Nothing beats scented candles when it comes to setting a relaxing and romantic mood in your home. It’s not just the flickering light from the candles that sets the tone, but the aroma can be very soothing and sensual, and provide the right atmosphere for any activity from a relaxing bath to a romantic dinner. Candle holders can be helpful in providing a practical setting as well as a decorative accent, but the most important thing is always the candle they are designed to hold.

These are what you need to keep in mind when you are set in buying the perfect scented candle for you:

The Candle Components

1. When buying scented candles, the first component you should take note of is the type of wax. Your best options are either a soy wax or beeswax. Most candles today are made from paraffin, which is great for candle makers because they are very cheap and because they burn quickly which in turn causes their customers to buy replacements more frequently. Unfortunately for their customers, not only do they burn faster, but also as paraffin wax is petroleum based they tend to emit a number of carcinogens and toxins, which aren’t all that good for the health.

If the candle produces black smoke or creates soot on the wall, then the candle is most probably made from paraffin wax.

2. Next, consider the wick. A good all-cotton wick can help a candle burn more evenly. Lead-core wicks, on the hand, can lead to indoor pollution, which may not be conducive to the atmosphere you’re trying to set up.

3. Finally, the oils used with the candle wax may affect the quality of the scent. In most cases, it may be better for you to choose candles which use essential oils with the wax, rather than which use perfumed oils. However, even those which use supposed essential oils may be watered down by disreputable companies in order to cut down on costs.

The Irrelevant Packaging

The vast majority of candle makers try to produce the most attractive packaging for their candles because for the most part the candles are generally made with the same cheap wax, wick, and oils. But the candle packaging is irrelevant for your purposes, and perhaps the only thing that may be considered important is whether the candle maker took the effort to make their packaging recyclable and environment friendly.

Sometimes disreputable companies may attempt to increase their prices due to the allure of their packaging, even though each candle they may contain is inferior and cheap to produce. Remember, don’t judge a book by its cover, and this adage applies to a candle as well.

Choosing the Scent

It may be very difficult to choose the right scent, and for buyers there is often an element of chance to a first time purchase. You can’t really tell how a candle smells when you buy online, and even when you’re in a shop the candle may smell differently when lit. The best thing to do is to find the most reputable candle maker companies you can find and then buy fewer quantities at first. Once you’ve tried a candle that works for you, then you can buy more of the same from the same company.

Remember, candle holders can be very nice, but when it comes to setting the right mood, it’s the scented candles, which count the most.