Like many holiday traditions, lighting candles and fireplaces is best
done in moderation
[December 15, 2025]
By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY
The warm spices in gingerbread, the woodsy aroma of pine and fir trees,
and the fruity tang of mulled wine are smells synonymous with the
holiday season. Many people enjoy lighting candles, incense and
fireplaces in their homes to evoke the moods associated with these
festive fragrances.
Burning scented products may create a cozy ambiance, and in the case of
fireplaces, provide light and heat, but some experts want people to
consider how doing so contributes to the quality of the air indoors. All
flames release chemicals that may cause allergy-like symptoms or
contribute to long-term respiratory problems if they are inhaled in
sufficient quantities.
However, people don't have to stop sitting by the hearth or get rid of
products like perfumed candles and essential oil diffusers, said Dr.
Meredith McCormack, director of the pulmonary and critical care medicine
division at John Hopkins University’s medical school. Instead, she
recommends taking precautions to control the pollutants in their homes.
“Clean air is fragrance free,” said McCormack, who has studied air
quality and lung health for more than 20 years. “If having seasonal
scents is part of your tradition or evokes feelings of nostalgia, maybe
think about it in moderation.”
What to know about indoor air quality
People in the Northern Hemisphere tend to spend more time indoors during
the end-of-year holidays, when temperatures are colder. Indoor air can
be significantly more polluted than outdoor air because pollutants get
trapped inside and concentrated without proper ventilation or
filtration, according to the American Lung Association.
For example, active fireplaces and gas appliances release tiny airborne
particles that can get into the lungs and chemicals like nitrogen
dioxide, a major component of smog, according to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. Cleaning products, air fresheners and candles also
emit air pollutants at varying concentrations.
The risk fragrances and other air pollutants may pose to respiratory
health depends on the source, the length and intensity of a person’s
exposure, and individual health, McCormack said.
It is also important to note that some pollutants have no smell, so
unscented products still can affect indoor air quality, experts say.
Some people are more vulnerable
Polluted air affects everyone but not equally. Children, older adults,
minority populations and people of low socioeconomic status are more
likely to be affected by poor air quality because of either
physiological vulnerabilities or higher exposure, according to the
environmental agency.
Children are more susceptible to air pollution because of their lung
size, which means they get a greater dose of exposure relative to their
body size, McCormack said. Pollutants inside the home also post a
greater hazard to people with heart or lung conditions, including
asthma, she said.
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This Feb. 2, 2015 photo shows rocking chairs in front of the massive
stone fireplace in the lobby of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville,
N.C. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz, File)
 Signs of respiratory irritation
include coughing, shortness of breath, headaches, a runny nose and
sneezing. Experts advise stopping use of pollutant-releasing
products or immediately ventilating rooms if symptoms occur.
“The more risk factors you have, the more harmful air pollution or
poor air quality indoors can be,” McCormack said.
Practical precautions to take
Ellen Wilkowe burns candles with scents like vanilla and cinnamon
when she does yoga, writes or when she is showering at her home in
New Jersey. Her teenage daughter, on the other hand, likes more
seasonally scented candles like gingerbread.
“The candle has a calming presence. They are also very symbolic and
used in rituals and many religions,” she said.
Wilkowe said she leans toward candles made with soy-based waxes
instead of petroleum-based paraffin. Experts note that all lit
candles give off air pollutants regardless of what they are made of.
Buying products with fewer ingredients, opening windows if the
temperatures allow, and using air purifiers with HEPA filters are
ways to reduce exposure to any pollutants from indoor fireplaces,
appliances and candle displays, McCormack said. She also recommends
switching on kitchen exhaust fans before starting a gas-powered
stovetop and using the back burners so the vent can more easily suck
up pollutants.
Setting polite boundaries with guests who smoke cigarettes or other
tobacco products is also a good idea, she said.
“Small improvements in air quality can have measurable health
benefits," McCormack said. "Similarly to if we exercise and eat a
little better, we can be healthier.”
Rachael Lewis-Abbott, a member of the Indoor Air Quality
Association, an organization for professionals who identify and
address air quality problems, said people don't usually notice what
they are breathing in until problems like gas leaks or mold develop.
“It is out of sight, out of mind,” she said.
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