ENTREPRENEURS
CANDLES: a healthy addiction
From the hive to your table
By SPREADABLE MAGAZINE
Verónica Lertora, creator of Beelight, tells us about the benefits of beeswax candles, her admiration for “the most important animal on the planet”, and how they work with beekeepers.
Totally natural and kind to the environment, these pure beeswax candles have been used for thousands of years: they last longer and burn cleaner, since they do not emit soot or chemicals that are harmful to health.
Why light candles at home?
Lighting candles is a ritual. It's like when you put on your favorite music theme, pour a glass of wine, or sit down with a book and your richest tea. When you light the flame of your candle, you wrap yourself in an atmosphere of warmth, of security. You can tell yourself: to rest!
Especially in these moments of staying home. We can enjoy the moments of stillness and calm again, focus on what is important, be in balance and make our home a refuge. In addition, the cold is the host par excellence: gray skies, low temperatures outside and candles lit inside are the perfect plan.
What are the best times to relax with this light?
Virtually any moment of enjoyment. You can create a special moment accompanied by a candle: curl up in your armchair with a book, a cup of tea, a glass of wine; give yourself an immersion bath, give yourself a "autospa" time. We claim to indulge whenever possible: many people take care of candles because they are aesthetically pleasing or because they were quite expensive. It is perfect to take care of things, but it is also beautiful to enjoy what we have; that is, that things are functional to us, and not the other way around. After all, we take experiences with us from life. Enjoying every moment is extremely comforting and makes you feel truly better.
Why is dinner by candlelight a classic?
The heat that candles emanate, their warmth, their flame, are something really addictive. If you get used to it, when you don't have them, you can feel the emptiness of their warmth.
What other plans can be put together?
A while ago we took a photo for our Instagram. We chose two books that were from our childhood: a book of horror stories by Poe and another book by Wilde, of stories for children. It occurred to me to tell my sister (who has three boys), to think of a different afternoon. I suggested that he recreate a situational classic: get together to listen to stories by candlelight. He did, and the boys loved it! It is an original plan, where the imagination comes into play, and that can inaugurate a family reading tradition.
On the other hand, every time we celebrate a birthday, there are candles on the cake. There we are, somehow surrounded by our loved ones, staring into that flame and making our wishes.
What is the characteristic aroma of beeswax candles?
The aroma of the wax depends a lot on its origin. Varies density, texture, color and aroma. We work with waxes from different beekeepers.
We mark each wax with the name of the beekeeper, because it is a way of being close to the origin and honoring those who worked for a long time to bring us a very noble material.
Beyond this, its aroma is sweet as honey. In some waxes it is noticeable very softly, while in others it is stronger. However, none scents an environment.
There are two possible moments to feel its aroma, which depend on the olfactory sensitivity of the person who is enjoying them. If a single candle was lit, when you put it out you feel that characteristic sweetness for a few seconds. If more than one candle is lit and if you are close to them, it is possible to smell the sweet aroma.
What lines do you have with essences?
We also have a line of scented candles with essential oils.
We have two aromas for well-defined preferences: a floral one, with essential oils of Geranium and Tangerine, very delicate, and another of Cinnamon and Cloves, much stronger, more wintery (ideal for these moments!).
We know that beyond the flames that we like so much, there are many people who love to have aromas in their spaces.
Do you admire the work of bees?
Bees are essential beings for our life, human life.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) almost 90% of wild plants depend in part or in full on pollinators and 75% of the food crops that reach our table also they depend on pollination, especially bees... It's a very big responsibility for these little ones!
Therefore, taking care of them means much more than "not damaging them", but it has to do with supporting beekeeping and its derivatives.
It also means starting to grow more native plants on our balcony that feed them. Take care of the caterpillars, which will later be butterflies, since each one maintains in balance an ecosystem that existed before and independently of us and that could continue if we pay attention to it. And remove toxic pesticides from our garden.
The incredible thing about bees is their constant work: they give everything to bring the maximum amount of pollen and nectar to the hive. In this path, the benefits are both for the planet and for us, as a species.
Why is Beelight production ecological and sustainable?
Beeswax is an absolutely natural material. It has no aggregates of any kind and the production process does not imply the need to incorporate chemicals or go through polluting processes. It is a material derived from an activity that, in addition, we need.
Chocolate, coffee, almonds... are all foods that are benefited by bees. Therefore, using a material derived from beekeeping is also a way to support it.
Precisely the theme chosen for the celebration of International Bee Day by the United Nations in 2020 was, among others, the importance of products derived from beekeeping, such as wax.
In the world of candle making we find that it is the option that most respects nature, the most natural. Not only does it not negatively affect the planet (which is already a lot), but it is positive, due to the pollination process and its fundamental impact on ecosystems, and for our own food.
How do you choose beekeepers, and what regions are they from?
We have our known and recommended beekeepers. You know what we're looking for: purity and honesty.
The wax comes from beekeepers from Entre Ríos, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Buenos Aires and La Pampa.
We usually use the phrase “we want the wax of those who are in love with their bees”. Although we have encountered several bumps along the way, we have come to have a circle of trustworthy beekeepers: we know that their wax is pure, that it comes directly from the field and that there is no way that it is adulterated. That is our promise of value.
Visit
www.beelight.com.ar
www.instagram.com/beelight.beeswax.co
www.facebook.com/beelightbeeswaxco