According to the National Candle Association (NCA), most US-manufactured candle wicking is made of cotton or cotton-paper combinations. Nearly 90% of the candles made in the United States (i.e. members of the association) use wicks that contain no lead. Generally, the metal you find in a US-made candle wick is either zinc or tin, which are known to be safe alternatives to lead. With increasing competition in the candle industry, many makers are celebrating the fact that they use no lead in thei.