health canada recalls candles for, well, fire risk

the candles in question are the revive 3-wick soy candle in the scents winter cedar and warm spiced latte. all candles come with some risk. however, the high flame produced by these specific candles may cause the surface of the wax to catch fire and create a burn hazard, according to health canada .

it’s always a good idea to keep any candle away from anything that might catch fire and never leave them burning if you’re leaving the room, or falling asleep. health canada also says to keep them out of reach of pets and children.

enjoying a fire, the crackling sound combined with a glowing light and heat, is likely a product of evolution . fire provided an important method of cooking, warmth when it got cold, and light to continue work, so it’s not hard to figure out why individuals drawn to a fire would have an advantage over those who kept away.

(the author of this paper also notes that people who were calm and social around a fire would have likely had the greatest evolutionary benefit – roughhousing or fighting around an open flame often results in a bad time.)

evolutionary guesses aside, one study found the sound and experience of being around an open campfire correlates with a decrease in blood pressure. the relationship also appeared to strengthen the longer the subjects spent around the fire simulation.

scents also seem to play a role in helping us relax. a 2014 study found that diffusing pleasant scents to a plastic surgeon’s waiting room correlated with lower levels of anxiety reported by patients. interestingly, pairing a scent with playing music was correlated with higher levels of reported anxiety.

a meta-analysis of research into the effects on smell in retail environments correlated with generally higher reports of pleasure and satisfaction with environments where pleasing scents were present.

inhaling pleasing smells has also been correlated with changes in blood pressure, muscle tension and pulse, among other physical responses.

there is no definite research onto why scents seem to help us relax. some therapists believe that the act of lighting a scented candle acts as a signal that it is time to relax, or a pleasing smell gives us something to focus on instead of our stressors – even if just for a moment.

research also suggests that the molecules our nose interprets as scents can cross the blood-brain barrier (the physical boarder that protects the brain) where they are able to interact directly with the central nervous system, which may explain why smells have such an effect on brain function.

regardless of the physiology, what seems to be important is that the consumer finds a scent pleasing and the smell isn’t too intense. if they don’t like the smell of lavender then lighting a lavender-scented candle likely won’t be a relaxing experience, even if the lore surrounding lavender deems it relaxing.

emjones@postmedia.com |  @jonesyjourn

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