When it comes to green lighting, most people think of energy saving light bulbs like compact fluorescent lights or LED lights. Yet when it comes to going green, even candles can benefit from some creative and environmentally friendly thinking.
The idea for the green candle store came about when owner Nancy Bodden realised that no one on Cayman was offering hand-made, environmentally friendly candles.
Mar Candles, located on Seven Mile Beach, uses soy wax in their candles, rather than the more traditional paraffin. Soy wax comes from soy beans and is hydrogenated soybean oil.
Soy candles are a quite recent development, but are touted as having many advantages over more traditional candles. The candles tend to last much longer than similar paraffin candles and wax spills are also easier to clean up. One of the biggest advantages is that the candles also produce much less soot, which means less potential staining of walls and furniture. Of course, it is also a non petroleum product, making it much more environmentally friendly.
At Mar Candles, the soy wax is mixed with natural oils for scent, while organic colours add to the eco friendly product. The wick is also a metal-free cotton wick, which is also cleaner burning than wicks that contain metals like zinc.
The store sells pillar candles and container candles and in yet another green initiative, the store offers candle refills, which means you can have a container candle topped up rather than having to buy a new container.
The chandler at Mar Candles is Marlies Irra, and with more than 10 years of candle making experience behind her, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the business. The store can create custom candles in a variety of colours, scents and containers, to help you create the ideal mood, whether for a romantic dinner or just to beautify your home in an environmentally friendly way. WH