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Vieux Carre Candle Co. is a small family owned business that specializes in non-toxic candles made from organic coconut wax. Our candles are hand-poured in New Orleans. Each of our candles is labeled by hand and each candle's name is hand stamped by us to give it that extra special personal touch. No mass production in a big factory or machines involved. 

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We started our company because we have always loved candles but wanted something that was non-toxic and higher quality than what was available.

 

Our daughter was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2017 after years of being in pain. After doing some research about potential causes, I got rid of everything in our house that was toxic (including all the candles) and we started eating only organic food and using only organic or natural products. Four months after making these lifestyle changes she had no symptoms and was not on any medications. She's still symptom free to this day.

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Our family has learned a lot about toxic products we come in contact with on a regular basis. Candles shouldn't be one of those. They should enhance the ambiance of the room and help you relax, not put your health at risk.

 

  The majority of candles on the market are made from paraffin wax, a petroleum by-product generated when refining oil into gasoline. When paraffin candles are burned they release toxins into the air inside your home. Two of them, benzene and toluene, are highly toxic and are known carcinogens. These toxic particles can potentially penetrate the deepest areas of the lungs, the lower respiratory tract, and the lungs’ alveoli (tiny air sacs). Children and the elderly are especially at risk. The soot from paraffin candles contains the same air pollutants as the exhaust of a diesel engine, albeit in smaller quantities. These by-products of petroleum combustion are considered just as dangerous as second-hand smoke, causing headaches, worsening asthma, causing allergy-like symptoms, irritating the respiratory tract, or even causing lung cancer. 

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“Most” candles made in the US do not contain lead in the wicks, however a significant amount of imported candles do contain lead in the wick. A candle with a lead-core wick releases five times the amount of lead considered hazardous for children and exceeds EPA pollution standards for outdoor air. 

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Soy candles are a better option than paraffin but soy has its own issues too. All soy candles are chemically processed from the oil of genetically modified (GMO) soybeans that are commercially farmed with pesticides. Many companies market their soy candles as eco-friendly, renewable, sustainable, and carbon neutral. However, this is deceptive; all soy for soy candles is commercially farmed using high intensity commercial farming practices with fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and chemicals. Currently, none of the four companies that produce soy wax use organic soy beans to do so. Even if organic soy beans were used to make a soy candle, it would still not be considered organic because of the chemical process used to turn the husks into the wax. These include extraction with hexane, chlorine bleaching, deodorization, and hydrogenation.

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Additionally, soy wax doesn’t hold scent well and chemical additives or paraffin wax are blended into the soy to allow it to hold a higher percentage of fragrance. 

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We have chosen to use organic coconut wax for our candles. Coconut wax is made from cold-pressed coconut meat. It’s creamy white in color and burns even longer and cleaner than soy wax. It also is argued to be more "natural" than soy because it's organic and more eco-friendly to harvest. It burns cooler so it lasts longer, and it can hold a higher fragrance concentration than soy. Which means it will do a better job at making your home smell amazing! The only downside to it is that it's harder to find, and more expensive. But not to worry, our candles are priced fairly so that everyone can enjoy them.

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As well as using organic coconut wax for our candles we also use organic hemp wicks. Our wicks are untreated, unbleached, and have no chemical additives. They light easily and burn well.

 

We provide three different options for fragrances. The first is USDA certified organic fragrance. The second is 100% all natural fragrance. And the third is body safe phthalate free fragrance. All three of these options have therapeutic grade essential oils incorporated into them. We enjoy all three types in our home, but also wanted to give people the option to have a candle that was made with all natural or organic fragrance. 

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Besides making a candle that’s safe for your family and better for the environment, we wanted something that really spoke about where we are from and represented the city that we love so much. Our name and beautifully designed label is meant to represent the original New Orleans French Quarter. When it was founded in 1718 it was called the Vieux Carré, in French this means “old square.” One of the most common sights you would see then, and still see in the French Quarter today, is horse drawn carriages. So we decided that a horse and carriage would be the perfect symbol to represent our company and our beautiful city.

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Our signature line of candles is named after some of the most iconic places, people, and things in New Orleans. We have carefully selected each smell to go along with each name. Our Cafe Du Mondé candle smells like the perfect cup of cafe au lait, our Jean Lafitte candle smells like salty sea air, our Courtyard candle smells just like the fragrant jasmine you find growing in the French Quarter courtyards, and there are many many more. 

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We also have seasonal candles scents and everyday favorite scents. 

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We know you’ll appreciate the safe ingredients, attention to detail, quality, and love we put into making each one of our candles.