Allergic To Scented Candles?

[*lee-lee*]

it's candle season (as my boyfriend likes to say) so i lit one last night. (it was Lavender Sage by Yankee Candle.) it was burning for about an hour when i developed a headache. the scent was pretty powerful so i blew it out but i stayed in the same room for a few hours longer. my headache got worse and i started to feel tired and nauseous like i was going to throw up so i figured i'd just go to bed and sleep it off. before i was able to fall asleep i noticed i was sweating with the blankets on but shivering with them off me.

i vaguely remember getting a headache one other time i burned this particular candle. could i be allergic to something in the scent?? is that even possible?

[missy'smom]

When the power was out we burned candles for light and a few were scented(one big one happened to be a Yankee candle). I ended up feeling asmatic. Next night I brought out some unscented cleanburing candlesticks and didn't use the scented ones and was fine. Which reminds me that I vowed to buy some new unscented clean burning pillars for next time the lights go out!

[ShayFL]

I cannot tolerate any scented candles. If I go to someone's house and they are burning one, I cough and gag and have to go outside to breath. My friends now know better. I have trouble even walking past the Yankee Stink Store at the Mall. I run past it and get as far away as possible. I could not even tell you what stores are on either side.....I could never go in them.....

[darlindeb25]

Some scented candles do not even need to be burning to set me off. The worst reaction I have had to a candle, was several years ago and it was one of those 3 tiered candles, with 3 different scents. I had it burning next to the computer and my head started to hurt, then my nose started running, my eyes, were running and then, my nost ran, like a faucet, I could not move the kleenex away. Finally I realized it had to be the candle, put it out, and moved it away from me. The symptoms started to reverse themselves.

I also can not tolerate Glade Vanilla scented plug-ins. I have not wanted to test any of the other plug-ins. Glade Carpet Fresh also causes asmatic symptoms for me, so much so that my PCP prescribed an inhaler for me to carry.

[Rachel--24]

I have multiple chemical sensitivities so I no longer light any candles in my house. Most of the candles are gone but I still have a few that just sit there (unlit) which dont really bother me. I dont use plug-ins or anything "scented" at all because they do cause me problems if I'm exposed to them.

I've improved enough that I can go by a store in the mall without having to hold my breath....but I definately cant spend time in a store with lots of candles, perfumes, etc.

The smaller the area I'm in....the more severely I react. My mom lives in a relatively small condo...so when I'm there any strong scents tend to overwhelm me unless all the windows and doors are open. At my own house I can have a few candles sitting around because the house is large and "open"....I dont really notice as strong of a reaction as I would in a more confined area.

[purple]

One time there were 3 of us at someones cabin and 2 of us got a headache from an unlit candle. When I covered it up our headaches went away.

[cavernio]

On the topic of candles, does anyone know if run-of-the-mill birthday candles are gluten free? Making a birthday cake here.

I'm having a hard time finding if candles in general are gluten free, (not including scented candles). I can always wrap the bottoms in aluminum foil or just eat a non-candle piece for myself, but I'd still like to know.

As for scented candles having gluten, many scented products don't make me feel food. I don't think it's the gluten, but I avoid them anyways.

[bartfull]

I have asthma and am very sensitive to scents. But I don't have any problem with PartyLite candles. Their only scent that has ever bothered me is "Spruce in the Snow". I am NOT a PartLite dealer by the way. I just love their stuff and I go to their parties often. It's expensive stuff, but my house looks and smells so good.

I also have some beeswax candles that are unscented. If you like or need to burn candles, those might be a good choice. I don't know where these came from because they were gifts, but I bet if you google them you will find places to buy them.

[sa1937]

On the topic of candles, does anyone know if run-of-the-mill birthday candles are gluten free? Making a birthday cake here.

I'm having a hard time finding if candles in general are gluten free, (not including scented candles). I can always wrap the bottoms in aluminum foil or just eat a non-candle piece for myself, but I'd still like to know.

As for scented candles having gluten, many scented products don't make me feel food. I don't think it's the gluten, but I avoid them anyways.

While I honestly don't know the answer to your question, I would think most inexpensive birhday candles are made from paraffin wax and highly doubt they'd be scented. If you're concerned, could you just put the candles on one side of the cake and then use the other side for the decorative stuff? Or find some cute little candle holders? Of course, that might be a problem if you're making a cake for someone's 100th birthday.

[GottaSki]

On the topic of candles, does anyone know if run-of-the-mill birthday candles are gluten free? Making a birthday cake here.

I'm having a hard time finding if candles in general are gluten free, (not including scented candles). I can always wrap the bottoms in aluminum foil or just eat a non-candle piece for myself, but I'd still like to know.

As for scented candles having gluten, many scented products don't make me feel food. I don't think it's the gluten, but I avoid them anyways.

We use many types of birthday candles - the cheapest plain white, simple colored, the tall skinny curly type and many more. Honestly, I never thought that they could contain gluten and we have made hundreds of gluten-free cakes over the past years without any of the five people in my family with Celiac having any problem.

Does anyone know if birthday candles is an item that should be checked for gluten in manufacturing?

I'm also a member of the heavily scented candle and perfume sensitive/intolerant club - have been my entire life.

[sapereaude]

I am very sensitive to perfumes and have that exact reaction - sinus headache. I've eliminated as much perfume from my life as possible and my regular headaches are now much rarer. I can actually tell what i'm sensitive to, as soon as I breath it in my sinuses hurt. The laundry detergent aisle in the grocery store and BJs is extremely difficult for me. As such we don't burn any candles or incense. It's so hard to find unscented soaps and things, so I have to just be careful with those - I stick with ones that I seem to have the least problems with.

[shadowicewolf]

As a child, i couldn't get enough of them. When i became a teenager, i could no longer handle them. I get severe headaches, throat aches, ears get plugged, eyes water, etc. NO FUN.

I do it with any chemical now. I had to walk down the cleaning section of walmart today and am still dealing with the after effects (sore throat and watery eyes this time. I took a shower and that seemed to help but still.

[SensitiveMe]

From what I have read it has been referred to as a fragrance reaction but they don't know if it is a true allergy or a response to a mixture of chemical irritants. And they don't know if it is the fragrance itself causing the problem or the mixture of chemicals in the product. It is steadliy becoming an increasing problem because of the increased use of fragrances in things.

Single scents supposedly cause less problems than multiscents. It isn't limited to candles but other products too such as carpet powders and dish detergents. And candles don't have to even be lit to cause problems.

I am not in a habit of burning candles because we have someone physically handicapped in the house and I am afraid of a fire possibly occuring. But several years ago while away visiting someone they insisted on taking me into a Yankee candle shop thinking I would enjoy all the varieties of scented candles. Within a few minutes I had a pounding headache, was nauseaous and couldn't even think straight so I had to leave the store.

[badcasper]

I cannot tolerate any scented candles. If I go to someone's house and they are burning one, I cough and gag and have to go outside to breath. My friends now know better. I have trouble even walking past the Yankee Stink Store at the Mall. I run past it and get as far away as possible. I could not even tell you what stores are on either side.....I could never go in them.....

I have always been very sensitive to sented candles. I am the same way at the yankee candle store. I also can't stand to walk down the isle of cleaning products in the grocery store. After using carpet fresh I would get head aches. Now I work in a smaller than factory [shop] where I am exposed to paint fumes, glue fumes, carbon monoxide fumes, and fiberglass fumes from the liquid in a can on a weekly bases, sometimes daily. The sad part is I am just there to make patterns and sew seats. I love what I do but I hate the environment, its making sick.

[kareng]

I have always been very sensitive to sented candles. I am the same way at the yankee candle store. I also can't stand to walk down the isle of cleaning products in the grocery store. After using carpet fresh I would get head aches. Now I work in a smaller than factory [shop] where I am exposed to paint fumes, glue fumes, carbon monoxide fumes, and fiberglass fumes from the liquid in a can on a weekly bases, sometimes daily. The sad part is I am just there to make patterns and sew seats. I love what I do but I hate the environment, its making sick.

 

This topic is from 2008, originally.