Candles have been used by humans as a natural source of illumination for over 5,000 years. However, not much is known about their origins. It is often written that the first candles were invented in ancient Egypt. The first official mention of candles dates back to biblical times, around the 10th century B.C. These early candles looked simple: the wick was placed in a container that was filled with a special flammable solution. The art of candle making is believed to have been developed by the Romans. They dipped twisted papyrus in a solution of fat, after which part of the solution remained on the wick, allowing the wick to burn. Such candles were called dipped candles. The word dipped comes from the verb dip. Romans used candles to light their homes, took candles with them on the road, lit them at religious ceremonies. Candle fat was cheap and readily available, so these candles were the most common for centuries.
By the 13th century, entire guilds of candle makers had emerged in Europe, particularly in England and France. Candles were then sold in small candle stores in all towns and villages. Until the 1400s all candles were made the same way, they were dipped in a special dipping solution. But in the 15th century, a French inventor invented a mold for taper candles. After that, wax began to be poured into the finished mold, and that's how taper candles were made.
Most of the inventions that influenced candlemaking date back to the 19th century. In 1820, French chemist Michel Chevrol discovered that stearic acid could be extracted from animal fat acids. This led to the invention of stearic wax, which was hard, tough and also burned cleanly. Stearin candles are still popular in Europe. Paraffin wax was introduced into candle production in the 1850s, after chemists were able to isolate the naturally occurring waxy substance from petroleum and purify it.
Nowadays, paraffin wax, once purified in refineries, is usually bleached by adding dioxin; texturized with acrolein (a known carcinogen); and then mixed with animal stearic acid (a nasty byproduct of meatpacking plants) to harden it and make it into candles. If you've ever wiped your eyes to relieve irritation shortly after lighting a candle, you may have experienced short-term exposure to paraffin wax. As an eye irritant, it won't affect everyone in the same way, but nevertheless, for many people, heated paraffin wax can cause itching, tearing, and sometimes severe eye tearing. So if you want to be kinder to your eyes, it's worth looking for candles made from a different material.
Eye pain is only the tip of the iceberg, however. There are other ways that paraffin candle waxes can harm your health. Whenever you light a paraffin candle, you are inadvertently releasing dangerous chemicals into the air. When paraffin candles burn, they emit black soot and toxic fumes - chemically similar to diesel exhaust - containing poisonous chemicals such as benzene, toluene, naphthalene, tridecane, tetradecane, pentadecane and hexadecane. According to one study by US scientists at the University of South Carolina, these chemicals have been linked to asthma, exacerbation of respiratory problems and allergic reactions.
And now is the time to turn to an alternative, a natural substance that improves health and helps manage stress.
Beeswax is a very valuable substance of natural origin, which has many unique properties. Candles made of it have a pleasant golden color and warm natural honey-floral aroma. They burn much longer than paraffin, very clean, almost soot-free. In fact, they are natural aromatic candles, the aroma of which is created not by extraneous additives, but by the material itself. When burning, the wax releases antimicrobial enzymes, carriers of therapeutic ether - the air in the house is purified. This is especially useful during an outbreak of viral flu. The components of the candle destroy pathogenic microbes and increase immunity. The scent of candles has a positive effect on our nervous system. You get deep peace and relaxation, get rid of negative emotions, calm down and relax. The delicate and sweet smell of honey and pollen evokes pleasant associations and memories of summer. Natural aromatherapy activates creative activity, unloads the subconscious mind, helps to cope with situational tasks that require analysis and intuition.