“I have too many candles,” said no one ever—especially if they’re sustainable candles. The global candle market industry is valued at $3.5 billion and growing. These are stressful times and what better way to melt away that stress than with a candlelit bath (and a glass of wine, of course)?
But candles can also have their stressors—synthetic scents, petroleum paraffin wax, and lead wicks, to name a few—sparking the hunt for organic eco-friendly candles.
As we begin employing our Brand Rating System in coming months, we’ll be refining this search even further by using 22 criteria points to illuminate all aspects of these brands to pick out the most non-toxic options for you and your home. Learn more about these here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
The Best Sustainable Candles That Just Make Scents
Like moths to the flame, we were instantly drawn to Siblings, who makes some of the best sustainable candles thanks to a revolutionary refill system that lets you use the same container over and over.
For vegan eco-friendly candles, PF Candle Co. offers oh-so-many scents, all of which are made in the USA. Sandalwood Rose is our personal favorite, and we love the amber glass apothecary jars the candles come in.
Index: Eco-Friendly Candle Makers
- Siblings Jump to section
- PF Candle Co Jump to section
- beEsom Jump to section
- Slow North Jump to section
- Keap Candles Jump to section
Siblings
Siblings’ Refillable Sustainable Candles
Created to be a solution to petroleum-laden paraffin and often un-reused containers that have become synonymous with the candle industry, Siblings vows to “ship wax, not weight”.
Knowing that most people have an abundance of containers, they specialize in sustainable coconut oil candles without the container. Instead, it comes in a compostable bag, which you’ll then use to fill your own container with the help of a microwave or pot of boiling water.
Each of these unique sustainable candles feature a coconut blend wax that’s free of parabens, paraffin and phthalates and scented with non toxic, cruelty free fragrance and essential oils. This yields a huge array of unique scent combos like Bergamot, White Rose, and Oakmoss.
The bag of wax comes complete with a lead-free cotton wick and wooden wick holder. They do also sell vessels (in the rare case that you don’t have one) or in money-saving bundle packs.
About Siblings
Siblings makes everything with the aim of reducing waste, including their long-burning candles. They offset all emissions through projects that protect and restore forests, like REDD+ by Jari Pará in the Brazilian rainforest, and have planted over 2000 trees with One Tree Planted.
PF Candle Co
P.F. Candle Co. Sustainable Candles USA
P.F. Candle Co.’s are formulated with vegan soy wax that’s non-toxic, paraben-free, and never tested on animals. Phthalate-free fragrance oils are used along with a cotton core wick. A range of fruity, floral, and musky scents are available, like Teakwood and Tobacco and Sweet Grapefruit.
They come in brass-lidded amber glass apothecary jars wrapped with a kraft paper label. Attractive as they are, they’re excellent containers for decorative repurposing, but that might take a while since their wax is designed to burn slowly and outlive their typical candle counterparts.
About P.F. Candle Co.
Started by husband and wife team Thomas and Kristen, P.F. Candle Co. was born with a mission to provide high-quality candles at an affordable price and plastic-free shipping.
What started as a small operation in a studio apartment has grown to encompass more than 60 USA-based employees. The eco-friendly soy candles are handmade in California with domestically grown soy and farmed using fair labor standards. Just think of these candles as aroma-fair-apy!
My Personal Review of PF Candle Co’s Sandalwood Rose Soy Candle:
“I love the cozy ambiance a candle creates on a cold winter’s evening, but I’m not a fan of the synthetic fragrances and petroleum wax found in most candles. No need to worry with PF Candle Co.’s soy wax candles. They burn cleanly and smell divine. The Sandalwood Rose scent, in particular, offers a beautifully balanced mix of warm sandalwood and gentle rose that’s both cozy and fresh without being too overpowering.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
beEsom
beEsom’s Sustainable Beeswax Candles
beEsom sells ritual/altar/spell/home decor candles that are made from 100% pure organic beeswax sourced locally in Georgia, meaning they’re drip-less and produce minimal smoke and soot. Some of these candles are unscented, but nonetheless carry a warm and sweet honey smell.
Other (non-blessing) eco-friendly scented candles are available, too, as are melts, sphere candles, pillar candles, tealights, jar candles, and votives.
Her scented candles include flavors like Apple Maple Bourbon, Lemon Eucalyptus, and Ceylon Cinnamon. The Love Blessing candle is made with beeswax, cinnamon basil leaves, and ground cinnamon. Other Blessing candles include prosperity (chocolate mint leaves), protection (mugwort and cinnamon), and healing (star anise and allspice).
About beEsom
beEsom is owned and operated by Georgia-based Barbara who designs and hand-makes everything. She initially started making candles to give as gifts and as a hobby to explore Wiccan candle magic. A besom is a flight tool used by Wiccans to symbolically clear space and sweep in a new beginning.
Magic aside, the candles sold by this Etsy shop (meaning shipping is offset) are directly connected to Mother Earth and support a happy environment, healthy bees, and her local economy.
Slow North
Slow North’s Sustainable Soy Wax Candles
Slow North is the equivalent of slow fashion—but for candles. Their eco-friendly wax for candles combines soy wax with 100% essential oil fragrances and cotton wicks primed with vegetable wax. The candles are free of palm oil, artificial dyes, and synthetic ingredients.
Scents are formulated with botanical ingredients and plant essences and include Grapefruit + Spearmint, Eucalyptus + Lavender, Geranium + Rose, Lavender + Cedar, Lemongrass + Tangerine, and more.
The soy candles come in an American-made frosted glass tumbler, which is topped with a sustainably-sourced and fire-branded cork lid. Smaller travel tins are also available.
About Slow North
Slow North is all about creating intentionally crafted, all-natural, and small-batch home goods, beauty, wellness, and paper goods. When founders Michelle and Jon Simmons found out they were pregnant, they set out to detox their house of toxic, synthetic chemicals.
They only use recycled, recyclable, and biodegradable packing materials and donate their textile remnants to the local Textile Recycling Center to be transformed into new products.
Slow North gives back by donating a portion of sales from certain products to various organizations like Kiva, which provides micro-loans to budding entrepreneurs from underserved communities.
Keap Candles
Keap Candles Non-GMO Candles
“Refresh, renew, restore” with the luxurious nature-inspired scents of Keap Candles. Designed by master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel, they offer core scents like our favorite Wood Cabin and Lavender + Pedals.
Each comes packaged in glass cups that can be repurposed as drinking glasses, while their eco-friendly tea light candles are housed in small tin pots that have all kinds of reuse potential.
Both contain regenerative palm wax, a blend of two organic fruit extracts developed in partnership with Natural Habitats. Sourced from organic palms in Ecuador, this non-GMO palm oil promotes regenerative practices and biodiversity, backed by a Fair for Life certification (the highest bar of Fair Trade).
With a high melting point, it won’t melt in transit, even during hot summer months. To prevent waste, both the wax and wick are designed to burn entirely—and can safely do so since the wick is adhered with beeswax rather than glue.
About Keap Candles
Keap is a member of Climate Collaborative and dedicated to transparency and improvement. Because products are made and shipped straight from their studio in Kingston, NY they skip manufacturing expenses and keep their sustainable scented candles affordable.
They ship using mushroom packaging, recycled newspaper, and cardboard printed with soy ink. Since all labeling is done with PureLabels ASTM D6400 and EN 13432-certified biodegradable labels, all packaging except the glass itself is fully home compostable.
For those who don’t wish to reuse the glasses, they’re working on a future Returns Program.
Would love to throw our name out there for your consideration! Just launched on Earth Day 2021: Eco Scentsations! Created a candle line that as eco-friendly and as healthy as we could with a humanitarian aspect – part of our proceeds support Operation Underground Railroad which fights childhood slavery/trafficking. Would love people’s thoughts on what we have created! <3 (www.eco-scentsations.com)