'In the past' we always bought those multipacks of tea lights with paraffin. A whole bag full of cozy candles at a low price, who wouldn't want that? Unfortunately, this also turned out to be: cheap is expensive. We discovered that these mood makers are quite bad for your health.
What do you mean bad?
Burning paraffin (a waste product of the petroleum industry) releases toxic substances such as benzene and toluene. Actually, it's like having a tiny diesel engine burning in your house. This can cause respiratory complaints and can even be carcinogenic. And if you have tea lights with a synthetic scent, you can also count on a dose of hormone-disrupting phthalates. We don't have to explain to you that all those disposable aluminum cups are extremely polluting.
The good news?
It is incredibly easy to make your own healthier tea lights. We use glass tealight holders and beeswax for this. Beeswax is a natural material, smells nice, purifies the air in your home and has a beneficial effect on the respiratory tract. You can make these DIYs in no time. Admittedly, they are a bit more expensive than those from HEMA. But apart from the fact that they are much better for your health and the environment, they also burn a lot longer compared to paraffin tea lights. The choice is quickly made for us, hopefully for you too.
Our recipe for success
You need: a pan, glass jar, glass tealight holders, beeswax (must be 100% pure beeswax so not mixed!) and organic cotton wicks (lead-free)
This is how you proceed:
Step 1. Place some beeswax granules in a clean glass jar
Step 2. Place this jar in a pan with a layer of boiling water
Step 3. Let the beeswax melt gently in a bain-marie
Step 4. Dip the metal plates of the wicks in the beeswax and 'stick them' in the glass tealight holders
Step 5. Pour the liquid beeswax into the containers
Step 6. Let everything cool and dry
Have your tea lights burned out?
Then pour some boiling water over it. Then you can easily remove the remaining scraps and wicks and reuse the glass containers. Have fun with your DIY tea lights!
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