A UNique Glow...

Hello! I'm Jo, and I run Beespoke from my home in Devon. A former primary school teacher, I trained as an aromatherapist as I have always been intrigued by the use of essential oils as a complementary therapy. In aromatherapy, natural oils are extracted by steam distillation or expression from plant flowers, stems, leaves, bark and fruit. Combined with a base oil, these tiny particles of natural essential oils are absorbed into the skin and travel through to the bloodstream. Most oils have antibacterial qualities and some are anti-viral or anti-inflammatory and when massaged into the skin can help with blood circulation, cell renewal and reduce toxic waste in skin cells. Our sense of smell stimulates the olfactory system which in turn can affect your mood and trigger memory recall. With this in mind I wanted to combine my knowledge of essential oils to create beautiful and unique candles in equally stunning vessels...

Made only from natural wax...

It was important to me to only use natural waxes to compliment the natural fragrances so I decided upon soy wax for my aromatherapy candles and beeswax which would be left ‘au natural’ for customers to enjoy its ‘honey’ scent. The next part on my agenda meant a huge learning curve. Anyone can melt wax, add a fragrance and put in a wick, if only it were that easy! Firstly not all essential oils blend well to produce a good aroma when burnt - artificial fragrance oils are easier to work with but weren’t for me. The next step was to start wick testing. The diameter and type of container, wax and fragrance can all have an influence on choosing a wick size. If the wick is too small the candle can tunnel (when the outer edges of wax doesn’t burn) and the wick might struggle. If the wick is too large the melt pool can become too deep, reduce burning time, drown the flame, produce too large a flame or cause the wick to ‘mushroom’. So there were times when I had to trial up to 6 or 7 different sizes/makes of wicks for just one candle.
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Then finally there were the new labelling regulations to comply with if I wanted to sell my products. This means any allergens or sensitisers within the fragrance blend need to be listed on the warning label. The expensive software and ongoing training to produce new safety data sheets makes this out of reach for most people to do themselves and so need to be sent off to a recognized company.
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I continued to develop my skills when it came to using beeswax as a fragrance free choice for customers. Where possible my beeswax is sourced still in its raw state, locally in Devon from dedicated beekeepers. I put it through a filtering process with a double boiler to re melt the wax and use a fine cloth to filter and remove unwanted debris.

​The final ‘honey scented’ product is then made into a variety of shaped candles and frosted glass votives. Being a natural product ​beeswax will vary in aroma and colour from light to dark yellow and sometimes golden brown depending on which flower varieties the bees have collected from!

Beeswax is a sweet, simple renewable fuel that burns long and strong and the brightness is of the same light spectrum as the sun. It has the highest melting point of any other candle wax and therefore provides long burn times with minimal smoke and dripping. It is non-toxic and hypo-allergenic and may benefit those with environmental allergies, sensitivities and asthma.                 

​My love of all things geometric was reinforced last year when I visited The Contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey. An amazing event full of inspirational artists and where I met Jack Laverick a ceramicist from Stoke on Trent. He makes the most beautiful porcelain pots and in wonderful geometric shapes too. Perfect, a match now made and the collaboration of products between two makers both passionate about their craft! Now my unique geometric aromatherapy candles have been tried and tested and are available, packaged in fresh white Beespoke of Devon boxes.

​Recently at events and fairs, customers would ask to purchase my display candle holders to compliment the pillar candles they were buying.
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I enjoy learning new skills and wanted to add another creative dimension to my business, so after much time spent researching, attending workshops and finally the purchase of a small kiln, I now create fused glass holders/tiles. I use a variety of techniques to ‘slump’ and form patterns into the glass as well as creating a frosted effect by sandblasting designs onto the glass once cold. 

​I continue to trial new aroma blends, perfect packaging, look for ways to promote my business and with the soy wax I currently use being discontinued, the re-testing of a new soy wax for wick size, safety and aroma for all my candles is ongoing. With a kiln now in my workroom as well as all my candle making equipment I think I shall be looking for a larger workshop in the near future, so watch this space!