Pet safety with wax melts

Pets and Wax Melts – What You Need to Know

Many of our customers (and potential customers) have pets, so it’s a fair and important question: can you enjoy beautiful home fragrance without it affecting your furry loved ones?

Our wax melts are made from soy wax, which is both vegan and cruelty free.

Soy vs. Paraffin – Does the Wax Matter?

There’s often debate about whether soy, paraffin, or beeswax is “safer” for pets. In truth, the type of wax itself doesn’t make a huge difference to pet safety, though it can affect performance.

• Paraffin wax: When burned in candles, paraffin can release low levels of toxins. In melts, however, the levels are minimal and unlikely to cause concern.
• Soy wax: Performs better for fragrance because of its lower melting point and ability to hold scent well. With the right blending, soy melts can easily out-perform paraffin ones.
• Beeswax: Often considered “natural,” but not vegan.

So, while soy wax is a great choice for performance and sustainability, the real factor for pets isn’t the wax—it’s the fragrance.

Fragrance and Pets

Fragrance oils can contain many components (sometimes 40+). Just as some scents affect humans differently, some may affect pets more than others.

• Essential oils: Often assumed to be safer because they’re natural, but many can actually be more irritating to pets’ respiratory systems than synthetic fragrances.
• Pet sensitivity: Dogs and cats have a sense of smell up to 300 times stronger than ours, so even mild scents can feel intense to them.

What We Use

At Our Time Candles of Nantwich, we use synthetic fragrances designed specifically for use in wax. Many of our customers have pets, and none have reported issues.

Some fragrance allergens—like cinnamal, linalool, and geraniol—are present in very small amounts and are always clearly declared on our packaging and website.

By contrast, there are at least 14 essential oils that should be avoided around pets, as they can cause stronger reactions.

Our Advice for Pet Owners

• Always keep rooms well-ventilated when using scented products.
• Allow pets to leave the room if they choose—animals will often remove themselves if a scent feels uncomfortable.
• If you notice your pet consistently leaving when you use a particular fragrance, it may be time to switch to another.

We’re not claiming to be veterinary experts, but we are committed to transparency and safety. That’s why we declare all required sensitisers on pack and online, so you can make informed choices.

If you’d like more detail about any of our fragrances, please reach out via our website or email—we’re always happy to help.