Our Story

     

Meet Sarah - Our Curator

"I'm Sarah, Founder of House of Scent, and my journey began in 2015 after experimenting with candle making and trying to find a natural replacement for paraffin wax which was leaving large sooty marks on my ceilings and shutters. 

I have always loved yoga and make my own natural skincare, so I was never far from a bottle of essential oil! I started to experiment with soywax and essential oils and loved blending the therapeutic benefit of natural fragrance, with the simple act of lighting a candle. Together they can strengthen mindfulness and awareness, calm your nervous system, and for me, momentarily suspend time. The power of scent is also endless and creating new products not only because they smell good, but because of the benefit they can bring you, or difficult times they can help you through, is the main driver for me.

I design each product from the fragrance blend, to the label. I hand pour every candle and blend each diffuser. I pack every order and with the help of Royal Mail, deliver every parcel :-)

I feel very fortunate that all the jigsaw pieces of my life to date have come together - my biology degree, a 10 year career in creative marketing, and my love of yoga, wellbeing and aromatherapy. I channel all my energy into this and my young family and feel extremely lucky to own my own business."

 

Brand Values

House of Scent has been created with non-toxicity, wellness and environmental sustainability at it's core.

As we are all naturally spending more time at home, there has never been a more important time to focus on our own wellbeing and to reduce the toxicity of the products we use every day, and their impact on the environment.

Hand-crafted in small batches, using only the highest grade essential oils, and phthalate free fragrance oils. All products are recyclable, refillable, and reusable. We are vegan friendly and stylish sustainability is at the heart of what we do.

All candles are made with natural soy wax and cotton wicks, and are free from paraffin and lead. Our diffusers are made with a renewable, toxin free soy oil base with a low carbon footprint.  All our jars and bottles are made from glass and therefore recyclable and reusable, and all packaging is eco-friendly. We also offer a refill initiative, whereby you receive 20% off the site if you return your used jars. 

We are on a mission to make your home non-toxic, to campaign for cleaner air, but we don’t want you to have to compromise on style or substance. If we can do this, whilst bringing you peace and serenity at a time when we all need it the most, then what a bonus that would be.

The Power of Scent 

Scent is so incredibly powerful to the human body and can spark memories and even improve our cognition. Our wellbeing range uses the highest grade essential oils to boost your mood naturally with their therapeutic benefit. The signature scent range has been designed to provoke memories and nostalgia, and are fragranced with ethically sourced, paraben free fragrance oil.

Spending more time indoors also makes us appreciate just how much our spaces can affect our energy. The light through a window can lift our mood. A view can bring us a sense of calm. A powerful yoga session can energise. Equally, scent has the power to transport us to another time and place. 

 

Non - Toxicity 

So why am I so passionate about non-toxicity? During my research many years ago, I learnt that the majority of the £1.9 billion UK candle industry use paraffin wax and it's a bi-product of petroleum production. When burned, emits toxic, volatile carcinogenic compounds; the same fumes found in diesel. Many candle wicks also contain lead as it helps with rigidity. Sadly, all of this has been linked to lung cancer, asthma in children, allergies, migraines and skin problems to name a few, let alone the impact on air pollution.

This very unregulated grey area unsettled me to say the least, and as we all spend more time at home, the health risks are rising and now more than ever, there has never been a better time to start campaigning for change.

Wellbeing and Essential Oils 

I use the highest ratio of oil to wax that I can, to ensure you get the maximum smell whilst keeping to essential oil safety guidelines. Essential oils (natural aromatic oils) have been used since 4500 BC by the Ancient Egyptians and have been proven to have a unique healing and therapeutic benefit that can actually boost your mood.

Sustainability

It didn't make sense to me to create a brand that in turn created waste, or even worse, contributed to the huge global plastic problem. I've seen first hand the impact this is having. House of Scent is as eco-friendly as I can make it and has a low carbon footprint. All packaging is recyclable and containers refillable, even my business cards are made from old t-shirt cotton cut-offs! I have tried my best to also work with suppliers who have this same ethos.

I hope you enjoy my site and love the products, if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask! Love Sarah x