In the making: Eym candles

‘The difference between natural and synthetic is like comparing a pinescented air freshener with walking through a pine forest’

THERE is much press around the carcinogenic nature of candles, with many made using petroleum wax and synthetic fragrance to make production cheaper. Being full of toxic compounds, they release unpleasant elements, such as acetone, benzene and toluene, when burned. Eym Naturals is a proudly British candlemaker, started by Poppy and Sam Wall when Poppy was pregnant and looking for a healthy alternative to her candle obsession. The company makes the purest candles possible, using only soy wax, cotton wicks and essential oils (made by pressing or steaming parts of a plant—one kilogram of synthetic rose fragrance costs about £100, compared with a single teaspoon of natural rose oil at about £150). Scent is carried by olfactory nerve cells in the nose, sending the aroma to the limbic system, the home of emotional behaviour. Powerful essential oils such as these will calm or energise, with negative emotions released and muscle tension soothed. Eym have partnered with Laguna B on refillable hand-blown Murano-glass vessels to house their candles, too; £115, refills £40 (www.eymnaturals.com).