Why I Use Phthalate-Free Fragrance Oils

You might have heard a bit more about phthalates recently. They seem to be coming up more in the media, alongside things like microplastics and other chemicals we're becoming more aware of in everyday products. You might also have come across them through things like podcasts or documentaries such as The Plastic Detox, which looks at the amount of plastic and chemicals we're exposed to in everyday life.

I first heard about phthalates through a podcast by the College of Naturopathic Medicine. I was considering doing a nutrition course with them at the time, and the podcast got me looking into phthalates in fragranced products. Some phthalates have been used in fragrance to help scents last longer, and some have been linked to disruption of the endocrine system (our hormone system).

Around the same time, I was thinking about starting up Light & Align, so I started looking much more closely at what actually goes into candles and fragrance products. I initially thought I'd use essential oils, but the more I learned about them, the more I realised that natural doesn't automatically mean harmless. Essential oils can cause irritation and sensitisation, and there are also things to consider around pets and pregnancy.

I ended up choosing fragrance oils, but I specifically chose ones that are supplied as phthalate-free.

I don't think a phthalate-free candle is a ‘healthy’ candle. It's still a candle, and burning wax and fragrance indoors produces emissions. I'm not trying to suggest that changing one ingredient makes candles good for you. But I also don't think we can realistically avoid everything that might be harmful. We all use products, eat things, travel, buy things and generally get on with life without analysing every single choice we make.

But when there is a choice, I think it's worth making the slightly better one. Maybe it's only 1% better. That's still better than nothing. If I can choose a fragrance oil without phthalates rather than one that contains them, I'll choose the phthalate-free one. The same goes for the wax I use, the amount of plastic in my packaging and the suppliers I buy from.

I'm not trying to make everything perfect. I'd much rather make small improvements where I can and still enjoy the things I enjoy.