. That makes my wonder how can I be sure that my scented candles are safe for my customers and for me (when Im doing them)? How can I have peace of mind with this? This really bother me. I dont want to loose my health or cause harm to others. I use CS fo´s. There is a line in their website where they say: We adhere to the strict RIFM (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials) standard regarding fragrance safety. Our products are non-toxic when used for their intended purpose in candle making. What this mean? I asked Candle Science this same question, but they didn't gave me proper answer, because ingredients in the fo are secret. Have any of you had any health problems caused by FO? Do you protect yourself from fo's? I still wanna make scented candles, because I love them! But I have to be sure that is safe for everybody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 If they were a huge risk from the scent themselves for consumers, they would have been pulled and banned long ago. As long as you use your safety precautions, and use your respirator, you should be fine. The only other thing I would suggest, is if you are that worried about it, you can always make unscented products. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Or make beeswax candles. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 I know a lady who used to make candles and felt it was too health risky so she switched to making melts using essential oils. No flame, no fragrance oil, no more respiratory problems and she feels betterabout the products she is making. That being said, my brother cannot be in the room with a soy candle burning or a soy melt...even if totally fragrance free. He is apparently sensitive or allergic to the soy wax. I cannotingest any soy products but I'm fine working with soy wax, makes no sense! Fragrance oils are used in so very many products besides candles and likeJ said, they would have been pulled long ago if they posed a real health risk. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karona Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 Thank you so much for your support. I feel much better. I make unscented candles too, but I love to use fragrances. There is so much wonderful scents to use! Maybe I just have to relax and trust that CS fragrances are non-toxic in candles, like they said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karona Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 If they were a huge risk from the scent themselves for consumers, they would have been pulled and banned long ago. As long as you use your safety precautions, and use your respirator, you should be fine. The only other thing I would suggest, is if you are that worried about it, you can always make unscented products. You are right! People use fragrances every day in many different products. It would have noticed if they were huge risk. Thank you for this point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Thank you so much for your support. I feel much better. I make unscented candles too, but I love to use fragrances. There is so much wonderful scents to use! Maybe I just have to relax and trust that CS fragrances are non-toxic in candles, like they said. Also, fragrances sold by candle and soap suppliers are specifically manufactured for the safe use in those applications. They must provide a MSDS upon request, and a lot of them will ship with the fragrance, or it can easily be found online. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candly Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 I've also been similarly concerned and now only use FO's that are free of phthalates. You may want to look into whether the ones you use contain them or not and weed them out accordingly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) You needn't worry about a customer burning a candle. They are not exposing themselves to FO the same as the candlemaker. Its the candlemaker, you, that is exposed to a large amount of vapors when you are making the candles. That should be your main concern. Yes, it can be harmful to ingest on a continuous basis all the vapors that come off the FO as you are blending it into your wax. So as long as you are wearing a good (OSHA) respirator you are protecting yourself. I know my respirator protects my lungs and I don't cough or have itchy chest when I make candles anymore before I started using it. I have heard of at least one candlemaker that developed a diseased lung from ingesting FO vapors over the years. Hearing her story and developing a cough from only 5 yrs of candlemaking is what convinced me to get a good respirator. I did my research and checked out OSHA regulations before purchasing mine. Now I have been making candles for over 10 yrs and feel much safer... and better.... than before I started wearing my mask. Edited September 22, 2015 by Candybee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karona Posted September 24, 2015 Author Share Posted September 24, 2015 I've also been similarly concerned and now only use FO's that are free of phthalates. You may want to look into whether the ones you use contain them or not and weed them out accordingly.Thank you, I use phthalates free fragrances too. =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karona Posted September 24, 2015 Author Share Posted September 24, 2015 You needn't worry about a customer burning a candle. They are not exposing themselves to FO the same as the candlemaker. Its the candlemaker, you, that is exposed to a large amount of vapors when you are making the candles. That should be your main concern. Yes, it can be harmful to ingest on a continuous basis all the vapors that come off the FO as you are blending it into your wax. So as long as you are wearing a good (OSHA) respirator you are protecting yourself. I know my respirator protects my lungs and I don't cough or have itchy chest when I make candles anymore before I started using it. I have heard of at least one candlemaker that developed a diseased lung from ingesting FO vapors over the years. Hearing her story and developing a cough from only 5 yrs of candlemaking is what convinced me to get a good respirator. I did my research and checked out OSHA regulations before purchasing mine. Now I have been making candles for over 10 yrs and feel much safer... and better.... than before I started wearing my mask.Thank you for your comment. Thats what I will do. Wear a good respiratory mask! I have found very good one now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tam1116 Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Do most of you use some kind of mask? If so what kind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karona Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 I have Scott profile mask. I like it. Very good mask! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 I use a double organic filter that absolutely keeps out all odors. You can get them at Home Depot or Amazon for about $30.00. Hate wearing it but that's better than candle nose.Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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