This is our updated candle guide for 2027. We published our original non-toxic candles roundup in 2026, and it remains one of our most-read articles. This update reflects new brands we’ve tested, formula changes from existing brands, and updated pricing.
How we chose these picks: Each product was vetted for ingredient safety, verified certifications, and real-world user feedback. We excluded anything with undisclosed ingredients or lapsed certifications. Full testing methodology The candle market hasn’t changed dramatically in the past year, which is actually good news. The brands NonToxicLab recommends from 2026 are still making quality products. What has changed is that more brands are entering the non-toxic space, which means more options and slightly better prices as competition increases.
The fundamental problems with conventional candles haven’t changed either. Most candles at major retailers still use paraffin wax, synthetic fragrance with undisclosed ingredients, and wicks that produce unnecessary soot. If you’re reading this, you probably already know that. So let’s get into what’s new and what’s still worth your money.
Quick Picks: Best Non-Toxic Candles 2027
| Candle | Best For | Wax Type | Price | Burn Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fontana Candle Company | Best Overall | 100% Soy | $28 | 50-55 hrs |
| P.F. Candle Co. | Best Value | Soy | $22 | 40-50 hrs |
| Keap | Most Luxurious | Coconut Blend | $38 | 50 hrs |
| Grow Fragrance | Best Plant-Based Scent | 100% Soy | $30 | 45-50 hrs |
| Brooklyn Candle Studio | Best Minimalist | 100% Soy | $26 | 50 hrs |
What’s Changed in the Non-Toxic Candle Market (2027 Update)
A few notable shifts since our last roundup:
More MADE SAFE certifications. MADE SAFE is a third-party certification that screens products for known toxins, including carcinogens, behavioral toxins, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, flame retardants, heavy metals, and pesticides. More candle brands are pursuing this certification, which makes shopping easier. Grow Fragrance, a newer entry on our list this year, carries the MADE SAFE seal.
Plant-based fragrance is gaining ground. The old debate was essential oils vs. synthetic fragrance. Now there’s a third category: plant-based fragrance that uses biotechnology to create scent molecules identical to those found in nature, but without the petrochemical synthesis process. Grow Fragrance is the most prominent brand using this approach. The result is a stronger scent throw than pure essential oils, without the hidden chemicals of traditional “fragrance.”
Coconut wax blends are more common. In 2026, coconut wax was mostly found in premium candles. Now mid-range brands are incorporating coconut wax blends because it burns clean, holds fragrance well, and has a lower melting point that creates a larger melt pool (which means better scent throw).
Pricing has held steady. Despite general inflation, non-toxic candle prices haven’t increased significantly. Most of our recommended brands are within a dollar or two of their 2026 pricing, which suggests the market is competitive enough to absorb cost increases rather than pass them to consumers.
Paraffin vs. Soy vs. Beeswax vs. Coconut Wax
If you read our original candle guide, you’ve seen this breakdown before. Here’s the updated version with some additional context.
Paraffin Wax (Still the One to Avoid)
Paraffin is a byproduct of petroleum refining. A 2009 South Carolina State University study found that burning paraffin candles released toluene and benzene, both recognized carcinogens. The candle industry’s trade group disputed the study’s methodology, and there are ongoing debates about dose relevance. But the fundamental chemistry is clear: you’re burning a petroleum product in an enclosed space, and the combustion byproducts include compounds you don’t want to breathe.
For anyone working on improving their indoor air quality, paraffin candles are one of the easiest sources of indoor pollution to eliminate.
Soy Wax
Made from hydrogenated soybean oil. Burns cooler and slower than paraffin, produces significantly less soot, and is biodegradable. The scent throw from soy wax has improved substantially as candle makers have refined their formulations. Most of our recommended brands use soy as their primary wax.
One caveat worth mentioning: most conventional soybeans in the U.S. are GMO. If GMO sourcing matters to you, look for brands that specify organic or non-GMO soy. From a burning/health perspective, there’s no evidence that GMO vs. non-GMO soy wax produces different emissions. The health concern with candles is combustion chemistry, not the agricultural origin of the wax.
Beeswax
Still the cleanest-burning natural wax. Produces negative ions that may help bind airborne particulates. Has a natural honey scent that eliminates the need for added fragrance. Burns longer than any other natural wax per ounce.
The downside is cost and limited scent options. Beeswax candles are inherently unscented or lightly honey-scented. Adding fragrance to beeswax is technically possible but changes the burn characteristics. If you want a scented candle, soy or coconut is the better base. If you want the purest, cleanest burn with no additives, beeswax is unbeatable.
Coconut Wax
The rising star. Made from cold-pressed coconut oil, it burns very clean, has an excellent scent throw (better than soy in many formulations), and is a renewable, high-yield crop. It’s more expensive than soy, which is why you usually find it in blends rather than as 100% coconut wax.
Coconut wax has a lower melting point, which means the melt pool forms faster and wider. This is actually an advantage for scent throw because the larger liquid surface area releases more fragrance. The downside is that coconut wax candles can be slightly more prone to “sweating” (beads of oil forming on the surface) in warm environments. This is cosmetic, not harmful.
The Lead Wick Problem (Still Relevant in 2027)
Lead wicks were banned in the U.S. in 2003. But that ban applies to domestic manufacturing and importation. Candles produced outside the U.S. for non-U.S. markets, and candles that slip through import controls, can still contain lead-core wicks.
Most risk is highest with:
- Candles purchased abroad and brought home as souvenirs
- Unbranded candles from online marketplaces shipping directly from overseas
- Vintage candles manufactured before 2003
- Cheap imported candles from dollar stores or discount retailers
How to check: rub the tip of the wick on white paper. If it leaves a gray mark like a pencil, it contains a metal core (possibly lead, possibly zinc). Zinc-core wicks are less concerning than lead but still not ideal. The cleanest option is always cotton, wood, or hemp wicks with no metal core.
If you’ve been burning candles with questionable wicks in a small room, it’s worth getting your indoor air quality tested to baseline where you stand.
Synthetic Fragrance vs. Essential Oils vs. Plant-Based Fragrance
This is the most confusing aspect of candle shopping, so let me break it down clearly.
Synthetic Fragrance (The Problem)
A word “fragrance” on a candle label is legally allowed to represent any number of undisclosed chemical compounds. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) lists over 3,000 chemicals used in fragrance formulations. Some of these are benign. Others include phthalates (endocrine disruptors used as fragrance carriers), synthetic musks (which bioaccumulate), and volatile organic compounds.
Dr. Shanna Swan, a reproductive epidemiologist at Mount Sinai, has identified fragranced household products as a meaningful source of phthalate exposure. Her research links phthalate exposure to hormonal disruption, fertility issues, and developmental effects in children.
The problem isn’t that every synthetic fragrance chemical is harmful. The problem is that you can’t know what’s in the blend because companies aren’t required to disclose it. “Fragrance” could mean three innocuous compounds or thirty problematic ones. Without transparency, you’re guessing.
Essential Oils (The Traditional Alternative)
Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts. They provide genuine scent without synthetic chemistry. The tradeoff is that essential oil candles typically have a softer, lighter scent throw than synthetic fragrance candles. Some people find the scent too subtle. Others prefer it.
Essential oils are not without considerations. Some essential oils (particularly tea tree and eucalyptus) can be irritating to pets, especially cats. If you have cats, our guide on non-toxic cleaning products for homes with pets covers which essential oils to avoid around different animals.
Plant-Based Fragrance (The New Option)
Brands like Grow Fragrance use biotechnology to create fragrance molecules from plant-derived sources. The scent molecules are chemically identical to those produced by traditional fragrance synthesis, but the feedstock is plants rather than petroleum. The result is a stronger scent throw than essential oils with a cleaner ingredient profile than traditional synthetic fragrance.
Grow Fragrance publishes their full ingredient lists and holds MADE SAFE certification, which means the formula has been screened by an independent body for known harmful substances. This is the strongest transparency in the candle fragrance space right now.
The 5 Best Non-Toxic Candles in 2027
1. Fontana Candle Company Classic Soy - Best Overall
Price: $28 | Wax: 100% Soy | Burn Time: 50-55 hours | Wick: Cotton
Fontana remains our top pick going into 2027. The formula hasn’t changed because it didn’t need to. 100% soy wax, cotton wicks, and essential oil blends with full ingredient disclosure on every candle and on their website.
What keeps Fontana at the top isn’t any single standout feature. It’s consistency. Every candle I’ve purchased from them over the past two years has burned evenly, thrown scent reliably, and left minimal residue on the glass. That kind of quality control is harder than it sounds, especially for a small-batch operation.
This scent library has expanded slightly since our 2026 review. They’ve added a few seasonal options and a couple of new everyday scents. The lavender eucalyptus is still my personal favorite and the one I keep reordering.
At $28 with a 50+ hour burn time, the cost per hour is around $0.50. That’s competitive with any candle on this list and better than many.
Pros: Full ingredient transparency, excellent burn consistency, strong scent throw, good value per burn hour Cons: Smaller scent selection than P.F. Candle Co., primarily available online
2. P.F. Candle Co. Soy Candle - Best Value
Price: $22 | Wax: Domestically Sourced Soy | Burn Time: 40-50 hours | Wick: Cotton
P.F. Candle Co. continues to offer the best combination of quality, scent variety, and accessibility in the non-toxic candle market. Their scent library is enormous, with both permanent and seasonal options that cover everything from woodsy to citrus to floral.
Their formulation uses a blend of fine fragrance and essential oils, not 100% essential oil. But they’re transparent about this and their blends are phthalate-free. For people who find pure essential oil candles too subtle, P.F. Candle Co. hits the sweet spot of clean formulation with noticeable scent throw.
At $22, this is the most affordable candle on our list that I’d recommend without caveats. They’re also widely available in retail stores, which means you can smell before you buy. That’s a real advantage when you’re choosing a candle.
Any amber jar is iconic at this point and looks good in any setting. It’s become one of those products that people recognize and associate with quality.
Pros: Unbeatable scent variety, affordable, widely available in retail, phthalate-free, iconic design Cons: Not 100% essential oil fragrance, burn time slightly shorter than Fontana
3. Keap Hand-Poured Candle - Most Luxurious
Price: $38 | Wax: Coconut Wax Blend | Burn Time: ~50 hours | Wick: Cotton
Keap is the candle you buy when you want something special. Their coconut wax blend holds fragrance beautifully, and the scent design is more sophisticated than most competitors. Each scent is built around an experience rather than a single note, and the fragrance develops and shifts as the candle burns down through different layers of the wax.
The carbon offset program is still a differentiator. Every purchase offsets the candle’s carbon footprint and then some. If your motivation for buying non-toxic candles includes environmental concerns alongside health concerns, this aligns with that.
This ceramic vessel is minimal, elegant, and heavy enough to feel substantial. It’s designed for reuse, which partially justifies the $38 price tag. I’m using one as a pencil holder on my desk right now.
Each main barrier is the price. At $38, a Keap candle costs nearly double a P.F. Candle Co. The burn time is better (50 hours vs. 45), but the cost per hour is still higher. Whether the premium scent experience and sustainability program justify the difference is a personal call.
Pros: Exceptional scent design, coconut wax burn quality, carbon offset program, beautiful vessel Cons: Premium pricing, limited retail availability, may be too subtle for people who prefer strong fragrance
4. Grow Fragrance Soy Candle - Best Plant-Based Fragrance
Price: $30 | Wax: 100% Soy | Burn Time: 45-50 hours | Wick: Cotton
Grow Fragrance is new to our recommended list this year, and they’ve earned the spot by doing something no other brand on this list does: publishing a complete ingredient breakdown of their fragrance formula and backing it with MADE SAFE certification.
Their fragrance technology uses plant-based sources to create scent molecules, avoiding petroleum-derived synthetic fragrance entirely. The result is a scent throw that’s noticeably stronger than essential oil candles but without the ingredient opacity of traditional fragrance. You know what’s in it because they tell you.
The soy wax is 100% soy (no blending), the wicks are cotton, and the jars are simple glass. The scent range is smaller than P.F. Candle Co. but growing. I tested their Lemon Blossom and Bamboo scents, and both had a clean, bright character that filled a room within about 15 minutes of lighting.
MADE SAFE certification matters because it means a third party has reviewed every ingredient in the candle, not just the wax and wick but the actual fragrance compounds, and confirmed they’re free from known toxins, endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens. Very few candle brands have this level of independent verification.
If you want the strongest possible scent from a truly non-toxic candle, Grow Fragrance is the current leader.
Pros: MADE SAFE certified, full ingredient transparency for fragrance, stronger scent throw than essential oils, 100% soy Cons: Smaller scent selection, newer brand with less track record, higher price than P.F. Candle Co.
5. Brooklyn Candle Studio Soy Candle - Best Minimalist
Price: $26 | Wax: 100% Soy | Burn Time: ~50 hours | Wick: Cotton
Brooklyn Candle Studio is the reliable, no-fuss option. 100% soy wax, cotton wicks, phthalate-free fragrance, hand-poured in Brooklyn. The amber glass jars are beautiful in a way that doesn’t try too hard.
I’ve been burning their candles regularly since we first reviewed them, and the consistency is excellent. Even burn pools, minimal soot on the glass, and scents that don’t fade as the candle gets lower. That last point is important because cheaper candles often front-load fragrance at the top of the wax, leaving the bottom half of the candle nearly scentless. Brooklyn Candle Studio doesn’t do this.
Their travel tin line at a lower price point is still one of the best ways to try multiple scents before committing to a full-size jar. At $12-$14 per tin, they make excellent small gifts too.
Pros: Consistent quality, beautiful design, great scent range, travel tins for sampling Cons: Some seasonal scents sell out quickly, phthalate-free fragrance blend (not 100% essential oil)
Price Comparison: Cost Per Burn Hour
| Candle | Price | Burn Time | Cost Per Hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| P.F. Candle Co. | $22 | 45 hrs | $0.49 |
| Brooklyn Candle Studio | $26 | 50 hrs | $0.52 |
| Fontana Candle Company | $28 | 52 hrs | $0.54 |
| Grow Fragrance | $30 | 47 hrs | $0.64 |
| Keap | $38 | 50 hrs | $0.76 |
P.F. Candle Co. still wins on pure value. Fontana is the best balance of quality and price. Keap is the premium experience for those who want it.
How to Read a Candle Label in 30 Seconds
This is the quick version. For a deeper dive into reading product labels for harmful chemicals, check our toxic chemicals to avoid master list.
Look for: 100% soy, 100% beeswax, or coconut wax. Cotton, wood, or hemp wick. Essential oils, phthalate-free fragrance, or plant-based fragrance. Full ingredient list.
Walk away from: “Soy blend” without specifying the blend. “Fragrance” with no disclosure. No ingredient list on label or website. Metal-core wicks. Unusually bright or unnatural wax colors.
Bonus points for: MADE SAFE certification, B Corp certification, published third-party testing, transparent fragrance ingredients.
What People Ask
What’s the difference between “fragrance-free” and “unscented” candles?
Fragrance-free means no fragrance compounds were added. Unscented means the candle was formulated to have no detectable scent, but chemicals may have been added to mask natural odors. A beeswax candle that smells like honey is fragrance-free but not unscented. An “unscented” paraffin candle might actually contain masking agents. For the cleanest option, choose fragrance-free beeswax or clearly labeled unscented soy from a transparent brand.
Are phthalates still a problem in candles?
Yes. Many mainstream candle brands still use fragrance blends that contain phthalates as carriers and fixatives. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, and burning a phthalate-containing candle releases them into your air. The only way to avoid them is to choose brands that explicitly state “phthalate-free” or that disclose their full fragrance ingredients.
Is coconut wax better than soy wax?
Neither is inherently “better.” Coconut wax has a slightly better scent throw and lower melting point (which creates a wider melt pool). Soy wax is more affordable and has a longer track record. Both burn clean with minimal soot. The best choice depends on your priorities: maximum scent throw (coconut) or best value (soy).
Can candles cause headaches?
Synthetic fragrance in conventional candles is a common headache trigger. The phthalates, VOCs, and other compounds in undisclosed fragrance blends can cause headaches, especially in people with fragrance sensitivity or migraine conditions. Switching to essential oil or plant-based fragrance candles eliminates most of these triggers. If even natural scents bother you, unscented beeswax is the safest option.
How do I know if a candle is truly non-toxic?
Third-party certification is the most reliable indicator. MADE SAFE certification screens for known toxins in every ingredient. Beyond certification, look for brands that publish complete ingredient lists (including fragrance components), use simple waxes (soy, beeswax, coconut), and have a track record of transparency. A brand that won’t tell you what’s in their product is a brand that doesn’t want you to know.
Are candles bad for indoor air quality?
Paraffin candles are. They produce soot, VOCs, and combustion byproducts that measurably degrade indoor air quality. Non-toxic candles made from soy, beeswax, or coconut wax produce significantly fewer emissions. Beeswax may actually improve air quality through negative ion production. Regardless of the wax type, always burn candles in well-ventilated rooms and trim wicks to reduce soot.
Quick Summary
Any non-toxic candle market is better than ever in 2027. More brands, more options, better transparency, and prices that haven’t increased despite inflation elsewhere. If you’re new to non-toxic candles, start with P.F. Candle Co. for the best combination of quality, variety, and price. If you want the overall best product, Fontana Candle Company hasn’t been dethroned. And if you want the most innovative approach to clean fragrance, Grow Fragrance is the brand to watch.
Your easiest rule of thumb: if a candle won’t tell you what’s in it, don’t burn it in your home.
Last updated: February 2027. Prices may vary. We independently research and test the products we recommend. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Sources
- Swan, S. H. Count Down. Scribner, 2021.
- MADE SAFE. “Certification Standards and Screening Process.” madesafe.org.
- South Carolina State University. “Soybean Candles for Healthy Life and Well Being.” USDA NIFA-funded research, 2009.
- International Fragrance Association. “IFRA Transparency List.” ifrafragrance.org.
