GENERAL

Please read all safety information provided on packaging and this website.

Trim candle wick to 5mm before each burn. Centre wick after each burn before wax has solidified. Candle should not burn for more than 4 hours at a time. Place candle on a heat resistant surface and in a draft free area. Glass may become hot during use. Allow candle to solidify and completely cool before moving. Keep away from children and pets. Never leave a burning candle unattended.

Some of the information contained on this page veers into technical areas. We have tried to limit and publish more in-depth blog posts instead. In any case, if you want more direct answers to your questions just email hello@herownstore.com

HOW DO I CARE FOR MY HEROWN CANDLE?

You can read some advice to help care for your candle here.

WHAT ARE HEROWN CANDLES MADE FROM?

The following materials are used by us in our current candles: a blend of sustainably sourced Coconut and Rapeseed wax. For wicks we use unbleached sustainably sourced cotton and linen fibre with a steel sustainer on one end to hold the strands together and fix to the container. The wicks we use have a coating of paraffin wax, most wicks do!

Our fragrances are extremely complex, consisting of the finest natural and purest manufactured raw materials. Please read further for more information.

WHERE ARE YOUR CANDLES MADE?

Every HEROWN candle is made in-house and by hand in Edinburgh, Scotland. We source the best waxes, wicks and containers from the industry leading manufacturers and each HEROWN fragrance is conceived, formulated and blended in-house by our award winning fragrance house - Jorum Laboratories using the very best raw materials the industry has to offer.

Our method relies heavily on crafting our products by hand. We hand blend our fragrances and allow minimum two weeks for each scent to macerate. We manually melt our wax before blending with fragrance by hand at exacting temperatures. Each HEROWN candle is hand-poured slowly with care. We allow our candles to cure for two weeks before labelling, packing and presenting for your pleasure.

Between each stage we test the batch of fragrance, wax, wicks, containers, labels and outer packaging for quality assurance, ensuring only the highest quality product is offered for sale. From each batch we randomly test 1 in every 10 candles to ensure consistency.

SO YOU FORMULATE AND BLEND YOUR FRAGRANCES TOO?

Each of the fragrances suspended within every HEROWN candle are made by hand in Edinburgh, Scotland. Our fragrances are conceived, formulated, blended, aged, filtered and mixed by our fragrance house Jorum Laboratories to our precise specifications.

WHAT ABOUT WAXES AND WICKS?

We do not produce our own waxes or wicks. At HEROWN we source the highest quality and most sustainable waxes in their category from industry leading manufacturers. Our waxes are supplied by a Scottish company not far from our door. The wicks we use are sourced from a British firm who wind them for optimum burning.

WHAT WAX IS USED BY HEROWN?

At HEROWN we use a blend consisting of Coconut and Rapeseed waxes. You can read more about candle wax on our blog.

Our Coconut and Rapeseed blend wax is free from Palm, Soy, Beeswax, Paraffin, Polymers, GMO materials and any other additive.

It must be noted that our wicks have a Paraffin wax coating to strengthen and help with ignition. Most wicks will be supplied with a Paraffin wax coating.

Currently we only use our Coconut and Rapeseed wax blend in our candles. Inevitably, we may introduce candles consisting mainly of Paraffin wax but we will make sure you know which ones they are if we do. Certain fragrances perform better in Paraffin wax.

During development we test all of our fragrances in different waxes extending to a lovely Paraffin wax with plant Triglyceride (Coconut oil origin). Currently we are testing synthetic waxes too.

We do not use nor do we envision using Beeswax, Soy, Palm or Microcrystalline wax. Please read below for more details.

WHY DO YOU USE THESE WAXES?

We use the most suitable wax for the desired outcome we wish to create. Please read our blog post on waxes for more information.

It is widely accepted that there is no best wax for candle-making. Paraffin, which is a natural product, has overall better (if not the best) performance for scented candles however it is a by-product of the petroleum industry (light lubricant de-waxing) and as such cannot boast sustainable sourcing credentials. Inherently, paraffin wax has an attributable environmental footprint which is bigger than plant origin waxes. Plant waxes generally have good burning and scenting performance but not as efficient as Paraffin all things considered. Plant origin waxes are more sustainable than paraffin.

Until there is verifiable proof, no wax used in candles poses any risk to health and thus there is no safer option.

With regards the plant origin wax used by HEROWN, we use a blend of Coconut and Rapeseed waxes. This wax blend is a newer entrant into the candle making industry and as such has become a rather ‘buzzy’ one - for good reason! In terms of production, this wax blend boasts the smallest environmental footprint of all commercial waxes used for candle-making. It is currently the most sustainable source of plant wax and the supply-chain is heavily governed. The Coconut and Rapeseed oils that make our blended wax originate from sustainable sources and the processes deployed are highly efficient. We hope that the ethical and sustainable sourcing of coconut wax continues as demand inevitably increases (where usually increased demand forces unsavoury practises eventually!). The Coconut wax used in this blend is sourced from either the Philippines or the Dominican Republic. Both of these countries closely govern the cultivation, production and supply of coconut products as they contribute significantly to the economy of these countries. The Rapeseed wax used in this blend is sourced from Europe where there are many laws governing crop cultivation and labour practises. Our wax supplier has spent years developing this wax blend, working closely with the wax producer and confirms that our Coconut and Rapeseed blend wax is free from Palm, Soy, Beeswax, Paraffin, Polymers, GMO materials and any other additive. This is great news for us as we want to work with the purest, raw wax possible!

As with most modern companies, sustainability is at the front of our agenda both in terms of our personal future as an organisation and that of the planet.

At HEROWN it is always about balance. We are crafting candles for enjoyment and hope you love your HEROWN product. We love candles and for a very long time they have been one of our own personal indulgences. We never advocate burning any candle continually - they should be enjoyed ceremoniously as an indulgent treat!. As such we do advocate buying quality products, infrequently and that the unique atmosphere they create be savoured.

Our agenda is not to ‘green-wash’ our practise.

As we produce and sell scented candles that inherently require burning, it would be wrong of us (or other brands) to take a moral high-ground when it comes to narratives surrounding impact. Our goal is to create the best possible product of the highest quality using beautiful materials to tell a story, as sustainably and as ethically as possible, reducing our impact where possible. Our approach requires us to attempt to balance our impact and ensure that our materials are sourced responsibly.

In short, the waxes we use are safe and are responsibly sourced. Sustainability and ethics are at the forefront of our development.

WHY NOT BEESWAX, SOY, PALM, MICROCRYSTALLINE OR PARAFFIN WAX?

You can read more on the reasons behind our choice of wax on our blog.

We do not use Beeswax, Soy or Palm wax - the traditional or common waxes used in candle making. We do not use Paraffin wax currently or microcrystalline wax either.

At HEROWN we use the other plant waxes - Coconut and Rapeseed. Coconut wax is a fairly new plant wax for candle making whereas Rapeseed has been used for a very long time. Our Coconut and Rapeseed blend wax outperforms both Soy and Palm wax across the board: burn and scent performance and boasts greater ecological credentials.

Beeswax is near useless for scented candles as the scent “load” and “throw” is inefficient, great for standalone use or as a natural adhesive for keeping wicks in place.

In time we may introduce a Paraffin wax candle. In our experience, Paraffin wax outperforms microcrystalline wax (also from de-waxing of lubricants). Both of these waxes are referred to as mineral wax as they are natural waxes found in the earth however both do not boast sustainable sourcing credentials so are less favourable than those waxes that do - plant and synthetic waxes.

Currently we do not use Paraffin wax in our candles other than as a coating on our wicks.

We are testing synthetic waxes, but we are not 100% happy with the results - we will battle on!

As a responsible brand we rely on credible and reputable suppliers whom we have worked with and have trusted for years. We are continually looking for the most responsible materials for our products and our goal is always to reduce our impact.

I HAVE HEARD ABOUT CANDLE ‘MUSHROOMS’, WHATS THAT THEN?

There is nothing to worry about if your wick produces an abundance of material resembling a mushroom at the end. It is advisable to trim this away if it is present before lighting. If the ‘mushroom’ appears during use, extinguish and trim away once the top of the candle has solidified. We talk a little more on this subject in this blog post.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY PURCHASE IS A GENUINE HEROWN PRODUCT?

If you have not purchased your product from www.herownstore.com or any of the stockists authorised to sell our products, please contact us and we can try advise you on the authenticity of your purchase. We would always advise that any HEROWN product is purchased via our website or any of our authorised stockists to ensure what you are buying is a genuine HEROWN product.

I NOTICE THAT THE COLOUR OF MY CANDLE IS SOMETIMES DIFFERENT!

Each HEROWN candle includes multiple natural origin and manufactured raw materials. Each of these singular materials may experience some variation from different harvests and processing. As a result, our candles may show some subtle variance in colour. This is nothing to worry about, we assess each batch of raw materials as we receive them as part of our Quality Control. A slight change from batch to batch and material harvest is expected and cannot be entirely controlled – our suppliers work extremely hard to ensure variances are kept to a minimum, and that’s not always an easy job!

As we use a large inclusion of fragrance oil in each of our candles, itself comprising noble natural raw materials and exquisite manufactured materials, there may be a slight hue imparted to the wax, which are themselves a creamy white colour. Depending on the aromatic raw material in question and or the processing there may be a colour imparted by the fragrance. Aromatic raw materials are often clear however the colour of a material varies massively: blues, greens; reds, oranges, browns and of varying intensity. The clear ones can move along a scale from transparent to light orange i.e. no perceivable colour to a noticeable one.

The colour of Coconut and Rapeseed blend wax varies slightly from batch to batch too. Our supplier ensures that our Coconut and Rapeseed blend wax is 100% natural (absolutely nothing else added). Many other plant origin waxes include additives to ensure colour consistency from batch to batch. As a natural wax without any colour stabilisers added, our Coconut & Rapeseed blend wax is susceptible to sympathetic colour changes. Like all waxes our Coconut and Rapeseed blend wax undergoes mechanical processing which can impart a hue to some degree. Furthermore, if this wax is exposed to prolonged light and or temperature fluctuations then the colour may change slightly. None of this is a worry…so don’t sweat it!

ARE YOUR PRODUCTS TESTED ON ANIMALS?

None of our products are tested on animals.

In 2004, much to our delight, The European Union introduced a ban on the testing of finished cosmetic products (perfumes, shampoo, make-up, toothpaste, etc.) on animals.  In 2009, the EU also banned the testing of ingredients on animals. In 2013 a ban on the import and sale of new cosmetics tested on animals abroad was introduced. Both HEROWN and any Jorum Group company celebrates the ban on animal testing.

OK, ANY BOVINE USED IN YOUR PRODUCTS?

None of our products contain bovine.

ARE YOUR PRODUCTS VEGAN?

We do not use materials derived from animals in our products. We do not use products of animal origin in the manufacture or preparation of HEROWN products including our waxes, wicks and fragrances so by the widely accepted definition of veganism, HEROWN products are vegan.

Any mention of an animal based raw material by HEROWN (such as Musk) is referring to reconstitutions i.e. mixtures using natural origin raw materials (plants, flowers, seeds etc.) and or molecules, to recreate the scent of animalic aromas. Notes such as Castoreum, Civet and Musk are all manufactured materials and do not contain any animal products.

For the sake of transparency, at Jorum Laboratories we may use three legally permitted and non-harmful excreted animal by-products but only on very rare occasions. None of the three listed materials below harm the animal and none feature in HEROWN products in any case.

The three animal by-products (non-harmful excreted materials) used by Jorum Laboratories in rare instances are as follows: Hyraceum (from the waste produced by Hyrax), beach-combed Ambergris (a bilious excretion from Sperm Whales found on beaches) and Beeswax Absolute (from uninhabited, used Beehives). These materials are naturally occurring and do not harm the animals as they are excreted and left behind for humans to discover, each are as expensive as they are rare.

If you have any queries relating to any of our products please email us. We are more than happy to answer any question you may have regarding the contents of our products and our production methods. Please email hello@herownstore.com

PHTHALATE FREE?

We have formulated HEROWN products without any phthalate’s.

But while we’re on the topic…

Certain phthalates pose acute risks to health (with science to back up the case). It is accepted that there is no connection between the phthalate typically used in fragrance/ candles (Diethyl Phthalate (DEP)) and health concerns. Some other phthalates are considered harmful and toxic. A fragrance oil containing DEP is not harmful and is considered safe for use in candles and cosmetics and safe for the environment and planet. There are no restrictions or warnings issued by IFRA (International Fragrance Association) or RIFM (Research Institute of Fragrance Materials) regarding the use of DEP.

Sadly, this phthalates (DEP) has been bundled up with the other phthalates, those that are known to be harmful and as such consumers wrongly assume that all phthalates are harmful - that isn’t the case.

Why do some companies use DEP in their products/ fragrances? DEP is an effective co-solvent which can help to blend fragrance materials and make them more readily mobile, provide greater strength and diffusion characteristics whilst helping to bind fragrance oils and waxes. DEP is a highly efficient material and is safe, hence why many companies use it.

In any case, so as to avoid any confusion… we formulated our fragrances free from all phthalates.

ARE HEROWN PRODUCTS SAFE?

Yes! All HEROWN products are safe and are rigorously tested.

As we create all of our fragrance oils in-house and each of our candles too, we can personally test all elements of the product and oversee its production from formulation, burn testing and performance to candle and fragrance manufacturing. If you would like more information with regards our testing, please email us hello@herownstore.com

At Jorum Laboratories we test all materials and formulations vigorously for safety and stability. Each and every fragrance made by Jorum Laboratories, including HEROWN are compliant in line with all current regulations and directives. Our customers safety and health is paramount, no product should be sold irresponsibly.

All our fragrance oils conform to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) guidelines.  We do not used any banned substances (such as CMR’s). So as to avoid any confusion, we also do not use any phthalate’s as noted previously.

Naturally, we cannot control how anyone or any thing interacts with our products once sold. We advise that you read all of the information provided on our product packaging and on this website and ensure safe burning practises at all times.

If you have any concerns over the behaviour of your HEROWN product - stop using and contact us directly hello@herownstore.com

HOW BIG ARE HEROWN CANDLES?

The standard HEROWN candle is a generous ca. 275g net weight. Net weight meaning the weight of the wax and fragrance combined - not the weight of the wick, container or any other packaging materials. We blend wax and fragrance together and pour each standard HEROWN candle to ca. 275g. We state the estimated net weight on each candle box and on each product page.  

HOW LONG DO THE CANDLES BURN?

We state that in optimum conditions HEROWN standard 275g candles will burn for approximately 70 hours. Each HEROWN candle states the approximate burn-time on the outer-packaging and specific product page. It is advisable to burn your candles for 3-4 hours as an initial burn and 2 hours for each burn following. When extinguished, allow your candle to solidify fully before burning again. Re-centre wicks when the wax is still molten and keep wicks trimmed (ca. 5mm) to help improve the burn-rate of your HEROWN candle.

Burning your HEROWN candle for at least 2 hours per sitting after the initial burn will also prevent tunneling - your candle will melt fully and reduce uniformly for its entire life. Doing so means your candle will burn efficiently (and last longer!). The wax furthest from the flame may not fully melt on the initial burn as we use wide-mouth containers, but any residual wax will melt when the candle is used again.

ARE YOUR FRAGRANCES ALL-NATURAL?

Our fragrances are not all-natural. We use raw materials from natural origins and also manufactured raw materials. We only use materials that are traceable - our raw material suppliers are pretty good at keeping us up to date with their individual sourcing practises. Not all materials used in the fragrance industry can boast sustainable sourcing credentials, this is an area the industry is continually improving upon and at a thankfully staggering pace - where and when possible we select the most sustainable, lowest impact material. We only use materials that are safe for the intended use (which, to be honest, is most for use in candles with a few exceptions). It goes without saying, we use the finest and purest aromatic materials in our products, as perfumers why would be use anything less?!

We use natural materials that have been extracted from plants using numerous efficient methods. Synthetic materials are produced via chemical reactions using building-block chemicals from plant or petroleum processing. These reactions are performed in laboratories by chemists and engineers to exacting standards. In all instances we rely on raw materials supplied by the most reputable producers each with progressive commitments to the planet and people.

At HEROWN we find that a balance of all available aromatic raw materials from various sources produce overall better results in terms of the product quality and performance and also in an environmental sense. Put simply, naturals are beautiful, synthetic materials equally so but, neither are better or safer for us or the planet. There is a perceived greater value attached to using natural materials and many believe that there is an inherent advantage by using natural materials exclusively - there is no basis for this claim. Naturalness along with wellness and aromatherapy are marketing trends (and are extremely profitable and important ones in the fragrance and cosmetics industry). In any case, one cannot claim that the use of natural materials results in any inherent advantage over the use of materials from any other source, including synthetics.

HOW STRONG ARE HEROWN CANDLE SCENTS?

On our website product pages we illustrate the perceived odour intensity specific to each HEROWN candle. As aroma and its characteristic profile and intensity is subjective, with each individual experiencing the character and intensity of an odour differently with varying degrees of sensitivity, we have arrived at the intensity of each HEROWN candle by drawing from the opinions of a number of unbiased users. Please note that our intensity marker is an opinion and you may find each HEROWN candle scent differs from our illustrated guide.

We use a high level of the finest fragrance in our candles and each fragrance is formulated and included in our wax in a tailored manner - our fragrance formula’s and wax blends are matched so as to effectively communicate the story we wish to tell. At HEROWN our main priority is to create beautiful aromas for your interior as best and as consciously as possible. After-all, we are an independently owned and operated company run by perfumers and as such we would never compromise on the quality of the material we use.

It is not our goal to make only strong and overpowering scented candles. We believe that aromas should be appreciated for their nuanced beauty and uniqueness over their power exclusively. Using the finest fragrance materials requires expert understanding of their qualities and to maximise these, rather than using materials in an overbearing manner. We have invested a great deal of time and resources formulating and balancing the fragrance in each HEROWN candle so it sits comfortably within an environment.

We like to think we have catered for a spectrum of tastes, occasions and moods: from delicate and hazy through strong and omnipresent. With time we will add to our collection covering even greater olfactory ground and catering to most every scented want and desire.

In addition, we have tried to describe how the scents behave as they burn so as to help you find the right candle for the right atmosphere you wish to create.

As before, each HEROWN candle will benefit from a minimum of 2 hours burning with each sitting so as to maximise scent throw (jargon for scent dispersal into a space).

You can always email us for more guidance - hello@herownstore.com

CAN I ‘LAYER’ HEROWN CANDLES?

You absolutely can use multiple HEROWN candles at any one time in a room. You can achieve some really special results by doing so too. Sometimes the occasion calls for multiple candles in the same scent rather than ‘layering’ different scented candles. Depending on the size of the room, it may be beneficial to do so in any case. We also like to burn our HEROWN candles alongside other candle brands whom we respect and enjoy. Please remember to never leave a burning candle unattended and leave adequate space between candles.

PACKAGING. WHAT DO YOU USE?

We try our best to use the most sustainable sources for our packaging. We do not use cellophane as we find it unnecessary and we haven’t found a biodegradable plastic we are happy with for this purpose. With that said, our outer-packaging and in particular our outer labels need to be made from strong materials. The labels we use require being strong however there should be no issue with recycling these. Each outer box is made from recycled paper sources. Some of our products use protective foam inserts. Foam isn’t great for the planet however our foam producer has zero-waste from their process - any waste materials from the foam making process are reused to make new foam.

We use glass containers for our candles. They do travel some distance as they are manufactured in China to exacting standards and tolerance for use as candle glasses. The containers are supplied by one of the largest candle container manufacturers. The manufacturers processes and plants are as efficient as possible and as a reputable operator having their headquarters in Australia, they adhere to all workforce and workplace related compliance.

We deliver each HEROWN order in recycled cardboard boxes and use planet-friendly packing tape and dissolvable packing ‘nuts’ (made from starch).

All information provided above is done so in good faith and is presented to the best of our knowledge. If you see or perceived there to be any errors on our site please email us to inform us in the first instance and we will correct them where applicable.

Ask for more information - hello@herownstore.com