October 17, 2022

How did Soul Roots get started?

A: Candles have always provided me warmth, comfort, and happiness. I love the cozy atmosphere they bring into a home. What started as a hobby quickly turned into something very close to my heart.

I was living in Chicago at the time, and a local shop hosted a candle-making workshop and I signed up to participate. Well, it’s safe to say I instantly fell in love with the craft of creating candles! I started making candles for my own personal use, eventually gifting to friends and family, then by word of mouth I was receiving orders and Soul Roots Wax Co. was born!

Shortly after launching, my husband and I received the most shocking (and best news ever!) that we were expecting twins. Due to my sensitivity to smell during my pregnancy, I had packed up my dream and truthfully never intended to pour candles again. Fast forward to 2020, living in a pandemic as a new mom, all while balancing working my full-time job from home, I realized it was time to dust off my candle-making supplies and get back into pouring candles.

“But this time it was different. It became more of a therapeutic, creative outlet  and since becoming a wife and mom, I had become more conscious of what products were bring used around the home.”

Shea Kondrat

Little did I know that most commercially made candles are made from toxic materials. This inspired me to create mindfully-made, non-toxic, clean-burning candles. Each candle is hand-poured in small batches from American-grown pure soy wax with a cotton wick. Our candles are free from paraffin, phthalates, and Prop 65 Chemicals.

Can you describe the scents featured in this month’s Vellabox?

A: Last Harvest is inspired in memory of my grandpa, Wilbur. He passed away at the age of 93 in the fall of 2020 and was a proud American farmer. He raised soybeans and corn until his very last days. This scent reminds me of the smells of the family farm – its earthy notes of cedar and smoke blended with the sweet smell of my grandma’s apple trees.

Black Violet & Santal was released in early 2022. I really enjoy the craft of creating our own unique scents. I was inspired to create a year-round fragrance that was bold and moody. This has soft notes of violet and sandalwood with leather and smoke to make this a whole mood.

Old Soul was released during springtime and was another one I had so much fun experimenting with. As an old soul myself, I was inspired to create something that was calming and airy, yet made a statement. Old Soul has notes of soothing lavender, warm amber, black tea, and jasmine.

Crisp Autumn Night was another one of our first blends last fall. It was inspired by opening the windows in your home on a crisp autumn day and the chilly, cross breeze zipping through your home. It’s clean and crisp with notes of cypress, gin, sweet pomegranate, and red currant.

These featured scents are available in the Vellabox candle shop!

What is your favorite candle that you’ve created?

A: This is a tough question! Aside from Last Harvest, because that is so personal and close to my heart – my favorite candle I’ve created is Black Violet & Santal. This scent transports me to another place. I just can’t get enough!

What has been the most rewarding part of running your own business? Most challenging?

A: The most rewarding is building connections and relationships with our customers. They are like family! I truly enjoy being able to bring a moment of happiness into our customers’ homes!

It’s our desire to share more soulful moments with others through the craft of our mindfully made, clean burning candles making emotional connections one sniff at a time!

What has been the most challenging part of running your own business?

The most challenging part is the continued supply and demand shortages we continue to face.

What has surprised you most about candle making?

A: The thing that surprised me the most about candle making is that it’s truly a science! And I did not excel at Science class, haha. It requires a lot of testing and patience. I’ve learned to appreciate the science and craft that goes into making wonderfully made candles!  

Any exciting launches coming up that we can look forward to?

A: The launch of our Holiday Collection on November 1^st! (Check it out at https://soulrootswaxco.com/)