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Scented Candles Based on Natural Essential Oils and Anti-oxidants: An

Effective Eco-friendly Control of Mosquitoes

Article in World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences · March 2025

DOI: 10.20959/wjpps20253-29420

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 WORLD JOURNAL OF PHARMACY
Suman.
AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
SJIF Impact Factor 8.025

Volume 14, Issue 3 1786-1794 Research Article ISSN 2278 – 4357

SCENTED CANDLES BASED ON NATURAL ESSENTIAL OILS AND

ANTI-OXIDANTS: AN EFFECTIVE ECO-FRIENDLY CONTROL OF
MOSQUITOES

Suman Kr Dey*

Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE), Vidyasagar University, West Bengal,
Paschim Medinipur-721102, India.

ABSTRACT
Article Received on
25 Jan. 2025, The problem of mosquito nuisance has long been a challenge for many
Revised on 15 Feb. 2025, communities throughout the world and the loads of diseases caused by
Published on 07 March 2025
DOI: 10.20959/wjpps20253-29420 them are recently on rise. Commonly known diseases caused by
mosquitoes are malaria, dengue, chicken gunya, filariasis, yellow fever
and Zika virus. The innovation of herbal mosquito repellent candles
offers an effective solution to overcome mosquito problems which
often disturb our comfort and health. This research focuses on
preparation and evaluation of new mosquito repellent candles aimed at
*Corresponding Author
providing effective protection from mosquitoes. This research
Suman Kr Dey
Centre for Distance and examines the effectiveness of mosquito repellent candle that use
Online Education (CDOE), natural ingredients in reducing mosquito populations and their impact
Vidyasagar University, West on the environment and human health. The candle is formulated using
Bengal, Paschim Medinipur-
natural wax (e.g. bee wax, soy wax) and essential oils such as Basil or
721102, India.
Tulsi, Neem, Marigold, Eucalyptus and Lavender oil which are known
for their mosquito repellent activity. The prepared candle is evaluated for its colour,
fragrance, appearance, flammability, burning rate, irritancy, stability, presence of smoke and
its repellent activity. Burning test shows effectiveness because of natural ingredients and
essential oils present in candle. It does not cause any irritation to skin or any allergic reaction.

KEYWORDS: Mosquito repellent candle, essential oil, anti-oxidant, repelling efficiency.

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Suman. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

1. INTRODUCTION
Mosquito-borne diseases are a significant health problem in tropical and subtropical regions
worldwide, and controlling these diseases is becoming increasingly challenging.1 Hence the
control of mosquitoes is something of utmost importance in the present day with these rising
number of mosquito borne illnesses. Mosquitoes need to be exterminated using the right tools
and with a little bit of effort.[2-7] Species of mosquitoes in the Anopheles, Culex, and Aedes
genera are vectors for pathogens causing diseases like Dengue, Malaria, Yellow Fever, and
many other infections.[8-11] Additionally, mosquitoes transmit Zika virus, Chikungunya,
Japanese Encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, West Nile virus, and Lymphatic Filariasis. The
control of mosquito vectors remains a cornerstone in the prevention and management of these
diseases. While synthetic insecticides have been widely used for mosquito control, concerns
regarding environmental sustainability, development of insecticide resistance, and adverse
effects on human health[12] and non-target organisms have fuelled interest in alternative
approaches, including traditional methods utilizing medicinal plants.[13-21] Candles offer a
convenient and pleasant method of repelling mosquitoes.[22-25] By incorporating natural
herbal ingredients and essential oils known for their mosquito repellent properties, such as
neem, clove, orange peel, lemongrass, marigold, rosemary, and lavender, we aim to create a
formulation that is both safe and non-toxic.

While traditional chemical repellents are effective, they often raise concerns due to potential
health risks and environmental impact. Consequently, there is growing interest in natural,
herbal alternatives that are safe and environmentally friendly. This project focuses on the
formulation and evaluation of herbal mosquito repellent candle.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1. Materials
Soy wax and beeswax were purchased form Dolloz and IKALAA INNOVATIONS
respectively via [Link]. The essential oils are purchased form Naturalis and Deve Herbs
via [Link].

Formulation of candle
Sl. No. Ingredient name Quantity
1 Bee Wax 60 gm
2 Soy wax 30 gm
3 Essential Oil (EO) variant 10 ml
4 Tocopherol or Vit-E oil 1 ml

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5 Rose oil 5 drops

6 Camphor oil 5 drops

Oil variant used: EO1: Tulsi, EO2: Eucalyptus, EO3: Neem, EO4: Marigold EO5: Lavender

Procedure
The Bee wax and Soy wax were weighted precisely and taken in a double boiler. The wax
mixture was then melted by boiling at a temperature of 70-85 C. Following an appropriate
amount of antioxidant (Vitamin-E oil) is added to the mixture. The stove was then turned off
and the essential oils were added to the mixture while stirring. The overall mixture was then
stirred for few minutes. The moulds were prepared by the side and the wax mixture was
poured into the moulds. The moulds were allowed to cool to room temperature to form the
candles.

2.2. Determination of Knockdown Effect

Ten mosquitoes captured and released in a mosquito net (8 ft  7 ft) where the candles
produced were lit in turns for a period of 120 minutes. The number of mosquitoes still flying
after for 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes was counted and the difference expressed as
percent of mosquitoes knockdown by the smoke (Eq. 1) from the burning candles
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = No. of Mosquitoes knockdown /Total No. of Mosquitoes  100……(1)

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Organoleptic test: This test was done visualising the formulation to evaluate the texture,
colour and Fragrance.
Colour: colour of formulation was found to be yellow (for all oil varients) (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Formulated candles with essential oil variant used in it.

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Suman. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Fragrance: Fragrance of formulation was found to be satisfied.

Texture: A uniform (homogeneous) formulation was discovered (Figure 1).

Irritancy test: It found that prepared mosquito repellent candle did not cause any irritation or
discomfort to skin during or after the burnings.

Uniformity of mass: Five candles of each group were selected and weighed individually.
The weight of individual group was noted. Average weight was calculated, and the individual
Weights were compared with the average weight. Average weight calculated for all the
variants are in the range 24.6-25.5 gm.

Burning rate: Burning rate of each type of candle was tested and compared. For this test,
initial mass of candle (M1) and the time of lighting (T1) were noted. Once the candle stops
burning the time (T2) and mass (M2) were once again noted. The time of burning was T2 –
T1 in hours and the mass burnt was M2 – M1 in grams. The burning rate was calculated
according to the follow formula (𝑀2−𝑀1/𝑇2−𝑇1) in grams per hour (Figure 2).

5
1 hr
Bu 4.5 2 hr
rni 3 hr
4
ng
4 hr
rat 3.5
e
(g 3
m/
2.5
hr)
2
EO1
EO2
EO3
EO4
EO5

Figure 2: Burning rate of the prepared candles. EO1: Basil, EO2: Eucalyptus, EO3:
Neem, EO4: Marigold, EO5: Lavender.

The burning rate is very high for Marigold and inconsistent for Eucalyptus variant. The
burning is slowest for Neem oil variant. Burning rate for Tulsi, Neem and Lavender oil
variant was found to be consistent.

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Suman. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Mosquito repellent activity net Test: Test conducted using small net (8 ft  7 ft). 10
mosquitoes are collected in net and checked for its activity over time. Out of 10 mosquitoes 8
mosquitoes were knocked down at 1 hour. The repelling percentage is 90 % at 2 hr for Basil
variant (most efficient among the formulated variants examined here. Similar experiments
were also performed for all the variants formulated and reported here. The repelling
percentages for the variants are 50, 70, 40 and 40 for Eucalyptus, Neem, Marigold, Lavender
respectively.

Table 1: Knockdown Effect of the Basil Variant Candle.

Time (minutes) Mi Mf Mn Repelling percentage (%)
15 10 10 0 0
30 10 9 1 10
45 10 7 3 30
60 10 4 6 80
90 10 2 8 80
120 10 1 9 90
Mi: Initial number of mosquitoes, Mi: Final number of mosquitoes, Mn: Number of
mosquitoes knocked down.

On basis of evaluation test studies and observations, it is found that the candles were done
successfully using various try outs. The optimum wax ratio was found to be 2:1 for bee wax
and soy wax (Table 2). Increasing soy wax percentage increases softness and decreases
burning rate whereas increasing bee wax percentage increases harness.

Table 2: Optimisation of bee wax/soy wax ratio.

Bee wax : soy wax Characteristics
1:2 very soft, smooth
1:1 soft, smooth
2:1 hard, smooth
3:1 very hard, not smooth

During burning of candle, the used essential oil may oxidised by the flame. To overcome this
limitation, anti-oxidant has to be used. There is report of the use of different acids (citric acid,
oxalic acid, quinol, stearic acid etc.) as anti-oxidant but those acids have limitations of
solubility.[25] So, herein we used natural anti-oxidant tocopherol (Vitamin-E oil) as anti-
oxidant which is easily soluble in the wax mixture. Amount of essential oil is also optimised
by fixing the other constituents (e.g. bee wax, soy wax, vitamin-E oil, rose and camphor oil)

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Suman. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

and we found that 9-10 % oil content is satisfactory for the fragrance and efficiency. Using
excess essential oil causes uneven burning and increases burning rate.

Burning efficiency and mosquito repelling efficiency of the prepared candles were tested at
laboratory room temperature. Among all the used variants, Basil (Tulsi) is found to be most
efficient for repelling mosquitos (Figure 3) while burning efficiency is found to be good for
Neem and Lavender variant.

Figure 3: Mosquito repelling percentage (at 2 hr) of prepared scented candle and the
commercial candles. EO1: Basil, EO2: Eucalyptus, EO3: Neem, EO4: Marigold, EO5:
Lavender, COM1 and COM2 are Commercial candle.

4. CONCLUSION
The herbal candle proved to be effective in repelling mosquitoes, providing a safer alternative
to chemical repellents. The use of natural ingredients ensures that the candle is non-toxic and
safe for humans and pets, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The project
reinforced the viability of creating environmentally friendly products that do not harm the
ecosystem. The inclusion of essential oils not only enhances the mosquito-repellent properties
but also provides a pleasant fragrance and potential therapeutic benefits. We also compared
its properties with commercially available scented candles (Table 3). The candles are easy to
prepare and can be used in homes. The fragrances of the commercial candles are quite good
compared to our prepared candle. The burning rate of the commercial candles are also very
slow but the mosquito repelling efficiency was found to be very poor with respect to the
prepared candles.

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Table 3: Comparison between prepared candles and commercial scented candles.

Properties EO1 EO2 EO3 EO4 EO5 COM1 COM2
Flame height (cm) 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.7 1.5 1.5a 2.3a
b
Burning rate 3.21 2.93 2.33 4.22 2.44 1.75 1.37
Burning time (hr) 4 3.5 5 3 5 5 5
Repelling percentage 90 50 70 40 40 20 10
a
after 30 minutes the commercial candle’s flame height decreases drastically and brightness
and burning rates also reduced sharply. b average burning rate

Figure 4: Comparison of flammability between prepared candle (extreme right,

Lavender variant) and Commercial candles. (A) after 5 minutes (B) after 30 minutes of
lit.

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author would like to acknowledge the Incubation Centre, Vidyasagar University for
funding (Ref. No.: VU/Incubation Project/P-II-21/2024) for this research. SKD also thank
Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE), Vidyasagar University for providing
research and experimental facilities at the Chemistry laboratory.

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