How hard can it be to make your own wax?
It's a question we've asked ourselves many times since we began our scent journey in 2018. Back then, we were new to this world; curious, hungry, and a little overconfident. We thought, wax is just wax, right? You melt it, mix it, pour it. Done.
We were wrong.
For the first six months, we dedicated ourselves to reading everything we could get our hands on, testing everything that could be tested, and asking questions to anyone who would listen. We started with soy and rapeseed, two types of wax long considered obvious choices in the world of scented candles. It didn't take us long to realize that things aren't always as green as they appear on the surface.
When the WWF's report on soy's impact on the Amazon came out in 2019, everything became very clear. We couldn't continue to use a raw material that had such a heavy connection to deforestation – especially not when our vision had always been to build something in harmony with the planet.
We then switched to a blend of rapeseed and sustainably grown coconut from the Philippines. The coconut was certified and looked good on paper, but it still bothered us. The transport distance. The ocean that had to be crossed. Kilometer after kilometer after kilometer. It simply didn't feel like us.
So we did what we always do when something bothers us: we started experimenting. We tested pure rapeseed. We tweaked temperatures, processes, and recipes. We made mistakes. Learned. Tested again. But then came the year when everything took off for the company, and the wax dream had to be put aside for a while.
But it never left the back of our minds.
Present and flourishing future
Jump forward to spring 2023. We are in our studio in Alnarp, surrounded by greenery, by fields stretching right outside the door. It's as if the landscape whispers: keep going. Find the next step. Be bold.
So we contacted our wax supplier with one clear vision: we want a wax that is better than anything we've ever worked with before. In terms of climate. Sensorially. In terms of quality. And most importantly: honest.
After months of testing, pilots, and late nights, today we stand with a new wax that we are truly proud of.
Our new wax consists of 100% organic wax
Our new wax is based on French sunflowers and is entirely ECOCERT Cosmos Approved. This means organic, transparent, and controlled – from cultivation to final product.
It is also the wax that, after all the work we have done over the years, has the lowest climate footprint of all we have ever used. The sunflowers are grown close to the European production lines, which dramatically reduces transport distances compared to coconut, soy, and even Swedish rapeseed. And since the wax is a by-product of the food industry, resource utilization becomes even more efficient.
In the studio, we hand-blend the hydrogenated sunflower waxes with the same care as always. The wax melters run low and slow ⎯ just as we prefer to work ourselves. The method is the same, but the raw material is new and feels almost like a new world to discover.
Not all that glitters is gold
One thing that surprised us when we started working with sunflower wax was how differently some scents reacted. Natural wax without additives is a challenge in itself, but sunflower wax almost has a temperament of its own. Some scents bloom like never before, others change in unexpected ways.
We had to make tough decisions. Favorites that had been with us for a long time, scents with memories and history, no longer behaved as they used to. And there we were again with a question that almost chafes: what comes first ⎯ our sentimental scent memories or the climate?
For us, the answer became clear. We are here to create something that is good for both people and the planet. So we chose the way forward, even if it meant that some scents had to step aside for new ones to take their place.
Benefits of organic sunflower wax
There are many reasons why we chose this particular wax ⎯ but here are the most important ones:
• Lower CO₂ footprint than all previous waxes we have used
• Organic and ECOCERT Cosmos Approved
• Produced in France with shorter transport routes
• A wax that burns slowly, softly, and cleanly
• A raw material that harmonizes with our way of creating and our view of sustainability
And perhaps most importantly: it feels right in our gut. It feels like the future for us.
A wax that reflects our philosophy
From spring 2024, all our newly produced candles will be entirely based on this new sunflower wax. It has become a part of our identity, our daily life, and our way of creating.
For us, this is not just a change of raw material. It is a deeper step into what we have always wanted to be: a studio that does things slowly, with care, and with respect for nature.
We hope you feel the difference. Because we feel it every day when we stand by our melters in Alnarp and stir the wax – it is something new, something warm, something that carries the future within it.
Sources:
https://www.transportenvironment.org/challenges/ships/greenhouse-gases
