And candle makers aren’t the only ones who have warmed to these renewable resources; customers have caught on as well. “Consumers are much more aware of what they’re putting into their bodies and home, which is forcing retailers to be more aware of what they purchase,” says Dan DeLeon, principal of the Mixture brand of Merriam, KS. Though Mixture has used a palm wax blend in the past to help stabilize its soy candles during summer months, it now offers 100-percent soy wax for maximum hot throw and a larger melt pool, which together ultimately mean more fragrance release. Branda Tiffany, owner and creator of the Portland, OR-based Molly Muriel label has noticed that consumers have cooled on paraffin. “Years ago, I had to explain what soy wax was but now people recognize it and say it’s the only type of candle they buy,” she says, adding shoppers are still in the dark when it comes to some product elements though. “People don’t understand fragrances yet and why essential oils are so much better for them.” For purists, essential oils, which are derived from plants,
are the fragrances of choice. While some manufacturers boast 100-percent essential oils, others use mixtures to keep costs from burning a hole in consumers’ wallets and to help them produce a wider range of scents. And variety is key in a market where shoppers are so often led by their noses. Both Mintel and the NCA agree that candles must pass
the sniff test. In its 2010 candle report, Mintel found that 80 percent of purchasers are looking to eliminate odors and freshen the air. Similarly, three-quarters of respondents to an NCA survey indicated that fragrance is by far the most important factor driving their candle decisions. But before customers ever get a chance to smell the product, they have to be attracted
to its aesthetics. Because candles are often used as focal points in home décor, shoppers look for items that will strike a match with their existing color scheme. In order to keep in line with their green philosophies, however, many eco vendors find it challenging to produce a variety of hues. Some say soy wax, for instance, doesn’t produce consistent, even color without the use of additives. Therefore, many candles are offered in their natural wax colors, prompting manufacturers to become more creative when it comes to presentation. For instance, brightly colored silkscreens adorn the frosted
tumblers in the new Sweet Grass Farm Meadow Collection, while Aroma Naturals’ new Bee-Soy-Happy line attracts customers with natural colors and honeycomb and beehive shapes. The Ferndale, MI-based Green Daffodil brand sprinkles herbs and spices into the wax to add interest and repurposes wine bottles as containers, giving each candle a unique color and shape and a bit of nostalgia. While some vendors take great pains to source the best renewable and natural colors and scent options, there is little regulation when it comes to labeling. Synthetic scent boosters, paraffin additives and plastic stabilizers could all be lurking in a candle claiming to be soy. As a result, consumers are left on their own to try to smoke out the false claims. “Candles are the wild west and people take liberty, for instance saying ‘made with essential oils’ when they’re cutting it with synthetic fragrances and dyes,” Barrett says. This sometimes murky labeling extends to the suppliers themselves. “I have not been able to find certified organic wax. There are people making claims for organic wax but if everything in the chain isn’t organic, you can’t call it organic,” Light says, adding that using his background in the natural food market, he’s helping to establish similar regulations for candles.
134 Fal l 2011 ■ GREENRetai ler
GREENRetailerMag.com
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