A while ago, we were interviewed by Reve-en-Vert about all things natural candles...

Please tell us a bit about Eym and the ideology behind the line?

Eym stands for ‘Elevate Your Mood’. We decided to start the company as we felt there weren’t many beautifully designed but 100% natural candle brands out there. We also wanted to create a clean candle that not only smelt amazing but also had a really positive impact on your mood.

Can you walk us through a few of the problems concerning conventional candles and the scents they give off?

Absolutely. Most conventional candles use petroleum wax, synthetic fragrance and scent boosters, that help a small amount of fragrance go further, which of course makes them much cheaper to produce. Petroleum wax, synthetic fragrance and boosters are full of a lot of nasty chemicals. Nowadays many candle brands use soy wax which is great, but they are still using synthetic fragrance or a blend of synthetic fragrance and essential oils. Just using natural wax doesn’t make a candle natural.

What are the effects of any of these chemicals on our health and earth health?

I think the thing that struck me most when we were researching Eym, was that very often, we burn candles when we are hunkering down; to work, to read, to bathe, etc. This is mainly when we are inside with the windows shut, which means you are directly breathing in some very toxic chemicals. I was particularly aware of this as I was pregnant and would soon have a little baby. I wanted to be sure that if I was going to be lighting candles around the house, they would at least be made from a completely natural source.

What are the alternatives? How do you make a candle that is truly safe whilst fragranced?

For us there was no other alternative, in order for us to proudly call our candles natural, we needed to know they were 100% natural, wax, wick and fragrance, so there was nothing to hide.

In the beginning, it was REALLY hard to create them! We very quickly realised why so few other brands weren’t making natural candles. Whilst researching, we were basically told by many perfumers and candle makers that there was no way to make cost-effective, 100% natural fragrance and that it would be a lot easier if we used the long-serving ingredient of synthetics. Synthetic fragrance is cheap and simple to make – a kilo of synthetic rose fragrance costs about £100, compared to a single teaspoon of natural rose oil costing around £150. But we just didn’t want to compromise, and so, after years of development, working alongside the UK’s top natural perfumers, we managed to create unique blends for the purest candles possible.

What are some of the more beneficial ingredients of a natural candle?

The essential oils are everything! Not just for the smell, but also for the scientifically proven aromatherapy benefits. The thing that’s funny about natural candles, is that once you start burning them you just can’t get enough of the smell of pure natural fragrance, so many people have said that they find it really hard to go back to synthetic scents. They smell so clean, aren’t overwhelming and lighting them is really more than just a ritual. The therapeutic benefits are like magic! The analogy someone used recently for natural vs synthetic was the difference between a pine air freshener and walking through a pine forest. I just loved that.

What are your favourite scents to include in a candle?

Most recently we’ve worked with frankincense, it’s a huge part of our LAZE candle (the mediative one) it’s known as the “oil of spirituality” and it really takes you to a deeper place when you are meditating or doing yoga. I will forever and always love lavender and geranium too.

Favourite time and place to light your Eym candles?

In bed, with a good book. Or working, our CREATE candle was made to be the candle that you burn whilst you work, I find it really clarifying when I’m feeling a bit lack lustre at my desk.

Finally, what does sustainability mean to you?

It means taking responsibility, not just talking about it, but truly actioning it, even if it’s in the smallest way. There are so many tiny things we change in our lifestyle that at least makes a dent in our impact on the planet.