Late at night, after reading bedtime stories and tucking in their three little sons (Ethan, Aaron and Cameron, ages four, three and almost-two, respectively), Jen Belesca and Vicki Todd slip baby monitors in their coats and head for Jen’s barn. This just-insulated building on Chebeague is now headquarters for Island Essentials, their new soy-wax-candle company. Best friends since childhood on the island, these partners crank up the Dolly Parton; Jen makes a cup of Cardamon Cinnamon tea and Vicki stirs up some Tension Tamer. Then they begin handcrafting their environmentally friendly product.
Clean burning, non-toxic and water soluble – in other words, “healthy” – these candles boast lead-free wicks and are packaged in recyclable tins boasting travel lids. Natural fragrances are used because they’re subtle, not to mention somewhat holistic. Rosemary lemongrass, for example, promises to revitalize “mood lightening” properties, not to mention jog the memory, according to the new Island Essentials brochure. “We’re both sensitive to chemical fragrances and can’t tolerate ‘stinky’ candles,” explains Jen. “We make candles that are not overpowering, not so strong that you light them and get a headache.”
After a great deal of experimentation – with equipment ranging from baby food jars to lobster pots, eye droppers and latex gloves – Jen and Vicki have honed their candle making technique. “First we used shish kabob sticks to try to keep the paper-core wicks straight, but it took way too much time,” remembers Vicki, who is known to be the stickler on this topic. “So late one night we came up with the hole-in-the-Popsicle-stick idea.”
Island Essentials candles are scented with concentrated, pure essential oils, derived from herbs, flowers, roots, barks and resins. “It defeats the process of being environmentally friendly to put a chemical, artificial fragrance in them,” sniffs Jen.
As for the wax: Strictly natural, soy-wax flakes are melted into each handcrafted batch. These Chebeague women prefer soy, as a renewable and sustainable resource, to paraffin, in part because it burns not only cleaner, but also much longer. A six-ounce Island Essentials candle promises to emit a subtle fragrance – if not aromatherapy – for as long as 30 hours.
Last winter, Jen and Vicki pored over the books, catalogs and websites, researching the perfect source for ingredients. “We work with a very sweet lady on a soy farm in Indiana,” says Vicki. “We needed to explain to her that the recyclable tins come over on a ferry, so they really take a beating and now she ships them to us in bubble wrap.”
Island Essentials has been simmering for the past year, in development. Jen and Vicki’s mothers, Beth and Kendra, tested the first products in their kitchens; Paul Belesca frequently made trips to Wal-Mart, investigating spigots and Teflon pans. Last summer, customer feedback was heartily encouraged, when these soy-wax candles intrigued the visitors who stopped by Artisan’s Icehouse, Jen and Vicki’s gift shop on Chebeague. Asking a million questions, people wanted to know more about whatever soy candle was burning that day. Jen and Vicki explained: Peppermint clove promises to improve mental clarity, while orange eucalyptus energies and bay lime calms (in part because its infused with a dash of citrus). Furthermore, lavender grapefruit promotes a sense of well-being and lightness of spirit.
“There are no machines involved and this is not a production line – each candle is made with our own hands,” says Jen. “On a good night we can do 80 or 100 candles, because we’ve developed a system.”
“But really, this business is about our friendship,” adds Vicki. “Island Essentials enables us to work at home and take care of our three little boys. We grew up as best friends on Chebeague, and they really have no choice but to do the same.”
Jen and Vicki have created a new fragrance for the holiday, to join peppermint clove, bay lime, orange eucalyptus, rosemary lemongrass and lavender grapefruit. The retail price for a package of four tea lights is $6.50; a six-ounce tin is $9.50; a 16-ounce tin is $16.50; and all six, six-ounce tins, $50. Shipping from Chebeague is included in the price. For further information, contact Jen Belesca and Vicki Todd, 62 Sawyer Road, Chebeague Island, ME 04017; call 207-846-1097, or email them at islandessentials@aol.com.