“I wanted to make a candle range that was not harmful to the environment” – Irlam ethical candle business on the rise

A woman from Irlam has created her own business by selling environmentally friendly candles.

Hayley Kelly, a mum of two, set up The Ethical Candle Co. at the beginning of the first Covid-19 lockdown.

“I made a lot of mistakes at the beginning, but it is all part of the learning process,” Hayley said.

The Ethical Candle Co. is on a mission to produce eco-friendly, cruelty-free, vegan candles at an affordable price.

To minimise their impact on the environment, the small family ran business ensures they use recyclable and reusable packing where they can, whilst having a commitment to sustainability.

“I discovered on some candles there were warning signs, which got me thinking, what can be so harmful about a candle?” Hayley explained.

She discovered fragrances can be harmful, when in their purest form. No more than 10% of the fragrance in each batch, which Hayley enforces when making her candles.

The small business only uses 100% soy wax, which is completely carbon neutral.

They also only use cotton wicks. These are eco-friendly, paraffin-free, providing a clean consistent burn.

“When doing research into candle making has helped me to make my own recipe and my own way of doing things.”

The business was launched with a small batch of the company’s four signature fragrances.

This batched contained fragrances such as Fresh Linen and Seychelles Breeze.

After the first batch being a success amongst friends and family, Hayley was encouraged to set up an Etsy shop.

“I made ten of each fragrances, and they just sold!” said Hayley. She thought “this could be something.”

When creating a new collection, Hayley asks those around her what they would like from a candle. Therefore she created her most recent range, the cocktail collection.

This collection consists of Passion Fruit Martini, Pina Colada, Watermelon Margarita, and Espresso Martini.

The next step for Hayley’s business is to launch a range of wax melts and new fragrances.

The Ethical Candle Co. will also have stalls at a number of craft shows throughout the upcoming year.

If you wish to support this small business, you can purchase items here.

Using the code SALFORD10 will give you 10% discount at checkout.