Are Soy Candles Safe for Dogs?
Let's face it: if you’ve ever lit a candle to unwind from your soul-draining 9-to-5, chances are your furry co-worker aka the real MVP of your home office—was curled up right next to it.
But is your self-care ritual safe for your dog? The short answer: if it's soy wax and made right, you're good.
Let's break it down, corporate style.
Soy wax melts in shape of little paws
🚩 The Problem With Most Candles
Most mass-produced candles are made with paraffin wax, a petroleum byproduct. They burn with soot, often release toxins like toluene and benzene and are sometimes blended with synthetic fragrances that do more harm than Zen. For humans, that's not ideal. For dogs with sensitive sniffers? Even worse.
Did you know that your dog’s nose is 40x more sensitive than yours. What you smell as “vanilla dreams” might hit them like “chemical warfare.”
✅ Why Soy Wax Is a Safer Choice?
Clean-burning: No black smoke, no toxic fumes
Natural origin: Soy is plant-based and renewable (Mother Nature-approved)
No artificial additives: At least in my candles. No phthalates, parabens or weird words you can’t pronounce
Better for indoor air quality: Which means better breathing for both you and your pup
🐶 But wait... can dogs be allergic to soy?
Technically yes, but it’s extremely rare, especially since dogs won’t be eating the candle (I mean… they shouldn’t). The real culprits in most candle-related pet issues are:
Cheap synthetic fragrances
Essential oils that are toxic to dogs (like tea tree, clove, eucalyptus)
Wick materials containing heavy metals
🧼 What Makes My Soy Candles Dog-Safe?
As the founder of The Scent of Burnout and owner of two amazing dogs (Betty & Brody) and one last guinea pig (Wally), I design candles that are:
🐾 Pet-safe
🌱 100% soy wax
🖤 Phthalate-free fragrance oils
🕯️ Cotton wicks with zero metal nonsense
✨ Burned by both ex-bankers and corgis alike
So you can light one in your living room without worrying about your corgi’s lungs while you finally relax from that Zoom call that should have been an email.
💡 TL;DR
Soy candles, when made well, are a safe and soothing option for you and your dog. Just steer clear of paraffin, synthetic fragrances and “bargain bin” candles that smell like a chemical plant.
If in doubt? Buy from a small-batch candle maker who cares more about safety than mass production. (Ahem. Hi 👋)
Final Bark
Dogs don’t ask for much: walkies, snacks and not choking on mystery candle fumes. Light a candle that doesn’t betray their loyalty.
