The brains (or nose) behind this establishment, featuring such exotic candle scents like Sakura Mimosa, Hibiscus Malaya, and White Jasmine and Myrrh is Julia Jules Wan, who started the business in 2015.
“I became intrigued with candle-making when I was living in Bali where sustainable products are popular,” the 44-year-old told FMT.
So, she started learning all she could about making good quality candles and discovered that it was not as simple as she thought.
“There are calculations involved to determine the amount of time it takes for the scent to be released into the air and for it to burn cleanly,” she shared.
Admittedly, a lot of research and experimentation went into her candle-making. But luckily for Wan, an aircraft engineer by training, such attention to detail was normal.
“I worked as an engineer for 11 years and left my job about a year after my daughter was born,” she said.
Together with her family, she lived in Hong Kong and Singapore before moving to Bali.
Combining science and arts
It was while preparing to move back to Malaysia that she decided to kick-start the Candle Pit Stop, training a team to manage the kiosk at IPC Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya.
It was a small but successful start to a glowing business and before long they were able to set up shop in Bangsar.
Today, there are more than 25 candle scents available, all blended in house. The candles come in different sizes with larger candles in jars, smaller ones in tins, votive candles, and wax cubes.
“The candles are made with natural soy wax without toxic additives,” Wan shared, adding that the botanical oils used in making these hand-poured candles are also certified by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA).
Despite being in a creative business, Wan’s training as an engineer was helpful when she had to apply a number of formulas to ensure that the candles burned cleanly with little soot.
“I always laugh and say that it’s like trigonometry. There is a formula, and it has balance.”
Her systematic thought processes also came in handy when she realised that some customers had trouble choosing the right scent strength.
Hence, all her candles are categorised for ease of purchase: candles from levels 1-2 are mild-scented while those from levels 3-5 are stronger.
Visiting the production area where her team was packing 800 gift boxes, she shared that she practises the “5S”, a workplace organisation method to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
“Things are set up in a systematic way to ensure a flow to the packing process and this also applies when we make our candles.”
It’s not all science-related however, as traces of Wan’s creativity is evident in the range of scents she markets to the attractive labels on the candles. Some labels also carry quirky messages that may just light up a person’s day.
For instance, the Vanilla Ice Cream candles are described as a “weight watchers delight” and true enough, even smelling the candle can satisfy those sugar cravings!
Although her business journey has been rewarding thus far, Wan admitted that the pandemic was tough on her.
To that end, she is grateful for the support of Persatuan Pembangunan Artisans (PPA), an NGO that helps artisans to promote their products through an online platform, physical stores in the Klang Valley and pop-up events.
“As a small entrepreneur, I sometimes do not know how to navigate the complexities of social media. The PPA team showed me how online presence can be quite impactful.
“They also helped me understand the multiple ways I can reach a wider crowd,” she shared, adding that her products are also available for purchase via its website.
For now, Wan is looking forward to making more candles in line with the business’ mission of finding “a scent for every nose”.
Follow Candle Pit Stop on Facebook and Instagram. To purchase their candles, visit their website or physical store:
Candle Pit Stop Studio
Lot 8-0-3, Ground Floor
Menara Mutiara Bangsar
Jalan Liku off Jalan Riong
59100 Bangsar
Kuala Lumpur
Business hours:
10.30am to 5.30pm (Closed on Saturday, Sunday, and Public Holidays)
Read more PPA stories and get to know its artisans by clicking here.