Smell That Smell, Feel That Feeling (Win!)

Kristy Miller has had a love of candles for years; one morning, she woke up and (before coffee!) decided to turn her love into her work. The Scented Market offers hand-poured candles alongside a plethora of other fragrant goodies, from bath and body products to room sprays to hand sanitizers, all meant to fill our homes and lives with glorious scents! —Vita Daily

Hi Kristy! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

Nice to meet you! My name is Kristy Miller and I’m from Guelph, Ontario. I’m a mom of three boys, a wife, entrepreneur and the founder of The Scented Market. I am passionate about candles; no, actually, it’s an obsession. I was pregnant with my youngest when I noticed soot on the ceiling from burning conventional candles, and that’s when I started to research clean candle making and pure scent combinations. It was really a passion project to ensure my home environment was safe and healthy for my family. My love and knowledge for candles grew, and my dream to start my own business of hand-pouring soy wax candles eventually became a reality. That’s how The Scented Market began three years ago!

When, where, why and how did you launch The Scented Market? What makes your business a true family affair?

The Scented Market is truly a family affair! My husband, whom I affectionately call “Wax Man,” fills up our wax melter every night, to ensure we are ready to pour the next morning. You can tune into my IG (@thescentedmarket) to see daily stories about the back-end of our business and life as a mom entrepreneur. We truly value our customers, and share the ins-and-outs of candle making with them, as well as what’s happening in our store everyday. My kids all help out as well. In the beginning, my middle son cut the candle wicks and applied the safety stickers to the bottom of each candle, while my youngest son fed us goldfish! But seriously, my family has really helped me build this passion for healthier, clean home and self-care products. We started small with a kiosk at the St. Jacob’s farmer’s market near Waterloo, Ontario. We rolled out with an e-commerce store and social platforms when we realized we were on to something special, and we are so grateful for the love and support from customers that pours in everyday. Last year, during the pandemic, we decided to open a retail storefront in Guelph. Crazy, right?! Well, I’m glad to announce that it has been a huge success due to the support from our local community and customers, and it also became a destination location for customers coming to visit us on their day trips from Toronto and the GTA.

What products do you currently offer and what makes them unique?

We are known for our all-natural soy wax candles that are free of lead, phthalates and parabens. All of our candles are also free of dyes, glutens and are vegan friendly. My small team of 10 women and I hand craft each product and blend the scents. It really is a labour of love! We expanded the line to include bath products like salts, bubble bath, moisturizer, hand wash and hand sanitizer. I have also developed a line of clean home-care products like counter cleaner and dish soap. What makes The Scented Market unique is that each product is made with my mandate of “how can I make this healthier” in mind. The scents are very unique and best-sellers like Cashmere, Just Breathe and Eucalyptus Lavender have a soft transcendental effect that customers find very calming.

What are some of your current bestsellers? Has the pandemic impacted what products seem to be flying off the shelves fastest?

Our bestsellers are always our scented soy candles, and since they are a great self-care item, they are always popular. The runner-up has got to be our beautifully scented hand sanitizer, which is very popular during these times. Our hand sanitizer not only smells great, but it also leaves your hands feeling clean and silky smooth.

How does scent play into your products and, in your opinion, how can it improve or benefit our daily lives?

Scent is so personal, for many reasons. Different scents affect people in different ways. It revives memories. It pleases the senses. It creates new memories, especially when new scent combinations are introduced. I’m very cognizant of this when I blend our custom pure scents. We find our customers love to chat about our scents and reminisce about wonderful family and life memories that scents reflect for them. Each scent evokes a personal story for each person, and we love to hear that our scents are producing such positive feelings.

What is your all-time favourite scent, and why?!

But First, Coffee is my all-time favourite and the reason I began this company. Nothing happens before coffee!

thescentedmarket.ca

Win! A $250 The Scented Market Prize Pack!

Congrats Ashley A. of Grande Prairie, AB, who will receive a The Scented Market prize pack, including all of the following items, valued at over $250: The Scented Market Soy Candle – 16 oz. – But, First CoffeeThe Scented Market Soy Candle – 16 oz. – Eucalyptus LavenderThe Scented Market Bath Salts – Just BreatheThe Scented Market Bubble Bath – CashmereThe Scented Market Foaming Hand Wash – Just Breathe x 2The Scented Market Hand and Body Lotion – Just BreatheThe Scented Market Hand Sanitizer – Just BreatheThe Scented Market Hand Sanitizer – Eucalyptus LavenderThe Scented Market Hand Sanitizer – CashmereThe Scented Market Room and Fabric Spray – CashmereThe Scented Market Reed Diffuser – Just Breathe. Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.