It’s in the Details - Sustainable Candles for a Sustainable Home

Just how your wardrobe might be on a journey to become ethical, organic, a capsule or perhaps all vintage. Our homes and what we add to them, regardless of soap, candles or furniture, should also be taken into consideration in terms of sustainability, both for our bodies and our planet. 

To give you an example, candles are made from paraffin wax, in other words, petroleum oil. Sometimes also called vegan candles (ok, yes, paraffin is vegan but not in a healthy way, do not get fooled). But paraffin wax has proven to be toxic in its candle use and can cause health issues. 

Every single paraffin wax candle no matters its shape, size or smell contains at least seven documented toxins, two of which are carcinogenic when burning. When lighting up a paraffin wax candle, you are filling your home with toxic chemicals and contributing to indoor air pollution. The soot and fumes that are released are very similar to those released from a diesel engine. It is very unhealthy, especially for those suffering from allergies or respiratory issues like asthma.

Enough said about paraffin candles, let’s focus on something more sustainable and ethical. Hot&Vintage. When we were searching for better alternatives to make our homes cosy, we found Hot & Vintage. A sustainable candle and interior design brand made in Italy, Noemi, the founder, makes stunning candles and sources vintage candle holders and other items that will upgrade your home, in a sustainable way. We had the chance to interview Noemi and Hot&Vintage, keep reading to find out all details about this beautiful brand. 

Hi Hot&Vintage, it's a pleasure welcoming you to A Sustainable Closet, our first sustainable candle friend. Please share with our readers who you are and what made you start your brand. 

Hello and thank you so much for including me here. My name is Noemi and I’m the founder of Hot&Vintage, a Milan-based candle brand. We create unique sculptural candles. Each candle is entirely made by hand with vegetable wax. 

Hot&Vintage was born in 2020, I was leaving behind some not-easy months and, not fully satisfied with my work situation, I felt I wanted to do something of my own and that would give me more satisfaction. The lockdown for me was the decisive push to focus 100% on my project. I was (and still am) obsessed with thrift stores, and at home, I had a lot of objects and sculptures that I had accumulated over my numerous visits at local vintage stores, so one day I decided to create a sculptural candle starting from a "Venere Italica” of Canova creating a silicone mould and pouring soy wax inside. 

I started to share a little bit of the process on Instagram, and people were interested in seeing more. Initially, I was posting about the creation of sculptural candles and researching vintage pre-loved objects and clothes to sell them and give them a new life. So I created a page where the contents were a mix between vintage clothes/vintage objects and handmade candles made of natural wax.

How did you come up with this hot brand name?

As I mentioned before, initially the brand was a mix of vintage objects/clothes and sculptural candles that I was creating from scratch. So the name of the page was inspired by the idea of mixing something vintage with something new and cool.

How does the making process work? Are you producing these beautiful pieces at home? 

Our candles are handmade in small batches in Milan, the good thing about soy wax is that it is biodegradable and that can always be re-melted. This prevents us from wasting any material. At the moment (unfortunately) we don’t have a studio, but we have created a space in our home where the magic happens, and unfortunately is not very "Instagram friendly” but it’s very functional and allows us to safely create our candles. 

What material are the candles made from, and why is this material a better choice? 

Our candles are made with 100% all-natural vegetable wax that is clean-burning, vegan, cruelty-free, and paraffin-free. Unlike the paraffin wax used in most traditional candles, vegetable wax is 100% biodegradable, free from harmful toxins, and a renewable source.

Where do you find inspo for the candle shapes? 

There are so many things from which I draw inspiration or that give birth to new ideas in me. I love Greek mythology and this certainly influenced me in the creation of Lady Aphrodite. I also find inspiration in the female body and its different shapes. 

Are you experiencing a lot of competition in the candle industry?

When I first started, a little over two years ago, I felt like I was doing something new. There weren't many brands that created sculptural candles with feminine shapes, but during the first lockdown, I noticed a significant increase in this type of product. I think it's never pleasant to find out that there are many other brands doing similar things to yours, but I try not to focus much on what other people are doing. I believe that every creator and every artist has their own personal style and in the world, there is enough room for everyone to succeed.

And finally, where is your biggest market? 

At the moment Italy, but I am hoping to grow and expand!  

See, sustainable candles can really be HOT decorations to up the cosy feeling in your home! Follow Hot&Vintage here.