The Aromatic Company: We’re a small home-based family-run business in Seychelles and it’s become somewhat of a family affair! Our aim is to bring a luxury product, yet respecting the environment and ensuring sustainability.

We make home-fragrances of premium coconut and soy wax candles, vegan reed diffusers and wax melts. Our purpose is to help create beautiful spaces with scents, and to build a story using our experiences, culture and personal memories; this is the foundation for The Aromatic Company.

I started experimenting with candle making when I was very young; I used to re-melt the candles I would find around the house, put them in different containers and colour the wax using my wax crayons! Then life got busy and it was something of an occasional hobby until a couple of years ago when we decided to share what we love doing with everyone else, and we have learnt a lot about making candles since we launched our first collection in December 2020.

As we work full-time jobs, we work on these before our main jobs, most evenings late into the night and every weekend. We are currently working from our home but we aim to set up a workshop in the near future as the business continues to grow. The support we have received as a local business has been overwhelming and we are truly grateful.

Seychelles NATION: You mentioned that your candles are made with respect for the environment and to ensure sustainability. Tell us more about this.

The Aromatic Company: I’ve always loved the ambience and glow of a good smelling candle or reed diffuser but became quite conscious of what may be contained in these home fragrances, especially for the children. Our ingredients are carefully sourced; they are vegan, cruelty-free, phthalate-free and petroleum free.

With the aim of creating a clean burning candle with wax or fragrances that did not contain any added chemicals, we settled on coconut soy wax which is made from cold-pressed coconut oil mixed with a small percentage of soy wax. It is non-toxic, clean burning and most importantly it is eco-friendly.

Our reed diffuser base is vegan (registered by the Vegan Society) and made from a renewable source based on sustainability and high performance. It is slow releasing and can last up to 8 weeks.

All our packaging and labels are made from kraft and are recyclable and biodegradable. Our jars can be repurposed as a glass, for little trinkets or even a plant pot, and our reed diffusers can be reused as we make refills of all our scents. You can then return your refill bottle and we can top it up again.

We also offer wooden gift boxes which are locally made using recycled pallet wood and these come in varying sizes to suit the gift options.

Seychelles NATION: What kind of skills and tools are required for the craft of candle making?

The Aromatic Company:When we first started, we used things you would normally find in your kitchen but have slowly progressed to professional supplies which make the process easier and more efficient. The creative process has its challenges and many people think it is a matter of melting wax, adding fragrance and pouring it in a jar. Blending fragrances, mixing the right ratio of oils to wax and finding the right size wick for the perfect burn, is a long process and often costly with many failed attempts; but the end result when you have that perfect scent and final product is the most rewarding part.

Seychelles NATION: How do you feel when you are making your candles and looking at the end products?

The Aromatic Company:We put a lot of time, effort and care in each and every product as we make it all in very small batches. It is an extremely rewarding process from seeing the wax melt to adding the fragrance, watching it set and finally the finished product. We always wonder where it will end up and what memories it will evoke when smelling our products.

Seychelles NATION: What ways do you look to progress this type of craft?

The Aromatic Company: When we were thinking of names for our business, we didn’t want to limit ourselves to just candles but to anything aromatic as the possibilities are endless, hence the name.

We also have our range of reed diffusers which are already available and soon to be launched is our range of pure essential oil room and linen sprays, as well as our full range of wax melts.Seychelles is our signature range and will be available to the market very soon!

Seychelles NATION: Are there any particular ways you hope for people to think about and feel when they are using your products?

The Aromatic Company: Scent is a powerful thing and can evoke past stories like a day at the beach with the children, the smell of the sea, collecting shells or simply enjoying a cocktail while watching the sunset. Whatever it may be, there is a scent that triggers a beautiful memory.

Sharing our scent stories can convey a mood and create an ambience by talking to the senses which triggers responses and memories. It provides an opportunity for connective experiences; when someone picks up one of our products and smells it and there’s an immediate look of recognition on their face, that’s a rewarding moment for us.

It’s an added bonus that visitors travelling from Seychelles have the option to choose our products as a memento of their holiday and we hope that smelling the fragrances reminds them of the times spent here.

The Aromatic Company’s full range is available at Parties and More (Providence). Candles and diffusers are also available at the Traveller’s Edition (departure lounge in the International Airport) and Wildflower Café (at the amazing Botanical Gardens).

Source: Seychelles Nation