Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karen Larochelle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Karen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I wanted something to capture the beauty of nature and my biggest inspiration — my parents, who were entrepreneurs and always believed in me and my potential. One of my earliest and happiest memories with my dad was when he lifted me up to grab a fresh fig off of a fig tree. My mom was bold and beautiful and had gorgeous red hair. My business name, Fig & Fire, is a nod to them.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I turned my science background into a creative business I am passionate about.

As a candle lover, I was shocked to find out how many toxins were in many candles on the market. I immediately threw out all the candles in my house and began my journey to create a safer option.

A love of science and math, unrelenting persistence, and a desire to create a safer, better candle fueled two years of researching non-toxic ingredients and then testing and re-testing candles to ensure an even burn, optimal fragrance release, and negligible amounts of non-toxic soot after burning.

Fig & Fire has grown since inception to include other non-toxic, natural self-care products, including wax melts, sugar scrubs, shower steamers, and bath bombs. Creating products in small batches and routine performance testing enables Fig & Fire to maintain the exceptional quality the brand is known for.

There is so much to worry about these days and what you are breathing in or putting on your skin shouldn’t be one of them.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Yes! I create every self-care product offered. When I develop a new product, I conduct extensive research on available natural ingredients. I look at the benefits of those ingredients and any potential risks. Creating safe, high-quality products is my number one priority.

For example, before I launched my candle line, I conducted two years of research and development (and I continue to conduct ongoing quality assurance testing). As a candle lover, there were features of candles I absolutely hated and knew I wanted to avoid when I started product development. I hated when candles “tunneled” down the center leaving wax on the container; when the scent of the candle was barely noticeable; and when candles would leave thick black soot around the edges – or worse, on my ceiling! I knew I wanted to create a candle that burns cleanly from edge-to-edge, leaves little to no black soot on the container, is non-toxic, is made from natural ingredients, and is fragrant throughout its life. I tested different waxes, wicks, and essential oil blends, in a variety of containers. When the wax, wick, container, scent, or the concentration of the scent changes, that impacts how the candle burns, so testing is necessary to achieve the “perfect burn.” It took a lot of work, but I couldn’t be happier with what I’ve created and continue to create.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Creating products in small batches and routine performance testing enables Fig & Fire to maintain the exceptional quality the brand is known for. I am proud of the fact that self-care enthusiasts appreciate the work that went into product development and that I’ve earned the trust of those looking for higher-quality self-care products.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.figandfirecandles.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/figandfire
• Facebook: facebook.com/figandfire

Image Credits
Haley Day Photography for the two clear glass candles and the shower steamer photo