Star Maker: Constant Candle

Micaela Sharp talks to Rachael Clark, co-founder of Constant Candle, a brand offering scented candles without the waste

Constant Candle was born when founders and friends Rachael Clark and Nicky Hoad grew frustrated that replacing a scented candle meant buying a new one with a brand-new single-use glass candleholder, something that struck them as hugely wasteful. That’s why they came up with the idea of refilling any of your existing candleholders with a heat-and-pour wax, meaning you can keep all your favourite candleholders – and avoid creating waste too.

What makes you stand out from the crowd?

We had to completely rethink scented candles. We spent 12 months finding a sustainable wax to use at home that could melt in the microwave or on the hob, and then reset into a candle. Our rapeseed wax is a brilliant alternative to soy wax, as it has all the benefits but it’s a more sustainable local crop, as soy is imported from the US. Also high-street (and even a lot of high-end) candles are made using paraffin wax. This is like burning a fossil fuel in your home. We offer you a candle for the same price as a high-street candle but it’s a luxury, sustainable candle with no paraffin and no toxins, all handmade in the UK.

We took all plastic out of scented candle making, from the stickers on the base of the wick to the stickers on the packaging (ours are all recycled paper). We worked with small UK businesses for our wax, boxes, packaging, tubes, cards and stickers to ensure we use British brands and have a minimal carbon footprint.

What part of the process of making your items do you enjoy the most?

We love making our wax tablets as we hand decorate every single one. Nothing beats pouring new candles either, as the scents fill the house and make everything smell wonderful! Our families are big fans too!

When did you realise you were creative souls?

We’ve always been creative. Nicky was a floral designer before moving into candle making and the candle making has been a natural progression of her love of scent. I’ve always worked in the creative industry and love bringing my creative energy into my own brand.

What’s the best feedback you’ve received?

Every five-star review (and we’ve had a lot) brings us so much joy. The best feedback is from people who have discovered our brand and no longer buy single-use glass candles. Then it feels like we’ve made a real difference. We also love the reviews that tell us they now tell all their friends about our candles as they’re such big fans!

Why is sustainability so important to you personally and how you build your brand identity?

The scented candle industry relies on waste. The heat-treated glass holders are single-use glass and the production of all this single-use glass has a massive impact on the planet. Add this to the fact that the glass has to go into landfill as it can’t be recycled and you can see how wasteful it is. Customers also pay a premium for a glass holder that they don’t need. That’s why we made a candle but without the glass for you to pour at home. Everything we do is traceable to source and all packaging is recycled and recyclable.

Looking at your journey so far, would you do anything differently?

It’s taken us a long time to get things right and we’ve done everything ourselves – from branding to marketing and the website. Our customers have been with us on this journey which has been great, but it would have been nice to have everything ready when we launched.

What’s next for your brand? What newness should we keep a lookout for?

We’re going to keep working on limited-edition collaborations with ceramic artists for our Forever candleholders and we’re constantly being inspired to create new scents.