Are Yankee Candles Natural Wax?

The Yankee Candle Company has a long history as a leading candle manufacturer. Founded in 1969 by Michael Kittredge, Yankee Candle started by making candles with natural beeswax in his parent’s garage in Massachusetts. Over the decades, the company grew to become an iconic American brand synonymous with scented candles. Today, Yankee Candle operates a major manufacturing facility in South Deerfield, MA and has over 450 retail stores globally (source).

In 2013, Yankee Candle was acquired by the consumer goods company Jarden for $1.75 billion (source). This marked a major milestone for the company. However, over the years, there has been some controversy around whether Yankee still uses natural wax versus cheaper synthetic wax blends in their candles. This article will analyze the wax blends that Yankee uses today and the pros and cons of natural vs synthetic waxes.

What is Natural Wax?

Natural wax is derived from natural sources like plants, insects, or minerals. Some common types of natural candle wax include:

Beeswax – Beeswax is secreted by honey bees to build their honeycombs. It has a sweet, honey-like scent and burns cleanly with no drips or smoke. Beeswax is non-toxic and biodegradable. (Source: https://www.marthastewart.com/8061950/candle-wax-type-guide)

Soy Wax – Soy wax is made from hydrogenated soybean oil. It’s vegan-friendly, biodegradable and burns slowly and cleanly. Soy wax blends well with essential oils and comes in different variations like natural, blended and poly-saturated soy wax. (Source: https://www.thespruce.com/types-of-candle-wax-5323778)

What is Synthetic Wax?

Synthetic waxes are artificially produced waxes, as opposed to natural waxes which come from plants or animals. The most common type of synthetic wax used in candles is paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is a byproduct of petroleum refining and is made from crude oil [1]. It has a crystalline structure and is hard and brittle at room temperature. Paraffin wax consists of straight chain hydrocarbons, which give it a high melting point and make it ideal for candle making. It is odorless, colorless, and burns cleanly with no soot or smoke. Other types of synthetic waxes include microcrystalline wax, which comes from the residue left after petroluem distillation, and Fischer-Tropsch wax, which is chemically produced from coal, natural gas or biomass feedstocks.

Yankee Candle’s Wax Blends

Yankee Candle has used a variety of wax blends in their candles over the years. In the 1990s and early 2000s, most Yankee Candles were made from a paraffin wax blend. Paraffin wax is a petroleum-based wax made from crude oil. While paraffin burns cleanly, some consumers were concerned about potential toxins and opted for more natural wax alternatives.

In response, around 2003 Yankee Candle introduced candles made from a blend of paraffin and natural vegetable-based waxes, typically soybean wax. Soy wax is made from hydrogenated soybean oil. The soy-paraffin blended candles provided an alternative for consumers wanting a more natural formula with ingredients derived from plants (Source 1).

Within the past decade, Yankee Candle has begun offering candles made from an all-natural wax blend consisting mostly of soybean wax, with other vegetable waxes like palm and coconut. These natural soy wax candles appeal to consumers seeking a clean-burning formula devoid of petroleum-based ingredients (Source 2).

While the specific wax blends used in Yankee Candles have evolved over time, the company has consistently offered options to suit customer preferences ranging from paraffin to soy wax.

Recent Controversies

In recent years, Yankee Candle has faced growing criticism over the ingredients used in their candles. Many consumers have expressed concern that Yankee uses a significant amount of synthetic paraffin wax in their blends, rather than natural wax from soy, beeswax, or other botanical sources.

Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum oil, and some studies have shown that burning paraffin candles releases compounds like toluene and benzene into the air [1]. These compounds are known carcinogens and can be toxic to humans and pets when inhaled. Critics argue that the low cost and high burn time of paraffin comes at the expense of air quality and safety.

In 2015, a class action lawsuit was filed against Yankee Candle alleging that the company deceived consumers by marketing their candles as natural, when the majority of wax blends contained paraffin [2]. Though the lawsuit was dismissed, it highlighted growing unease about Yankee’s transparency and wax blends.

More recently in 2022, a viral TikTok video brought the synthetic wax controversy into the mainstream. The video alleged that burning a Yankee Candle released black soot and caused respiratory issues for the creator’s dog [1]. This sparked renewed scrutiny of Yankee’s wax blends and calls for more natural, non-toxic options.

Yankee’s Response

When concerns surfaced about the use of synthetic wax, Yankee Candle responded by defending their proprietary wax blends. According to Yankee Candle’s website, their candles are made with a blend of paraffin and natural waxes to optimize performance, Fragrance Intensity, and clean burning.

Yankee Candle claims their wax blends allow the candles to retain more fragrance and burn evenly down to the bottom of the jar, preventing tunneling issues that can occur with 100% soy or natural wax. They state that all waxes meet FDA guidelines for safety and the paraffin wax contains no dyes or toxins.

Additionally, Yankee Candle reiterated that their wicks are lead-free and made from natural fibers like cotton
(https://www.yankeecandle.com/newen/customer-care/faqs). While recognizing customer concerns, Yankee maintains confidence in their proprietary wax blends. They feel the percentage of paraffin used does not diminish the candles’ safety when burned responsibly.

Testing Yankee’s Wax Claims

Independent lab testing has shed some light on whether Yankee Candle’s proprietary wax blends live up to their natural wax claims. A 2011 test by the National Candle Association found that Yankee’s Maker’s Mark wax, a blend of paraffin and vegetable wax, burned cleaner and cooler than 100% paraffin wax. The testing showed Maker’s Mark did meet Yankee’s claims of being a cleaner burning wax blend.

However, critics point out that Yankee uses the term “natural” very loosely and that their wax blends still contain a high percentage of petroleum-based paraffin wax. Further independent testing would be required to verify if specific Yankee blends like ProBlend 600 actually burn with “minimal soot” as claimed by the company.

Pros and Cons of Natural vs Synthetic Wax

Natural waxes like beeswax, carnauba wax, and soy wax have some advantages over synthetic waxes:

• Natural waxes are derived from plants or animals so they are biodegradable and environmentally friendly (https://waxness.com/blog/post/16-synthetic-or-natural.html).
• Many people prefer natural ingredients over synthetic chemicals.
• Natural waxes produce a warm, gentle glow.

However, natural waxes also have some drawbacks:

• Natural waxes are more expensive than synthetic waxes.
• The supply of natural waxes can be limited based on availability of the plant or animal source.
• Natural waxes may have more variability in quality.

Synthetic waxes like paraffin wax are made from petroleum. They have benefits like:

• Synthetic waxes are inexpensive to produce.



• The supply is consistent because synthetics are chemically engineered.
• Synthetics can be customized for specific properties like shine or hardness.

However, drawbacks of synthetic waxes include:

• Synthetics are not from natural sources so some consumers avoid them.
• Synthetics are not biodegradable.
• Some synthetics use ingredients that can irritate skin.

Overall, natural and synthetic waxes both have tradeoffs. Natural waxes appeal to consumers who want natural ingredients, while synthetics provide affordable and consistent performance.

Consumer Options

With concerns about the synthetic ingredients in Yankee Candles, many consumers have shifted towards more natural options. There are now a variety of candle brands focused on using pure, natural soy wax without artificial fragrances or paraffin wax. Some popular natural candle brands include:

Candelles (https://www.buzzfeed.com/claramcmahon/soy-candles) – Hand-poured in the USA using 100% soy wax and pure essential oils. Feature fall and seasonal candle scents.

Slow North (https://www.slownorth.com/collections/candles) – Uses 100% soy wax and essential oils for a natural, clean-burning candle. Focus on luxury, spa-like scents.

Real Soy Candles (https://realsoycandles.com/) – Specializes in 100% soy wax candles with premium fragrance oils. Variety of aromatic candle scents.

While these brands offer all-natural options, Yankee Candle has also released their own natural wax candles made from soy wax and essential oils. However, many of their signature classic candles still contain paraffin and synthetic fragrances. Consumers seeking a fully natural candle experience may want to explore some of the small-batch, artisanal brands using high-quality natural ingredients.

Conclusion

In summary, while Yankee Candle claims their wax blends are natural, there is controversy around how natural they actually are. The candles contain a blend of paraffin, which is a petroleum-based synthetic wax, and natural vegetable waxes. However, the exact ratio of natural to synthetic wax is unknown and likely varies between candles.

Independent lab testing has shown that some Yankee candles contain high levels of paraffin wax, indicating they may not be as natural as advertised. However, Yankee defends their wax blends as proprietary recipes that balance performance and naturalness. There are valid arguments on both sides of the natural wax debate.

The final verdict on Yankee’s wax naturalness is that while the candles do contain some natural wax, they cannot be considered 100% natural or organic. Consumers who want candles made from pure natural waxes may be better off looking to other brands that specialize in natural products. Those less concerned with naturalness and more focused on Yankee’s iconic scents and performance can rest assured there is at least some natural wax content, albeit blended with synthetic components.