What’s the low down with wax melts and how safe exactly are they for your precious moggies and doggies?
Are you wondering about the safety of using wax melts around your furry friends?
I must admit, it never crossed my mind when I started making soy wax melts three years ago. However, after receiving several inquiries from concerned pet owners, I realised that is a topic that needs exploring.
As a pet owner myself, I know the importance of keeping our animal companions safe and sound. That's why I've done some investigating on the matter and here's what I found out…
When it comes to using wax melts, oils in burners or diffusers, it's not just about the risk of your pet accidentally ingesting them. The scents released into the air can also pose a risk for pets with breathing issues, such as asthma. So, before using these products in your home, it's important to consider the potential effects on your pet's respiratory system.
But don't get your tail in a twist just yet! Synthetic fragrances used in wax melts are generally safer to use around pets. However, it's still important to keep them out of reach of your furry friends. As for cats, they're highly sensitive to scents, so some essential oils can be upsetting to them. Although they may not be interested in eating wax melts or candles, they may react negatively to the scent. It's best to use these products in moderation and ensure that your cat has space to roam freely without feeling overwhelmed by strong scents.
Now, dogs are a different breed. They're less sensitive to scents but may still be curious and try to eat or chew on wax melts or candles. So, it's important to keep these products out of reach and monitor your dog's behaviour around them. And, if you're looking to give your pooch a pamper, choose a dog shampoo that is either fragrance-free or scented with a synthetic fragrance rather than an essential oil. Some essential oils, such as lavender, can be extremely toxic to dogs' skin, so it's important to steer clear of those.
Remember, not all essential oils are problematic for our furry friends but some which should be avoided include cinnamon, citrus, clove, eucalyptus, birch, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, tea tree, wintergreen, ylang ylang and lavender.
At Wild Venus, we have both synthetic and essential oil fragranced wax melts, and all of our candles are fragranced with synthetic perfume oils. Any melts which use essential oils are clearly labeled in our Aromatherapy Melts range.
While I'm no expert, my research has led me to recommend caution when using wax melts and essential oils around pets, especially cats and dogs. So, always keep these products out of reach of your pets, and choose synthetic fragrances over essential oils when possible. If you have any further questions or insights on this topic, don't hesitate to reach out here and together we'll to keep our furry friends happy and healthy!
