Wax warmers are a great idea, in theory. The problem is that the wax cubes that come with them are full of toxins listed as fragrance. Companies can claim ingredients as trade secret and label them as fragrance. This allows them to hide thousands of chemicals under the term fragrance, which prevents consumers from knowing what we are really buying and exposing ourselves to. In fact, on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) fragrance is listed as a hazardous ingredient as defined by both OSHA and WHMIS.
I have spent a lot of my career around chemicals and reading MSDSs and today was the first time I did a double take.
"Ingestion is not an anticipated route of exposure. However, Febreze® Wax Melts are practically non-toxic."
Practically non-toxic. 20-60% of this product is made up of legally defined hazardous ingredients and yet Proctor and Gamble consider this to be practically non-toxic.
Paraffin wax is the largest and most common hazardous ingredient in wax cubes. When it is burned it decomposes and creates irritating fumes. Don't be fooled by some company claims that their products contain food grade wax so it is better. It is still petroleum based. Scentsy makes it a point to not release their ingredient list but they do claim that:
"Scentsy warmers only warm the scent out of the wax, the wax remains in the warmer, thus there is no danger of chemicals being released into the home."
That sounds practically non-toxic! What Scentsy isn't saying is that all the fragrance in their wax cubes, which are dangerous chemicals, are being released into your home.
Convert Your Wax Warmer to a Healthy Alternative
Last year I received a wax warmer as a gift. I really love the idea of it and decided to keep it but to ditch the cubes and instead make my own using coconut oil and essential oils.
What You Need
Coconut oil - organic, virgin, non-refined (I love Nutiva)
Essential oil - I love the citrus blends like grapefruit but you could change it up based on the season (buy here)
What To Do
Place a small amount of coconut oil in the top of the wax warmer. Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil and then allow the oil to melt. Top up with essential oil when you can't smell it anymore. As always, be safe when heating anything. Don't leave your warmer unattended or where kids or pets can knock it over.
Related Posts - Check them Out
Eliminate Toxins Hiding as Fragrance
Eliminate Mold Naturally
Kicking Toxic Air Freshener to the Curb
Disclaimer - This post contains an affiliate link that when used helps to pay for this blog.
"Practically non-toxic" -- ha! Just goes to show how meaningless (and underregulated) the term "non-toxic" is.
ReplyDeleteI am still laughing about it!
DeleteWow - I'm really surprised those companies are making those claims! I like your idea MUCH better!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing what they can get away with.
DeleteThis is such a neat idea for substituting unhealthy fragrances with a better alternative. I don't have a wax warmer but I'm going to pin it to share!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Sara!
DeleteCool hack! A MUCH better alternative. Pinning.
ReplyDeleteConsumers have rights to know what they are really buying from companies.
ReplyDeleteI have one of these but I haven't used it. Now I can!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know what to do with mine for the longest time either!
DeleteI've heard that dispensing oils in a wax warmer is not safe and only to use the diffuser meant for oils, because it's heating it up, what do you think?
ReplyDeleteThe issue with heating oils is that they lose any benefits that they would have when they are used in other ways (diffused, applied topically etc). Using this method shouldn't be used to replace diffusing but is rather showing what is in wax cubes that comes with these warmers and how you can convert it into basically an air freshener.
DeleteQuestion:would the warm coconut oil with essential oils in it be safe to apply to the skin? As long as it isn't too hot, i would use it on my dry hands the the day.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't touch it at all as it could burn your skin. Coconut oil does make a great moisturizer (it is what I use on B) and it will quickly melt in your hands as you rub them together. Just take a tiny amount and rub your hands together. If you want to add a drop of EO you can and I would recommend picking an EO based on your mood or if you are coming down with something.
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