the stonelight® difference
Candles You Can Trust…
Through my journey as a mother, especially with my son’s illness, I became increasingly concerned about the lack of transparency in the fragrance industry and the hidden chemicals in everyday products. As a result, I stopped burning candles for years. My search for a clean, safe option with a chic aesthetic I liked was long and frustrating.
As I dove deeper into the candle industry, I found that many companies advertised their products as “scented with essential oils,” yet those oils were often combined with synthetic fragrance oils—along with countless other wax and scent nuances. I even sampled a candle made with plant-derived natural fragrance, but it gave me a headache. Some brands did use only essential oils, but the aesthetic wasn’t what I was looking for.
When I couldn’t find a candle line that truly worked for us, I decided to create one myself. The result? stonelight—crafted with love on Long Island, using only the finest ingredients, hand-poured in small batches, and designed with a timeless, minimalist aesthetic.
Our candles are made with 100% soy and coconut wax—free from paraffin, additives, or fragrance oils. They are scented exclusively with pure essential oils, so you can enjoy the soothing, natural scents without worry. Even the wicks are made from unbleached cotton, ensuring a clean burn. Each candle is clearly labeled with the oils used on the inside cap, so you know exactly what you’re burning.
Why We Chose Our Ingredients
At stonelight®, transparency is essential. Our candles are made with our own blend of 100% soy wax and 100% coconut wax, never paraffin, additives, or fragrance oils. This combination ensures a consistent burn while balancing the strengths of each wax: soy lends stability and structure, while coconut brings a soft, creamy texture and an elegant finish.
While soy wax is derived from genetically modified soybeans, the hydrogenation and refinement process that turns soybean oil into wax removes any detectable GMO DNA or proteins. Customers should know that there is no such thing as truly non-GMO or organic soy wax available in the U.S. today. Any company claiming otherwise is using misleading language. We choose not to label our wax as “non-GMO” or “organic,” because doing so would be inauthentic. Instead, we commit to using the purest refined soy wax available, always free from additives or paraffin.
Why Not Pre-Done Blends?
A common wax in the candle industry is coconut apricot wax, often marketed as a luxury blend. Many distributors advertise it as soy and paraffin free, but to our knowledge, there is no such version available. If paraffin is excluded, soy is included; if soy is excluded, paraffin is included. A blend free of both does not exist. That’s why we don’t use pre-done blends because the marketing often doesn’t match the reality, and full ingredient details are usually revealed only when pressed.
Coconut Wax Reality
Pure coconut wax is known for its luxurious burn, but it has a very low melt point, around 100-107°F. If temperatures climb even into the 90s during transit, pure coconut wax can soften or liquefy. I even tested this by shipping a 100% coconut wax candle to an influencer in Florida; she sent back a video of the wax pouring straight out of the jar upon arrival. For a company to claim a “pure coconut wax candle” and ship successfully year-round, something has been added to harden it.
At stonelight®, I’ll always be transparent about what’s in our candles, so you know for certain what you are burning in your home.
Why Not Beeswax?
Beeswax is another clean-burning, beautiful wax option, and I considered it carefully. But beeswax is naturally golden in color, and to achieve the creamy white aesthetic of stonelight® candles, it would need to be bleached, something I wasn’t comfortable with.
Most “white beeswax” on the market is treated with chemicals, often using activated carbon, hydrogen peroxide, or other bleaching agents. These processes strip the natural golden pigments to achieve a uniform creamy-white appearance. While the wax still functions fine for candles, it’s no longer “just beeswax” in the sense of being untouched. And while some small-scale makers may lighten beeswax by exposing it to sunlight, this method isn’t realistic or consistent on a larger scale. For any large-scale brand offering creamy-white beeswax candles, you can assume the wax has been chemically bleached.
You may also see claims that beeswax candles release negative ions and help “purify” the air. While that sounds appealing, there is currently no credible scientific research to support those claims. It’s one of those phrases that gets repeated in the industry without evidence, and at stonelight®, I’m committed to cutting through that kind of marketing noise. My promise is simple: I’ll only tell you what can be supported, not what just sounds good.
What’s To Come
At stonelight®, I’m always learning, testing, and pushing for what’s possible, because I believe you deserve candles you can fully trust.
Our current blend of 100% soy and 100% coconut wax is the cleanest, most consistent formula I’ve found, and it remains the heart of stonelight®. But I also know that some of you prefer a soy-free option, which is why I’m developing a luxury line built around coconut-based wax. My goal is to create a soy-free, paraffin-free, vegan blend that can hold up to summer shipping without additives, something that, to my knowledge, doesn’t exist on the market today with full transparency.
This process is proving more challenging than I imagined, because when you refuse to cut corners or hide ingredients, the options are limited. But I’d rather take my time and do it right than release something that isn’t true to my values.
When the time comes, this luxury collection will be available as a seasonal or specialty line, offering an alternative for those who want soy-free while keeping the same integrity, purity, and timeless design that defines every stonelight® candle.
Candles as Part of an 80/20 Lifestyle
We believe that even the cleanest candles should be part of a balanced lifestyle. Fresh air is essential for daily wellness, so we encourage healthy habits—like opening your windows or using air purifiers if you have them—to support a clean indoor environment. And when it’s time to unwind, celebrate, or simply enjoy the warm glow of a flickering flame, stonelight® offers a candle you can feel good about lighting. It’s a cleaner option that complements a mindful lifestyle, creating a gentle, natural ambiance with a clean, minimalist aesthetic—bringing beauty to your space without compromising your health.
