Candles are in high season in the run-up to Christmas. But when we buy candles in a shop in Germany, we are largely left in the dark about their ingredients and sustainability. This is shown by this year’s candle check, which Deutsche Umwelthilfe carried out before the start of Advent. Customers usually cannot tell whether palm oil, paraffin etc. are contained and where these raw materials come from. The testers are therefore calling for more transparent labeling to be introduced.
A particularly large number of candles are bought and lit during Advent. No wonder, after all, they radiate a Christmas glow and appear cozier than many modern light sources such as LEDs. Many people therefore brighten the dark season with gentle candlelight. On average, every German burns 1.5 kilograms of candle material every year – this corresponds to around 100 tea lights. But what is actually burning? What is in the candles, where do the raw materials come from and how sustainable are they? Normally the prints on the candle packaging should provide information about this. The candle material also has an ecological footprint and produces emissions during its production even before it is burned. For example, the candle ingredient paraffin is made from refined petroleum and is therefore harmful to the climate, stearin is often made from palm oil grown in an environmentally harmful way and even sunflower or beeswax are not necessarily sustainable.
In a recent analysis, the German Environmental Aid (DUH) determined how well these ingredients are labeled. To do this, the testers randomly purchased candles in four branches of ten different retailers across Germany between October and November 2025, including decor shops, supermarkets, hardware stores and drugstores. They then checked the tea lights, stick and block candles they purchased with regard to their transparency regarding ingredients and their sustainability.
No labeling
The evaluation showed: 78 percent of the candles examined were sold without any information about the ingredients used. For the vast majority of products, neither raw material nor composition could be identified, especially for retailers’ own brands. Eight percent of all candles were provided with general information about raw materials and 15 percent also included the respective quantities. It therefore remained unclear whether fossil paraffin, palm oil-based waxes or other oils of plant or animal origin were contained – as well as the associated risks for the climate, forests and people.
Reliable seals for the sustainability of raw materials were even rarer than information on contents. Only three percent of the packaging even contained any sustainability seals. Among them, the testers also identified confusing creations that look like sustainability seals, but are neither based on independent criteria nor external controls, as is the case, for example, with the recognized RSPO certificate for sustainable palm oil. The testers did not take the RAL seal into account in their analysis. Although this stands for the burning quality of the candles, it says nothing about the raw materials and their sustainability.
The worst performers in the candle check were the ranges from Nanu Nana, Edeka and Bauhaus, where the ingredients in the candles were labeled the worst – namely not at all. The testers drew a mixed conclusion for candles from dm, Depot, Rewe, Ikea and Rossmann, where between 65 and 91 percent of the goods had no content information. Candles from branches of the organic supermarkets Alnatura and Denns performed best. Their packaging stated most transparently what was inside and in most cases even how much of it.
More transparency required
In view of its findings, German Environmental Aid considers it sensible and important to introduce an obligation to label the raw materials used for all candles sold in this country. “Because only those who know what is burning can make more sustainable decisions,” writes the DUH. In addition, in the organization’s opinion, the EU Deforestation Regulation should also be applied to candle raw materials, so that no forests should be cleared for the production of candles. According to the DUH, retailers must review their supply chains and work with suppliers to create a range of candles with more transparent information. The Alnatura and Denns ranges prove that this is possible.
Source: German Environmental Aid eV, Candle check 2025