Uncovering beautiful stories from creative candle-making businesses in Dubai

Candles are occasionally used for home décor and they are quite beneficial to have on many occasions as they can just light up your surroundings. Since there is a growing interest among people in having candle collections, the businesses listed below are here to provide a variety of beautiful & unique candles that would be a great addition to any collection!

Read their inspiring stories and delve into their business for more information on how you can get your hands on these exclusive candles!

Candle;s (@candlesmiddleeast)

My business is all about self-care/self-love, getting through mental illness through candle-making, making candles eco-friendly.

I started the business mainly because it became a hobby of mine (apart from plant hoarding) when I was diagnosed with major anxiety and depressive disorder. I named it 'candle;s' because the semicolon represented myself and everyone being a survivor. Then decided to at least share the journey with others while earning from it.

Every business has its stories and unique way to stand out, mine just so happened that I was diagnosed and a part of me wanted to share the story and awareness about mental illness with everyone that it is happening and they shouldn't be ashamed of it. Income will always be just a bonus for me but making a big impact throughout the lives of other people and making a difference is my goal.

Instagram: @candlesmiddleeast

Anna & Andrea (@wicksandpagescandlestudio)

Wicks & Pages is a book lovers’ soy candle. Our candles are inspired by the moments, characters, places, stories from the books we loved. We use 100% Soy wax, zinc free cotton wicks, phthalate free fragrance oil for a cleaner and longer burn candle.

Wicks and Pages was born after a love of two sisters for the cosy feeling that burning candles brings while reading our favourite book. We have been book lovers since we we’re kids. In 2019, we were toying with the idea of “If this particular character from a book will be a scent how will that scent smells like” we were so excited with the concept of interpreting our favourite books into candles. By early 2020 we were testing our first collection. Then Covid-19 pandemic happened. We kept on testing our candles even during the month long lock down. We won’t let Covid-19 hinder our dreams turning into reality. On August of 2020 we decided to soft launch in the midst of pandemic.

What makes our business stand out? We feel Wicks & Pages stands out because we found our niche market. We found our tribe of book lovers. There are a lot of candles in the market and we believe that every product or idea has a place in the market. You just have to find the right market for your product. What makes you unique will make you stand out.

We hope that with Wicks & Pages we can make book lovers happy and encourage people to read.

Instagram: @wicksandpagescandlestudio

The Good Bee & Co (@thegoodbeeandco)

The Good Bee & Co is specialized in pure beeswax candles. We are trying to make people aware and go back to the good old beeswax candles. It wasn't too popular anymore because of the high price but we are trying to make it affordable here in UAE.

It was started last year when I went back to my home country, Indonesia. When everyone got laid off and economy wasn't great everywhere. My husband took unpaid leave and took us to visit my family. We couldn't go anywhere much because of the Covid-19 situation. So I started to look for what I can do at home. People are health conscious nowadays about what they eat but they forget what they inhale. I found some of my friends in Dubai has so many candles. Some can be 20-25 candles in a house. So I did some digging and research about what and how its made. It's really saddening that people don't know when they light their candles, its like inhaling fumes from car exhaust. Some sustainable options, are actually not that sustainable. The fact that we have used it so much it has become unsustainable resource. People aren't aware to create 10kgs of soy wax, 60kgs of soy beans are needed. And when they say its sustainable/healthy but paraffin is still used to hardened it or stearic acid. So I did market research about beeswax candles which apparently it is quite expensive and hard to get. Some shops claim to be selling pure beeswax candle but some oils are mixed into it apart from the fragrance oil for example coconut oil, palm oil or wax.

I want people to enjoy real beeswax candle. So I did experiments night and day with the help of my Father who has experience in wax for 30 years.

Another unique point about my candles is we don't use essential oils. Do you know essential oils aren't meant to be burn? Some of them becomes toxic when burn. So we designed our fragrance oils to be compatible for our wax in world class perfumery. Saving tons of plants that aren't supposed to be harvested just for few tiny bottles of oils which aren't used properly.

Instagram: @thegoodbeeandco

Atalis (@ataliscents)

Atalis Scents is the home of fragrance that creates fresh and relaxed atmosphere in your space. We are all about candles, wax melt, reed diffusers as well as room and linen spray.

My story is a very humorous one, as a youngster I wanted to be an engineer just like my father but there was something about me, science and mathematics that did not jell, so I ended up studying business administration. The artistic verve in me led to a makeup school which I combined with event management.

I have always loved fragrances, but had never thought of making business of it. I moved to UAE and started a travel and tour business because of my passion for traveling and the excitement of organizing dream holidays and tours for people. Then, “Covid” hit!, and the travel business spiraled down the hill, and I had to adapt. A friend introduced me to a perfume and fragrance MLM business. When I joined, I was looking beyond the MLM part, I wanted more; I craved to create something driven by passion. This drove me to enrol in a course on perfume making and fragrance blending, hence my expedition into selling fragrances.

This did not come cheap, I doled out a lot of freebies with my blends and got amazing reviews. I further delved in to find what more I could create with fragrances; and I was taken by the essence and dynamics of candles making, wax melt, reed diffusers and lately the allure of room and linen sprays.

It this passion that has driven me to preserve my best for my customers, to ‘wow’ them and keep them coming back for more. I am enthusiastically looking forward to creating unbelievable selections of candles with amazing decorations as I love what I do. Serenading the environment with sweet aroma of my carefully crafted fragrance essence because of the joy people experience when enveloped by sweet-smelling air that calms their nerves at home, workplace and surrounding.

Instagram: @ataliscents

Aromas of Morocco (@aromasofmorocco)

My business is providing people with beautiful, very unique, organic handmade candles inspired by the Moroccan culture as well as a few home decors to complement the candles.

Well, this is a funny one! I am a General Dentist who graduated from Spain and came to Dubai this year for an Internship. Then something happened.. Corona. In March, I tested positive and was unable to leave my room for 2 weeks. Being a dentist, I got used to waking up every morning and going to work, and I love being one. So the thought of staying for those 2 weeks not doing anything, just sitting in bed, annoyed me. So, I thought to myself.. “hey, why don't you start a small business”. And that's how Aromas of Morocco was born. I love art and I love science. Making candles combined both fields perfectly. Its not an easy job at all but it certainly is one I fell in love with.

I am the only one who is making all organic, handmade, MOROCCAN scented candles. Each scent is unique and is inspired by the colourful Moroccan culture along with its beautiful cities. Each scent has its own story behind it. More importantly, each candle is wonderfully scented and 100% organic and safe. My hope is that people would switch from buying random candles from large companies to purchasing organic candles that are handmade. They even smell better! Being a Dentist, I know the risks of inhaling toxic chemicals that are released from inorganic candles made of low quality waxes, It can be very harmful. I do not want to encourage that, and nor should you! Therefore, shop small, shop safe.

Instagram: @aromasofmorocco

Karen Sibanda (@simplepleasures.uae)

Founded in 2020 ~ Simple Pleasures are proud to offer 100% Soy wax candles, which are eco-friendly, clean burning, renewable and biodegradable.

I love creating a beautiful ambiance in my home especially after a long day at work or just making my home look, feel and smell amazing. I believe that scents and lighting are an extension of every home design. So I combined the two while making sure there are no toxins in any of the products used, including the packaging, to create simple but high-quality organic scented soy wax candles with accessible price points in mind, that a young mom like me can afford, while keeping our homes, families, loved ones and spaces safe and healthy. Many conventional candles (much like conventional beauty cosmetics) contain toxins, which are then linked to several illnesses. So, I made sure everything that goes into our candle products is made of natural products, vegan, cruelty-free, and phthalate-free, packaged in modern, recycled and recyclable containers that make a stunning addition to any décor.

All of my candles are hand poured, made with 100% clean burning, natural soy wax, 100% cotton wick and elegantly scented with high quality essential oils. Simple Pleasures began (and still is) operating from my kitchen counter. Owned by myself (Karen Sibanda), a young mom of 4 beautiful kids. I started this business as a side hustle to keep me entertained during the lockdown, and it is slowly growing, with the support of my family, friends and amazing clients, I’m aiming to make this my full time passion project and I’m forever grateful for this opportunity.

Your support allows me to continue to do what I love. Shop local and support small businesses.

Instagram: @simplepleasures.uae

Visit their Instagram profiles and get your hands on some exclusive scented candles today!