Creative Energy Candles

What Creative Energy Candles does

Creative Energy Candles is a privately held, woman-owned, bootstrapped manufacturer of hand-poured 2-in-1 soy lotion candles, headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina and founded by Kara Sherritt in 2010 from her kitchen during the 2008 recession. The company's flagship product is a cosmetic-grade soybean wax candle blended with certified organic extra-virgin coconut oil, essential oils, and vitamins A, E, and K that melts at a skin-safe ~100°F and can be poured directly onto the body as a moisturizer or massage oil. The portfolio extends into hemp-derived CBD lotion candles in 400mg and 1000mg strengths, the metallic-vessel Champagne Series, themed gift sets, sample kits, electric candle warmers, a private-label wholesale program, and seasonal SKUs such as the 2025 Rose of Sharon launch.

The business operates a hybrid wholesale and direct-to-consumer model. Wholesale accounts for the majority of reach, with 2,500+ U.S. retail points of distribution split roughly 45% spa and wellness (hotel/day/medical spas, massage studios, yoga and Pilates centers) and 55% gift and lifestyle retail (boutique gift shops, hospital gift shops, casino shops, home décor, clothing boutiques). The wholesale channel uses Faire marketplace infrastructure with a $300 opening-order minimum and $150 reorder minimum, case packs of 12, and a private-label option at a 24-unit minimum for +$2 per unit. Direct-to-consumer sales run through a Shopify storefront at creativeenergycandles.com with free shipping over $75 and a tiered promo stack (FREESHIP35, GLOW100/GLOW150/GLOW200). Retail pricing spans $28-$42 for standard candles, $30 for CBD SKUs, $52-$64 for gift sets, $40-$65 for warmers, and $30 for sample kits.

Brand-building is driven by earned media (Oprah Daily, Allure, BuzzFeed, Women's Health, People, Marlo Thomas/AOL), a Creators Circle influencer program sourcing user-generated Reels and TikToks, an email newsletter called Inner Circle, organic social on Instagram/Facebook/YouTube/Pinterest, content/blog SEO, and trade-show presence including Atlanta Market 2024. The company claims 98.99% natural, vegan, and cruelty-free formulations using 100% cotton wicks, and sells exclusively within the United States. Operations and quality control appear concentrated at the single Columbia, SC headquarters, with no institutional investors, no parent company, and no disclosed subsidiaries.

Name

Creative Energy Candles

Legal name

Creative Energy Candles

Website

https://creativeenergycandles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Creative Energy Candles is a bootstrapped, woman-owned South Carolina manufacturer of hand-poured 2-in-1 soy lotion candles that melt into skin-safe moisturizer, sold via Shopify DTC and a 2,500+-store U.S. wholesale network spanning spas, gift boutiques, and natural grocers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wellness Candles & Body Care

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Scented Candles & Wax Melts (Home Fragrance) (CRAJAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Fragrance (Candles, Diffusers, Room Sprays) (CRABADAE), Aromatherapy & Essential Oil Body Treatments (HSALAFAI), Candles, Home Fragrance & Diffusers Retail (CRAIACAC)

Keywords

• Soy lotion candles
• Scented candles
• CBD lotion candles
• Wholesale candle distribution
• Candle warmers

Headquarters

HQ city

West Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Online sales through their Shopify storefront at creativeenergycandles.com. Customers purchase individual candles, gift sets, CBD products, and candle accessories directly.
2. Wholesale Distribution: B2B sales to 2,500+ retail partners including spas, boutiques, gift shops, and hotels. Wholesale minimums of $300 opening order and $150 reorders, sold in case packs of 12. Private label available at 24-unit minimum.
3. Private Label / Custom Branding: Private label program available for wholesale partners starting at 24 candles with custom branding for an additional $2 per unit.
4. Sample Kits: Sample kits sold for $30 allow customers to experience multiple scents before purchasing full-size products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Creative Energy Candles designs and hand-pours 2-in-1 soy lotion candles made from cosmetic-grade soybean wax, organic coconut oil, vitamins, and essential oils that melt at skin-safe temperatures into a usable body lotion or massage oil. It sells these candles, CBD/hemp variants, gift sets, and warmers directly to consumers online and wholesale to 2,500+ retailers.

Product overview

Creative Energy Candles is a single-product-focused wellness brand built around its flagship 2-in-1 Soy Lotion Candle — a hand-poured, cosmetic-grade soy candle that melts into skin-safe lotion. The core portfolio is organized into several collections: the Classic 2-in-1 Soy Lotion Candles (individual scented candles in multiple sizes: 10 oz, 6 oz, 3.5 oz travel tin, 2 oz), the Champagne Series Lotion Candles (luxury mercury glass vessels), Hemp-Derived CBD Lotion Candles (400 mg and 1000 mg hemp CBD options), Hemp Botanical Lotion Candles, and Gift Sets (Best Sellers and Woodstock themed bundles). Supporting accessories include Candle Lamps & Warmers (chandelier-style electric warmers in multiple finishes) and a Sample Kit for scent sampling. A Private Label wholesale program enables boutique and spa partners to brand candles with a 24-unit minimum order. The brand's differentiating value is its 98.99% natural formula combining cosmetic-grade soybean wax, certified organic extra-virgin coconut oil, vitamins A/E/K, 100% cotton wicks, and essential oil blends — all designed to burn at ~100°F so the melted wax is safe for direct skin application as a moisturizer or massage oil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2-in-1 Soy Lotion Candles Hand-poured soy candles that melt into skin-safe lotion. Made with cosmetic-grade soybean wax, certified organic extra-virgin coconut oil, and essential oils enriched with vitamins A, E, and K. Burns at skin-safe temperature (~100°F) and can be poured directly onto skin as a moisturizer or massage oil.
• Champagne Series Lotion Candles Premium candle collection featuring luxury metallic mercury glass vessels. Includes Champagne Reserve Gold and Silver, Mimosa & Mandarin Rose Gold, and Demi Sec Vintage varieties with notes of citrus, melon, and champagne.
• Hemp-Derived CBD Lotion Candles 2-in-1 lotion candles infused with hemp-derived CBD available in 400 mg and 1000 mg options. Features soothing herbal blends of rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, and cedar. Zero THC, made with cosmetic-grade soybean wax and organic coconut oil.
• Hemp Botanical Lotion Candles Lotion candles infused with hemp botanical ingredients, part of the hemp product line.
• Gift Sets Pre-curated candle gift sets including the Best Sellers Gift Set (4 travel tin scents), Woodstock Gift Set (masculine/earthy scents), and Autumn Gift Set. Each set includes travel tins with ~23 hours burn time per tin.
• Candle Lamps & Warmers Candle warming lamps including Antique Gold Chandelier, Black Iron Chandelier, and Black Metal Base with Frosted Glass. Electric lamp warmers that melt candles without open flame.
• Sample Kit Sample pack allowing customers to smell all available scents before purchasing full-size candles. Includes one small travel tin for actual use; remainder is for fragrance sampling only.
• Private Label (Wholesale) Private label candle program for wholesale partners starting at a 24 candle minimum with custom branding available for an additional $2 per unit.
• Rose of Sharon Lotion Candle Spring seasonal scent lotion candle featuring a true rose scent made with natural plant-based essential oils of tuberose, orange, and sandalwood. Enriched with certified organic coconut oil and vitamins E, A, and K for skin hydration and anti-aging properties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Verified burn times: 10oz (~55 hrs), 6oz (~35 hrs), 3.5oz travel tin (~23 hrs), 2oz (~15-20 hrs), 4oz (~25-30 hrs), 8oz (~40-50 hrs)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Faire (Marketplace)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFaire is the primary wholesale marketplace used by Creative Energy Candles to manage their B2B wholesale relationships with retailers. Retailers can apply for wholesale access and place orders through the Faire platform, which provides the infrastructure for wholesale transactions, credit terms, and order management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boy Smells: Boy Smells is a lifestyle candle brand known for gender-neutral scents and design-forward packaging, serving a similar modern consumer who values aesthetics, natural ingredients, and gift-worthy products. Both brands target premium boutique and lifestyle retail channels with comparable price positioning.
• Homesick: Homesick sells scented candles tied to memories, places, and experiences, competing in the same premium gifting candle segment with comparable wholesale distribution into boutiques and gift shops. Both brands leverage storytelling and emotion-driven positioning to differentiate in the crowded home fragrance category.
• Otherland: Otherland is a premium direct-to-consumer scented candle brand targeting similar gift-giving and lifestyle consumers with curated, aesthetically packaged candle collections. Both companies compete in the experiential scented candle space with similar price points ($30-$65 range) and DTC-plus-wholesale distribution models.
• Voluspa: Voluspa is a luxury home fragrance brand offering premium candles in decorative vessels with natural wax formulations, directly comparable in target market, wholesale distribution into boutique and spa channels, and premium price positioning. Both brands emphasize clean ingredients and design-led packaging.

Broad incumbents

• Yankee Candle: Yankee Candle (owned by Newell Brands) is the largest scented candle manufacturer in North America with extensive wholesale distribution. It competes for the same shelf space at the 2,500+ retailers carrying Creative Energy Candles, with broader product assortments and significantly larger marketing budgets.
• Mrs. Meyer's: Mrs. Meyer's (owned by SC Johnson) is a clean and natural home care brand with candles in its product line, competing in the same natural-ingredients, vegan, and cruelty-free positioning. Both brands target health-conscious consumers seeking non-toxic home fragrance products.
• Bath & Body Works: Bath & Body Works is a mass-market personal care and home fragrance retailer with 1,700+ stores and dominant candle market share. The brand competes for the same consumer mindshare across body care, home fragrance, and gifting categories, though at much lower price points and broader product portfolios.
• Diptyque: Diptyque is a luxury French home fragrance brand with premium candles positioned at the high end of the market. Both brands target the gift and lifestyle retail segment with design-forward candles, though Diptyque operates at meaningfully higher price points and serves as a category benchmark for premium positioning.
• LUSH: LUSH is a handmade cosmetics and body care brand with candles in its product portfolio, emphasizing natural ingredients, vegan formulations, and cruelty-free positioning. Both brands target the wellness consumer seeking multi-sensory self-care products and operate retail distribution into boutiques, spas, and lifestyle stores.

Emerging players

• Boujee Bougies: Boujee Bougies is a direct-to-consumer massage and lotion candle brand that most closely overlaps with Creative Energy Candles' 2-in-1 candle-to-lotion functionality. Both target the wellness and self-care consumer seeking dual-purpose products that combine ambiance with skincare benefits.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@creativeenergycandles737
• Facebookfacebook.com/CreativeEnergyCandles
• Instagraminstagram.com/creativeenergycandles
• Pinterestpinterest.com/creativeenergycandles
• Xx.com/candleenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creativeenergycandles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Creative Energy Candles