Many people find scented candles irresistible this time of year, and there is a good reason for it, according to otolaryngologist Marta Becker of Clarity ENT in Spring House, writes Terry Ward for National Geographic. 

“Scent is closely connected with the emotional center of our brain and our center of memory,” said Becker. “It’s very evocative for us.” 

Some scents can trigger nostalgia even when we are not able to place the exact memory. Lighting a scented candle wafts the aromatic molecules from the flame straight into the sensors in our noses. 

However, nice smells are not the only things candles give off.

Burning a candle causes incomplete combustion, resulting in tiny black particles of carbon soot being released into the air. That soot is present with all candles, whether they are made from all-natural beeswax, paraffin, or soy, and it contributes to indoor pollution. 

Still, unless you are burning hundreds of candles in unventilated space all of the time, candle emissions are unlikely to cause negative health effects in humans. 

Read more about scented candles and Clarity ENT in National Geographic. 

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