Generally speaking, some candles are vegan-friendly but others are not. Animal-derived ingredients in candles may include beeswax and stearic acid which is made from animal fat. The fragrances in candles may also be tested on animals.
Yankee Candle is the most popular brand of candles in the world and the good news is that most of their candles could be considered vegan-friendly. Read on to find out exactly which Yankee candles are suitable for vegans, plus, learn how you can minimise any harmful effects on the environment when using Yankee candles.
Are Yankee candles vegan?
Yankee candles are not certified as suitable for vegans. However, most Yankee candles could be considered vegan-friendly as they do not contain any animal derived ingredients and are not tested on animals. The tall taper Yankee candles are definitely not vegan as they contain beeswax.
Which Yankee candles have beeswax?
The only Yankee candles to contain beeswax in the ingredients are the long, thin taper candles. These are very different from the standard Yankee candles which come in glass jars, as tea lights or small votive candles.
This is a picture of the non-vegan Yankee taper candles which have beeswax…
And a picture of the standard vegan-friendly Yankee Candle for comparison…
Because the beeswax, soy wax and paraffin wax Yankee candles are all made in the same factory, there is a chance that some trace amounts of beeswax could have contaminated the soy and paraffin candles.
What The Yankee Candle Company has to say…
According to the Yankee Candle Company, Yankee Candles are ‘not vegan candles’. Companies always have to be very careful about saying that something is suitable for vegans and generally they will only do that if they have a certificate to say that their product is proven to be vegan.
So, to clarify this, I also reached out to Yankee Candle to ask them what it is that makes their candles not vegan.
As you can see from the reply below, the reason why Yankee Candle cannot state that their candles are vegan is because they cannot guarantee that there is no cross-contamination between beeswax candles and other Yankee candles/
As a vegan, I am happy to use Yankee candles. However, I understand that people may have different opinions about which products they are willing to use.
If you’re a very strict vegan who only buys vegan certified products, then you should avoid Yankee candles. However, if you’re okay with knowing that products are free from animal ingredients and not tested on animals, then you will be okay with the soy and paraffin Yankee candles.
Are Yankee candles cruelty-free?
The Yankee Candle Company has stated that Yankee candles are not tested on animals and that they are cruelty-free. There is never any requirement to test any candles on animals, but some other candle brands may use fragrances and essential oils which have been tested on animals.
Are Yankee candles toxic?
The Yankee Candle Company is not required to list the ingredients in Yankee candles, but there is no reason to think that they may be toxic to humans, dogs, cats, birds or other animals.
Yankee candles are made using paraffin wax. One study found that paraffin wax candles released some undesirable chemicals into the air such as alkanes, alkenes and toluene. However, The European Candle Association disputed the claims and stated that “no reputable scientific study has ever shown any candle wax, including paraffin, to be harmful to human health.”
What to do with old Yankee candle jars
Most Yankee candles come in glass jars, which you really don’t want to throw away. For one, they contain leftover wax, a metal wick and a plastic seal that would make them difficult to recycle in the traditional way. But secondly, Yankee candle jars can be upcycled into some really cool things.
As vegans, we care about the environment so should always take the opportunity to upcycle our waste when we can.
12 upcycling ideas for old Yankee candle jars:
- Add string lights to create a night light
- Put artificial flowers in it to use it as a vase
- Make a container for cotton balls or pads
- Glue on a chain and add a tealight to make a camping lantern
- Use it as a jar for dog treats
- Store tea bags, coffee or sugar in them
- Keep your pens and pencils in it
- Make your own body scrub and put it in the jar
- Create a funky terrarium
- Collect your spare change
- Use it to make overnight oats
- Storage for your hair bobbles
Whilst you can just remove the wax, wick and label to leave a plain jar, Yankee candle jars look even better when they’re decorated.
Check out this video for some ideas on how to recycle your old Yankee candle jars and make them look amazing…
Conclusion
Yankee Candle is the world’s most popular brand of candles and most people would consider Yankee candles to be vegan-friendly as they do not contain animal ingredients and are not tested on animals.
Whether you’re shopping for a Yankee Candle as a gift for a vegan friend or want one for yourself, you can know that the jar candles, votive candles and tealights don’t contain any animal products and are not tested on animals.