When you look into the mirror do you ever ask yourself, why are my eyes so puffy? Believe it or not the air quality in and around your living space is very important, not just to your sinuses and lung health but also your liver and skin. Depending on how these systems are functioning in your body is going to reflect in the quality of your skin and if you have puffy eyes.

I am not just going to blame candles because I want to emphasize there are a lot of everyday toxic chemicals in both your living and work space that you can be exposed to that can cause eye puffiness.  You want to look older burn a candle in your home.  Not just any candle, a toxic melting wax combined with toxic essential oils.  See how you look in the mirror the next day and you probably aged over night.  Wondering why your eyes are puffy and your nose feels stuffed up?  Probably the candles you are burning  A lot of these toxins can have a negative effect on your health and cause damage to the systems in the body. Note:  this doesn’t just affect your health it can affect the pets living in your environment too.

Fragrances and Additives

“About 1 in 3 people report having health problems when exposed to products with fragrances. These include asthma attacks, hay fever, headaches, migraines, dizziness, breathing issues, rashes, congestion, nausea, and seizures.” – Health Direct

The many reasons I felt compelled to write this post is to bring awareness to your environment and the air quality in your living space. When you are in a healthy environment it reflects in your skin and overall well being.  When your in a toxic environment, the toxicity can have a major negative effect on how you look. Burning the wrong candles can be toxic.  I want to point out what waxes and scented candles can do to your health and why its important what type of candles you burn.

Air Quality Control

Toxins, Toxins, Toxins everywhere.  We are constantly bombarded with toxins in the air.  There is the exhaust of the automobiles in the traffic jams, not to mention the air filter in your car engine might me clogged up.  The sky has toxins with the pollution going through the air.  You have your ventilation system in your living and work space.  Air quality and puffy eyes, that is the point here.

Toxins In Your Space

What are some causes of polluted air?

• Chemicals in cleaning products
• Dirty air filters
• Dirty heater and AC Vents
• Polluted air from open windows
• Toxic Candles Burning
• Essential Oil Diffusers
• Mold from water damage
• Dust from vents and carpets

What are the effects of this pollution on the physical body:

• Asthma
• Chest issues
• Puffy eyes
• Allergies
• Sometimes skin issues can arise to name a few

Talk About Lungs, Sinuses, & Skin

I once had a casual conversation with a pulmonologist, or (lung specialist).  I asked him what happens to your lungs if your exposed to bad air or say living in mold?  He responded and explained to me that the lungs are an amazing thing.  He said to imagine them like sponges and they absorb everything in your space.  He said the minute you change your environment or leave that space they immediately start filtering and cleaning themselves.  That is a little promising for your health that the body is able to self regulate but the take away for me was to always try and keep your air quality clean.  No additives or fillers or dirty toxins by choice.

Remember knowledge is power.  If you unknowingly are using toxic cleaning supplies or candles in your home that is fine.  Once you have an awareness of these chemicals then, that is on you what you do with the knowledge. What absorbs into your organs from your environment is very real?  The air quality around you is affecting your health.  Prominently the lungs, sinuses, liver and skin.  So lets talk health with air quality in your living and work space and the burning of candles

Candle Burning

How toxic are candles for your health?  What are the effects on your health of a candle burning in your living space?  I love the glow of a candle especially with a nice hot bath soak.  The reality candles are full of toxic chemicals and are actually hard on your health.

When you burn a candle in your space, essentially you are breathing in a smoke or burn off of some sort.  Now combine that with closed windows and doors.  Visualize that light smoke going through your heater or central ac system.  You have no fresh air circulating through and you are breathing in a toxic chemical in your home which will more than likely have a negative health effect.

Personally I feel that candles create puffy eyes.  I will say it again for the people in the back, I feel burning candles creates puffy eyes.  Imagine your burning a toxic chemical in your living space and inhaling it for well over 40 minutes and you are slowly starting to cough or feel your sinuses and your lungs feel tight?  The cause could be your candle causing polluted air in your own environment. How would your eyes not have some sort of puffiness after that type of exposure?

Candle Materials

Now that we are getting past my puffy eyes theory, are you a candle burner?  Do you know the ingredients in your candle?  Do you know the effects of the ingredients in the candle on your body?

Let’s explore some of the waxes used to make other candles and what effects that wax can have on your health.

First, Soy Wax and Paraffin

• Soy is not a natural wax. It’s a hydrogenated oil processed with heavy metals
• 96% of soybeans are genetically modified (GMO) and farmed with pesticides
• Paraffin is a petroleum byproduct, used to make fuel
• Burning paraffin candles releases toxic fumes.
• Like soy, paraffin emits harmful chemicals linked to cancer and respiratory issue

Some properties from soy and paraffin candles that burn off:

• Formaldehyde
• Acetaldehyde
• Toluene
• Benzene
• Acetone

All of these chemicals are known carcinogens that can lead to cancer and other serious health concerns.

Effects of burning essential oils

If you burn a scented candle and it has been scented with essential oils here is what is really happening. Essential oils do not blend well with waxes especially soy and beeswax.  Because they do not blend well any essential oil used can burn uneven.  The burn off of essential oils burning in a candle creates chemicals called,  CMR (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic) when heated to a high temperature. This will affect your lungs, skin and reproductive health.

Best Candles To Burn

I learned many years ago that the best candles to burn are Pure Beeswax candles.

Why?  Because pure beeswax is:

1. derived from nature an all natural product
2. full of negative ions.  Two negatives make a positive.  When you have negatives from the candle burning combine with the negative ions floating in the air you create positive energy in that space.
3. being that beeswax is a natural product from nature you will not experience harmful health effects as long as the beeswax is not scented with any essential oils.
4. also, imagine all the flowers that the bees had to touch to create that beeswax?  That is what you are burning in your space.  Creates a nice floral mental image.

Another “safe candle wax”  is the one we have available for sale on the site, Coconut Apricot wax.  This is a vegan food grade wax.  Coconut apricot was is considered a luxury wax in the candle making world and will not have any negative side effects on your health as this is considered food grade and burns a cotton wick.  We have left the candles unscented so that you will get no added “burn off” of heat damaging essential oils.  We’ve called it our Signature Scent as this is a pure clean all natural scent from nature.  Check out the link  here: https://elementlufu.com/shop/copy-of-coconut-apricot-wax-yoga-candle-cotton-wick/

 

 

Puffy Eyes

Now from an esthetician standpoint I will say I do not believe in puffy eyes. I am making this statement because sometimes people will have puffy eyes on the daily and they think that this is their normal.  No, puffy eyes are an indicator that something is wrong.  More than likely in your living environment or your work environment or both.  Yes you can have food allergies and your eyes puff up but it is not natural to run puffy in the eye area.

Personal fact, on the topic of puffy eyes. While I was in my esthetician program I had to commute an hour and a half each way to get to my class.  To avoid the drive I would sometimes stay at my friends house closer to my school.  I would wake up with the WORST PUFFY eyes and my nose would drip. My eyes would stop being puffy when I was in my classroom so I couldn’t place my finger on the issue.  Finally I realized when I stayed at my friends place she had down feather pillows.  That is how I learned I am highly allergic to down.  They still place these pillows in “luxury” hotels and I always question that move as I know personally I will wake up all puffed out and I have to remember to request non down pillows when I stay somewhere? Just wanted to share this for someone else out there if you ever notice your experiencing puffy eyes out of the blue.

The more I have lived my life and learned I am convinced puffy eyes stem from the liver and your environment.  What does that mean?  Number one, face mapping.  If you read my post on face mapping, link here: https://elementlufu.com/what-is-face-mapping/

Under the eyes represent the liver.  So if you have dark circles and puffiness in your eye area, I can say the dark color would more than likely be a food allergy.  Puffiness, definitely comes from air quality.  Remember not just your lungs but your liver also acts as a filter for your body.

Conclusion

These are tips for your sinuses, lungs, and general health including the “puffy eyes”.  It is important to always protect those lungs in your living space.  Remember, the lungs are like a sponge and they absorb everything and the minute you leave the environment they clean out. My question is, why put your body through all that? Why not just keep things pure from the beginning?

I just wanted to bring awareness to the puffy eyes and toxic candles.  I do know, when I’ve visited peoples homes and they are burning scented candles I catch myself many times getting a cough attack.  I know its the candle but how can I say, hey can you blow out your candle its causing me to have a cough attack?   Also yoga studios that burn candles.  Beautiful to see the burning candle glow but again unless its a clean burning wax people will feel the candle waxes negative effects.  This is all just to take into consideration and remember like I said at the beginning the toxic candle burning can affect your pets too.

I did do a post on the best detox bath recipe.  Here: https://elementlufu.com/easy-tips-to-detox-your-skin-body-best-detox-bath-recipe/ When I do a detox bath to remove toxins from the body I love to burn candles to enjoy the glow and relaxation effects.  Wouldn’t it be counter intuitive to detox the body in the bath and burn a toxic candle at the same time?  Again be aware of the waxed candles you are burning and the toxins your are inviting into your space.

Please feel free to comment if you are reading through this and bells are ringing and lights are going off about your own health reactions to candles burning in your environment. I would love to know if you learned something new from this post.