Are citronella candles safe to burn on the back patio with kids?
Based on 1 peer-reviewed studyhome
Verdict: Use Caution
Outdoors with airflow, okay. Near kids breathing the smoke, not ideal.
What's actually in it
Citronella candles combine paraffin or soy wax with citronella oil. Outdoors they disperse quickly. Close contact with smoke (especially near a toddler's face) puts the same VOCs into lungs as a kitchen candle.
What the research says
A 2025 study in Front Public Health linked scented candle smoke to airway inflammation in rats.
Place candles upwind of people, at least a few feet from where kids sit. For mosquito control, a fan blowing outward is often more effective than smoke.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Toxicological evaluation of VOCs emitted from scented candles. | Front Public Health | 2025 |
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