How an Oyasumi Scented Candle is Made Before It Comes to Your Home

From the outside it looks simple, you see a ready-made scented candle, nice packaging, label.
And behind the scenes? That's where a little fragrance lab happens.

Today we'll tell you a little about how our new fragrance lines are created at Oyasumi, from the first thought to the moment when an olive candle lands on your shelf.

Daily Hunt

Almost every day in our studio starts the same way: coffee, conversation, computer, notebook, and research among suppliers.

We check if there are any new scents that will make our memories come alive, if any of the "long-listed" ones finally appeal to us, if they are available, if there are any oils that are worth testing in our olive candles (and sometimes compare how they behave, for example, in a soy candle).

We don't usually blindly buy a few oils at once. We order selected samples – enough to make 2–3 test candles of each scent. This gives us:

• a real idea of ​​how the oil behaves in the wax,

• no feeling that we have sunk the budget into something that is completely out of character for Oyasumi.

Safety first

Before we even pour a drop of oil into the wax, something very un-Instagrammable but absolutely crucial happens.

For each oil:

• we download technical documentation (safety data sheets, IFRA, etc.),

• we check the recommendations for use in candles,

• we calculate the maximum safe concentrations for a scented candle.

This is something we consider our hallmark: we only make safe candles .
We don't pour it on our noses or use it any harder, but we stick to what is actually acceptable and safe for the user.

If the documentation states that we can use a maximum of 7% of a given oil in an olive oil candle, it won't be 8%, even if it smells "stronger." Sometimes we'd rather forgo fragrance than cut corners. We leave the commercial approach to supermarkets.

First test candles

When we know that a given oil is suitable for a candle, we make the first test infusions .

At this stage:

• we make one test candle of each scent,

• we are not yet focusing too much on the perfect selection of the wick or the target glass,

• we use our test containers.

After pouring, let the candles rest for at least 14 days to allow the wax to bind with the fragrance. Contrary to popular belief, wax doesn't mix with the oil; it seals it in. This is crucial for olive candles – we give them time to mature, as olive trees don't grow quickly either. After these two weeks, the moment of truth arrives.

Cool throw and hot throw, or how we evaluate the scent

Once the candle has had its time, we check it in two situations:

• Cool throw – what does a candle smell like when it's extinguished? Cool. Can you smell it when it's just sitting on a desk or shelf?

• Warm throw – what does it smell like when burning? How does the aroma spread around the room? Is it pleasant or too overpowering? Does it become "tiring" after an hour or three?

Then we sit down, smoke, smell, take notes.
If at some point an “inner candle lights up” and the thought appears:
This is a scent that Oyasumi customers will love , the next stage begins – fun (and hard work) with compositions.

Mixing compositions – finding the golden mean

When a single fragrance has potential, we often don't leave it alone. We start pairing it with other oils we have in our studio.

At this stage:

• we mix fragrances in different proportions,

• we calculate separate safe concentrations for each composition,

• we make another small test pickle.

This is a process that can take a long time:

• something smells beautiful when cold, but disappears when burned,

• something sounds great on paper (jasmine + wood + vanilla), but in an olive candle... it doesn't work at all,

• sometimes we go back to the original version because it turns out to be the best.

When we finally find our scent and that inner candle lights up again, we know we have a candidate for a new Oyasumi fragrance line.

Technical tests: container, wick, combustion, safety

Scent is one thing, but a safe candle is everything: wax, wick, container, burning method.

Therefore, after choosing the composition:

1. We are making another series of test candles, and now we need to choose a container.

2. We select:

   • proper wick (type and thickness),

   • target odor concentration .

Once we have a pre-selected set, we usually make at least 6 test candles of a given composition.
We check them:

• whether the candle burns evenly,

• whether it smokes,

• whether the container does not overheat and is safe,

• what the candle looks like after a few hours of burning,

• how the scent behaves in a small and larger room.

The point is that the product you receive should be nice , smell pleasant and, above all, be safe to use .

Paperwork...

Once we know this scented candle is here to stay, the stage that every craftsman probably loves least begins: documentation . What do we do?

• we prepare labeling in accordance with regulations

• we update cards, calculations, create security cards

• we refine all formal issues so that the product complies with legal requirements

Only then can we be sure that the Oyasumi olive candle can safely go out into the world – to the website, to fairs, on Allegro or to a stationary store.

Labels, names and candle fillings

At the end comes the most “magical” moment, the one that looks the coolest in photos: we come up with a target name – usually related to travels, places, memories, we create labels, and finally we pour the first “official” batch of candles.

Why are we writing about this?

Because we want you to know that behind each of our candles there is: a lot of testing, a lot of calculations, a bit of persistence and a big dose of heart.

Regardless of whether you choose an Oyasumi olive candle or a soy candle from another brand, it is worth paying attention to safety , documentation and whether someone actually tests their products.