Comments by "Mat Broomfield" (@matbroomfield) on "Why People are OBSESSED with Scented Candles" video.

Candle maker here, and ignoring your patronising tone from start to finish, you are misleading and factually wrong on LOTS of the points made throughout this video. Candles should not produce soot if they use the correct wick for the candle size, type of wax, and scent load (the ratio of scent to wax). If they are producing soot, it is likely because the wicks are burning the material too fast. Paraffin is used because it is harder, making it suitable for use in what is known as a "pillar candle," ie, a self supporting candle. Scent throw does NOT mean a candle's ability to hold a scent - it's how well the scent is distributed. Hot scent throw is how well it distributes when lit, cold scent throw is kind of like using the unlit candle as an air freshener or diffuser. Better to have LESS paraffin in a soy blend, than all paraffin. You're completely wrong about beeswax being the only other option. Coconut wax is at least as common, and there are other vegetable blends for scented or coloured wax. In Europe, there are strict labelling regulations that cover the fragrance oils as well as the wax. Candles exploded in popularity during covid, when sales increased 800%. This was partly because many people were staying indoors to enjoy them, and partly because many people were making them as hobbies. You've built a narrative about the entire industry based upon your experiences with a single business. That would be like building your picture of the burger industry based upon McDonalds. Females AND males enjoy scented candles because they create a pleasant ambience. They are absolutely no different to an air freshener in that regard.
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@Rudy1150 I didn't say it didn't create pollution - I said it didn't create soot. Candles produce scent for a long period of time compared to say, and air freshener, and they spread it over a wider area compared to a diffuser. A plug air freshener has advantages, but lacks the ambience and range of scents. Also, nobody is making them at home.
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@AhhhSukeSuke They're not unregulated in Europe, and they're not "mystery scents". An SDS declaration is a legal requirement in Europe and it details the PRECISE chemical composition of the fragrance.
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@lolmaker777 My gas cooker lighter, which burns only gas, also produces a yellow flame yet cannot produce soot. The colour of the flame is not the only indicator of soot production. I just held a white tissue over a candle flame for 10 minutes. It is still white. The only time a properly wicked candle flame produces soot is when it is going out.
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@Yabbaxoraz Hear hear. Lazy fact checking.
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@fairygrove3928 Yes, I grew up with paraffin heaters, and they really stink. The objective is always to get them burning without smoke which was achieved (I believe) by changing the ratio of air to paraffin feeding the wick. I avoid paraffin candles for the same reason. Interested to hear about beeswax burning more efficiently. Wonder why that is, and what do you mean by that term?
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@ether4211 Your response was a poster child for fuzzy thinking and woolly logic. Millions of safe products are tested on animals - that's how testing is performed, and thresholds are determined. Animal testing does not imply a lack of safety in the presence of animals. Yes, animals have a lower threshold, that's why they used canaries to detect gas in mines. I suggest that instead of patronisingly dismissing the research I did, and making the pathetically unrealistic suggestion that I go do a degree (or speak to a vet who has ZERO training in toxicology), you recognise that all humanity progresses by trusting the expertise of those who have already DONE the research. How would ME getting a degree be more efficient than reading meta-studies of people who already HAVE degrees in the field? Many common foodstuffs and household products are sources of poisoning and even death in humans. So what? If you misuse something, almost anything can be harmful.
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@ether4211 That was as hilariously pompous as it was patronising - again (that seems to be a habit with you). Like most things in life, we have to trust to experts in subjects we do not have expertise in. It is not woolly logic to continue to apply that methodology to things I enjoy. There are safety guidelines on every day foods. Does that mean that we should stop eating them? Of course not - it means that we should consume them responsibly - as you said "everything is toxic in the wrong dose and host." You are clearly emotionally invested in attacking candle making - did someone hurt you with a candle when you were a child? Now go away - you're making yourself look foolish.
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@NataliaRomashko I find the number one thing that affects soot production is proper wicking. When you wick too hot (over wick) it makes a lot of soot. I've never discovered that wax matters the amount of soot.
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@ScotHarkins EU standards also insist that the PRECISE chemical composition of a fragrance is stated with each one in a document called and SDS or CLP. For example: "Warning Classification under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 Hazard statements: H317, May cause an allergic skin reaction. H412, Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. EUH208, Contains 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-Octahydro-2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)ethanone, 2,4-Dimethyl-3-cyclohexen-1-carboxaldehyde, Cedrol methyl ether, Eucalyptol, Eug"
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@stargazerbird Absolutely. The US is a cesspool among first world nations of corporate deregulation caused by corrupted politicians pulling the teeth from the regulatory bodies to favour literally evil corporations.
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@Psyopcyclops If the candle burns with 100% efficiency, it will not produce soot.
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@pandemonium8276 I don't like jar candles precisely because there's so much waste. You can reburn the wax that's left below the wick, although it's likely to be very sooty (they make a lot of soot once you blow them out). I don't know about using an oil burner, but you break the wax up and put it into another candle for instance. Just not too much at a time or you'll drown the wick.
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@pandemonium8276 There was a rumour that candle fragrances could harm pets and young children. I looked into it, and all reliable sources and tests said not true, but I definitely wouldn't burn one in a room with children under say 5 - probably even older.
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@susanjeffries5108 My pleasure Susan.
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@ether4211 "vs allowing our own personal trauma/bias to sway our opinion" Uh huh. And you've made that assessment of me have you? You'd be more persuasive if you were less condescending.
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@ether4211 "you cannot make claims without sources to back them up" I see you holding the maker of this video - a man who has ZERO expertise, has proven himself to be both ignorant of the subject, and materially wrong on matters of fact, to no such standard. It's almost like your personally biases and trauma are warping your ability to bring the impartiality that you demand...
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Ab3ndcgi Unlit tealights?
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