Nothing sets an atmosphere and creates warmth within a home like the comforting fragrance of a scented candle. If you, like me, are a serial hoarder of scented candles (raise your hand if you’re a fellow lover of cinnamon and vanilla), you might already know that there are two main options for conventionally made candles: beeswax and paraffin. One is non-vegan, the other is technically vegan but problematic for a variety of reasons. Another seemingly vegan product is palm wax, which comes with its own set of issues.
Beeswax is produced by bees (duh) and is a honey by-product. It is made by melting a honeycomb with the use of boiling water. The animal-rights issues with beeswax are the same ones that we face when it comes to honey. Farmers at honey farms often forcibly impregnate bees and sometimes remove the queen bee’s wings to keep her from leaving the colony. Bees make honey for themselves to survive the winter, but farmers substitute it with cheap sugar water that lacks the nutrition that honey offers the bees. Bees are necessary to our ecosystem, and despite the fact that they are small, they are sentient animals just like cows, pigs or dogs, so compassionate humans should do their best to protect them. Thankfully, beeswax, which is also quite expensive, is not necessary at all to produce candles.