ark

It was the start of COVID and the world had slowed down. Like many of us, Aleksei and his mom found themselves with more time on their hands: time to reflect, experiment, and reconnect with what they loved. For them, that meant candles. What started as a creative kitchen project between mother and son slowly turned into something much bigger: a clean, conscious hand-made candle brand called Arolab.

(Some responses have been edited for clarity and length.)

How did you come up with Arolab and when did you officially start? Can you tell us the backstory?

So this happened right when COVID started, about five years ago now. It began as a fun project with my mom in the kitchen. We both love candles, so we thought, why not try making one ourselves?

To be honest, the first few weren’t great — but we had so much fun with it. I loved the process and found myself wanting to do it again and again. Eventually, a few of my friends started asking for candles too. But something kept bothering me — I noticed this synthetic smell, this unnatural feel. I was using soy wax and fragrance oils, but it didn’t feel right. That’s when I started digging.

What I found out about the fragrance industry shocked me. It’s basically unregulated. Brands can get away with using toxic ingredients without disclosing anything. I lost trust in it completely. That’s when I got really passionate about creating my own candles — ones that smell amazing, but are also safe and clean. I didn’t want to think, “Oh no, I’m breathing in toxins right now.”

So I started researching. I tested so many blends, worked with different suppliers, and spent years refining everything. One thing that’s always been important to me is that our suppliers share our values. I want them to be proud of what they’re making too, just like we are.

Tell us about your process when creating a candle.

I work with a formulator to make sure our fragrances meet the highest standards. They’re clean, non-toxic, and safe, even for people with sensitive skin or scent sensitivities. They’re vegan, paraben-free, phthalate-free, non-carcinogenic, non-mutagenic — everything we use goes through a strict filtering process.

Cleanliness is always our top priority.

Even our wax is something we researched for a long time. We use coconut wax because it’s the cleanest vegan option available. And for our perfume roll-ons, I use organic jojoba oil. Every ingredient we use has to meet that same level of integrity. I only want the best and the cleanest in everything we make.

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