As you know, at Nidore, we are transparent about the products we use.
Those who already know us (and for those who don't yet, but they should!) know that we use synthetic essences, not pure essential oils. And why, you ask? Two simple reasons. Price, and environmental cost.
Starting with the simplest part, the price: Pure essential oils are extremely expensive. They would make our candles an affordable product for the few, and we didn't want that.
The second part, is a little more complex. The environmental cost of essential oil production. Essential oils are, after all, a chemical mixture, of chemical compounds, which exist in nature.
However, these compounds can be produced synthetically in a laboratory, and avoiding the use of excessive natural resources to produce an essential oil, such as unsustainable plantations, for the sole purpose of obtaining a few mL of essential oil.
That said, our choice was easy, we opted for synthetic fragrances produced in European laboratories, phthalate-free and vegan.
Let's get to the scientific part now.
Starting at the beginning, you can find out how to read our CLP labels, which are on the bottom of our candles, by clicking here.
CLP stands for Classification, Labelling and Packaging, it is a law in force throughout the EU, which regulates and identifies all products that include chemical substances (essential oils included) on sale. This includes all candles on sale, unless they have no smell at all.
Surely, you have a candle at home bought from a large department store, but it doesn't have a similar label. Why not? There are only two reasons why a candle does not have this identification:
- candle is not manufactured in the EU;
- It has an essence concentration of less than 5%, thus avoiding the obligation of this label (so the big producers can reduce prices, but sacrifice quality).
So what exactly is in our sails?
Chemical compounds, naturally occurring in essential oils, which have a distinctive aroma, which in turn, combined, give our candles their scents. Shall we take a look at some?
d-Limonene
It is a colourless liquid hydrocarbon naturally found in the peels of citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits, and is mainly responsible for the aroma that these fruits are recognised for (citrus fruit). It is biodegradable, and is naturally decomposed by microorganisms present in the environment.
Iso-E-super
It is a synthetic aroma, also known as Patchouli Alcohol (Patchouli Ethanol). It is one of the most versatile molecules in the perfume universe, and also one of the most used.
This odour molecule gives off a very warm and masculine aroma with woody notes. In environmental terms, it is a molecule which, in large quantities, can be dangerous for marine animals. But in none of our sails is this molecule present in concentrations of more than 3%.
Citral
Citral, like d-Limonene, is an oil found in various plants, such as lemon balm, lemon lime, and lemon myrtle. It has a very intense citrus aroma and is widely used in perfumery.
This molecule is well-studied, and shows no genetic toxicity, or likelihood of cancer.
Alpha-hexylcinnamaldehyde
Scary name, isn't it? But don't worry, let's see what thistongue twister is.
This molecule is produced naturally by chamomile. It is not a toxic oil, and only about 0.1% of people tested had an allergic reaction. It is quite common in several well-known perfumes, and even in the cosmetics area. (Yes, when a cream has chamomile in it, it will definitely have this chemical compound in it).
Cinnamaldehyde
As the name suggests, this is the molecule responsible for the aroma and flavour so characteristic of cinnamon. It is a yellow, viscous liquid (sap) that occurs in the true cinnamon tree, whose bark is the common cinnamon bark.
Like the others, this molecule occurs naturally.
4-tert-butylcyclohexyl acetate
It is a molecule widely used in perfumery and beyond. In cleaning products and also in car flavourings, mimicking the aroma of something fresh and woody.
This is a molecule created in a laboratory from scratch, and is not naturally present. There are no associated risks, only reported allergies to this product, which can also be found in shampoos, scrubs, and masks.
In short and in conclusion...
As you can see, the vast majority of the chemicals used in our candles, exist in Nature, and are safe and tested mixtures. Of course, they all need other chemicals to become stable, like everything else on our planet.
And always keep in mind that when you buy a handmade candle , either from us or from our esteemed competition, this information is a must-have. Buy from small producers, but always buy safe.
I wanted to end this post with a statement : "Not everything natural is good, and not everything chemical is bad".
I hope this post has been enlightening, and as always, if you have any questions we are entirely at your service!
