The word "eco-friendly" gets thrown around a lot in the candle world. It shows up on labels, in Instagram captions, in brand taglines — often without much explanation of what's actually behind it.
So here's what it actually means, what to look for, and why it matters more than most people realize.
Why does it matter what a candle is made of?
Candles burn. That's the whole point. And when something burns, it releases whatever it's made of into the air you're breathing, in the room where you're sitting, usually with the windows closed. The ingredients in a candle don't just sit there — they become part of your environment every time you light one.
Most people don't think twice about this. But if you're lighting a candle every day, or even a few times a week, what's inside it adds up.
What is coconut soy wax, and why does it matter?
Most mass-market candles are made from paraffin wax, which is a byproduct of petroleum refining. It burns, but it releases a small amount of soot and certain compounds that aren't ideal for indoor air quality — particularly in poorly ventilated spaces.
Soy wax, derived from soybeans, burns more cleanly and produces less soot. Coconut wax, derived from coconut oil, takes that further — it's one of the cleanest burning waxes available, with an even lower soot output and better fragrance throw than soy alone.
At Sloday, we use a coconut soy blend — which gives us the clean-burning properties of coconut wax with the stability and structure that soy provides. Both are renewable, plant-derived resources. Neither is a petroleum product.
What are phthalates and parabens, and why avoid them in fragrance?
This is the part that surprises most people.
Synthetic fragrance oils — the kind used in most commercial candles — often contain phthalates, which are chemical compounds used to make scents last longer and carry further. Parabens are preservatives also commonly found in fragrance formulations. Both have raised questions in scientific research about their effects as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with hormonal systems in the body.
All Sloday fragrance oils are phthalate and paraben free.
What "eco-friendly" doesn't mean
A candle that calls itself eco-friendly isn't necessarily:
- Carbon neutral — unless it has a verified offset certification, which most small candle brands don't
- Vegan by default — some wax blends contain beeswax, which not everyone considers vegan
- Allergen free — even phthalate-free fragrance oils contain compounds that some people are sensitive to, particularly those with fragrance allergies
- Compostable or biodegradable — plant-based wax is technically biodegradable, but the vessel, wick tab, and label usually aren't
We'd rather be honest about what Sloday is — a candle made with cleaner ingredients, a more sustainable wax base, a recyclable vessel, and fragrance oils formulated without the compounds we specifically wanted to avoid — than claim a credential we haven't earned.
The TLDR;
If you're looking for a candle that's a genuinely cleaner choice, here's what to actually look for on the label:
- Wax type: coconut soy, pure soy, or beeswax over paraffin
- Fragrance: phthalate free and paraben free
- Wick: FSC-certified wood or unbleached cotton
- Vessel: recyclable or reusable material (steel, glass, ceramic over plastic)
- Brand transparency: honest about what's in it, not just what sounds good
That's the standard we hold ourselves to at Sloday. Not perfect, but honest — and a meaningful step in the right direction.