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

Alright, Salina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Lightened Candle Co. is known for handcrafting high quality candles, but the true mission is to spread awareness on mental health because everyone’s mental health matters.

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

For those that don’t know who I am yet, my name is Salina and I’m the owner of Lightened Candle Co! I’m an Afro-Latina candle maker handcrafting affordable-luxe, all natural & clean burning candles that come with cheeky puns with the goal of elevating your space and self-care time.

I got my start with candle making in late 2021 after hitting a burn-out wall in the medical field. I was reminded that life is very short and with that, decided to put my time into learning about the candle-making process.

I know most people want to know what sets me and my business apart from others but honestly, that’s actually hard to answer. I tend focus more on how I can utilize my brand as a platform to submerge myself into the community whether it be with other candle makers needing assistance or providing products that transcend people to a place that they feel provides them tranquility.

I’m most proud of all of the genuine connections I’ve been able to make throughout this journey. To me, every human’s feelings matter. Life is already kicking everyone’s ass so hard, and I just love for my brand to be a reminder to everyone that they deserve to smile, and they deserve to feel good, feel comfortable and be able to own such a meticulously handcrafted candle that will provide all of those vibes.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

When I first started, I didn’t know a single thing about candle making. Now, I create every single detail of every candle from start to finish – all by hand (shoutout to YouTube and candle making resource groups). Initially, I wanted to purchase containers, but quickly realized they were either above my price range or sold out completely. I then discovered that I could create my very own containers.

After researching a laundry list of places that provided the recommended materials, I got to making right away. The material I use to make my containers is a specific type of cement and although after creating them and allowing them to go through a phase called “curing”, I am still so happy I decided to stick with this option because it gives me full ability to create something in as many different styles as I want.

Next, I researched what wicks, wax and fragrance company I wanted to use. During the candle making process, it’s so important to test out all products to see if it fits your ideal standards. After testing multiple companies, I decided to choose products that are high quality, all natural and ethically sourced.

With all the testing comes lessons and the biggest lesson I’d say I took away from this is that measurements are super imperative!

Whether it’s creating a container or pouring candles, everything has to be as close to perfect as possible so that way results are consistent.

Other take aways that are important to me is the communication I have with all of my vendors. I always want to make sure I have great rapport with them, so I’m always in the loop with any changes such as formulas, product usage percentages and even pricing. I’m confident in utilizing my vendors because of how communicative and confident they are on their end.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There are SOOOOO many lessons to learn in candle making but on the business end of it, I’d say I had to unlearn that overnight success doesn’t happen for everyone.

I remember getting so excited seeing other candle makers launch a collection and sell out in MINUTES and thinking to myself, “oh yeah, I’m definitely next up!” And although it’s not bad to manifest that, it just isn’t realistic on so many levels. I remember launching and being so grateful of the orders that I got but wondered why I wasn’t selling out. What I had to teach myself was everyone is running their own race and as long as you’re putting forth the best you can consistently, you WILL see the results of that hard work pay off.

Contact Info:

• Website: lightenedcandleco.com
• Instagram: @lightenedcandleco
• Facebook: Lightened Candle Co.