L'Antidote

What L'Antidote does

L'Antidote is a French artisanal home fragrance company founded in 2019 by Marie-Caroline Guerin in Maussane-les-Alpilles, Provence. The company manufactures and sells hand-poured scented candles alongside complementary home fragrance products including room sprays, reed diffusers, scented melts, scented tablets, incense sticks, and gift boxes. Production uses 100% vegetable wax (European sunflower and rapeseed, GMO- and pesticide-free), unbleached cotton wicks, and fragrances formulated by a Grasse perfume house that are guaranteed free of phthalates and CMR substances. The company's core technology is therefore the bain-marie hand-pouring process combined with proprietary ingredient specifications rather than any software or platform.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through its Shopify storefront, supported by a physical boutique in Maussane-les-Alpilles, a pop-up at Marius in Arles, and a one-time retail partnership at Bon Marché Rive Gauche in Paris. A B2B wholesale channel sells to boutique retailers, specialty stores, and hospitality accounts (including Baumanière, Alyscamps, Carèle B, Fuseaux de Lavande, Les Jolies Planches). Pricing is unit-based: candles from $19, gift boxes $31-$54, workshops €49 per person, and digital gift cards in €30-€100 denominations. The company also operates in-person candle-making workshops.

L'Antidote employs approximately 10 people and is founder-owned with no external institutional investors. Distribution is global through Shopify shipping (5-15 days internationally), with free domestic delivery thresholds at €60 (Mondial Relay) and €90 (Colissimo). The brand is recognized as Artisan des Métiers d'Art by France's Institut National des Métiers d'Art and donates 5% of monthly sales from the 'Les Antidotes' collection (Joie, Calme, Confiance) to Institut Gustave Roussy for cancer research, an initiative tied to the founder's personal recovery journey.

Name

L'Antidote

Legal name

L'Antidote, SAS

Website

https://lantidotebougies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

L'Antidote is a Provence-based, founder-owned artisanal candle and home fragrance brand making hand-poured plant-based scented candles and complementary room sprays, diffusers, incense, and gift boxes for eco-conscious individual consumers and boutique/hospitality wholesale accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Home Fragrance

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Fragrance (Candles, Diffusers, Room Sprays) (CRABADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scented Candles & Wax Melts (Home Fragrance) (CRAJAEAD), Natural & Clean Fragrance (CRABADAG), Reed Diffusers & Passive Diffusion Fragrance (CRAJAEAE)

Keywords

• Artisanal scented candles
• Plant-based home fragrance
• Vegetable wax candles
• Reed diffusers sprays
• Candle-making workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Maussane-les-Alpilles

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Candle sales: One-time purchase of scented vegetable candles in various sizes (100g, 150g, 160g, 220g, 400g). Core product line with 17+ scents across multiple collections.
2. Home fragrance products: Sales of room sprays, diffusers, scented tablets, scented melts, and incense sticks. Complementary product categories extending the fragrance experience.
3. Gift sets and boxes: Pre-curated gift collections including 'Les 3 Antidotes' box, discovery boxes, and gift cards. Higher average order value products.
4. Candle-making workshops: In-person workshops teaching candle-making techniques. 1h30 training with hands-on candle creation, priced at €49 per person.
5. B2B wholesale: Wholesale distribution to retail boutiques and partner brands. Professional catalog available through [email protected].

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

L'Antidote hand-pours scented plant-based candles in Provence using 100% European sunflower and rapeseed wax, unbleached cotton wicks, and phthalate/CMR-free fragrances sourced from a Grasse perfume house. Beyond candles, it sells complementary home fragrance products (room sprays, reed diffusers, scented melts, scented tablets, incense sticks), curated gift boxes and digital gift cards, and offers paid 1h30 candle-making workshops at its Maussane-les-Alpilles workshop.

Product overview

L'Antidote is a handmade scented candles and fragrances brand based in Maussane-les-Alpilles, Provence, France. The product portfolio centers on plant-based scented candles (the core offering), supplemented by fragrance home products (room sprays, reed diffusers, scented melts, scented tablets, incense sticks) and a candle-making workshop experience. The company also offers curated gift boxes (Discovery Box, "Les 3 Antidotes" Box, themed gift boxes) and digital gift cards. All candles use 100% vegetable wax (sunflower and rapeseed), cotton wicks, and Grasse-crafted fragrances free from CMR substances and phthalates. A distinctive brand element is the 'Les Antidotes Spirituels' collection (JOIE, CALME, CONFIANCE), which donates 5% of monthly sales to the Gustave Roussy cancer research institute.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scented Candles (Les Bougies) Hand-poured scented candles made from 100% plant-based wax (sunflower and rapeseed), with unbleached cotton wicks and phthalate/CMR-free fragrances from a Grasse perfume house; available in multiple sizes and collections including the Spiritual Antidotes (JOIE, CALME, CONFIANCE).
• 'Les 3 Antidotes' Gift Box Gift box containing three 100g best-selling candles (JOIE, CALME, CONFIANCE) in a recycled cardboard box decorated with dried flowers; 5% of sales donated to Institut Gustave Roussy.
• Discovery Box (Coffret Découverte) Curated gift box offering a selection of three 50g candles from a chosen collection such as Spiritual Antidotes, Sacred Trees of Provence, Olfactory Journeys, The Celebrations, or The Woods.
• Gift Boxes (Les Coffrets) Assorted collections of L'Antidote candles presented in recycled cardboard boxes with kraft lining and dried flower decorations, marketed for gifting.
• Room Sprays (Parfums d'Intérieur) 100ml amber glass home fragrance sprays combining Grasse fragrance oils with organic beetroot alcohol, available in all candle scents for light, non-staining room scenting.
• Perfume Diffusers (Diffuseurs) 180ml reed diffusers using 100% biodegradable formulation with Grasse fragrance oils (CMR and phthalate-free), natural rattan sticks, and a synthetic diffuser base; available in all candle scents.
• Scented Melts (Fondants Parfumés) Wickless rapeseed and coconut wax melts sold individually or in sets of 6, designed for use in a fragrance burner; available in Lavender and Rose scents.
• Scented Tablets (Tablettes Parfumées) Set of two 25g sunflower wax tablets decorated with locally dried hand-pressed flowers, usable in wardrobes/closets or melted in a censer; available in Lavender and Garden Rose.
• Incense (Les Encens) Boxes of 60 incense sticks (about 25 hours of diffusion) made from tree bark, wood, resins, and plant fragrances (no bamboo), accompanied by a small white ceramic holder; available in Lumière, Quiétude, and Réconfort scents.
• Candle-Making Workshop (Atelier de Fabrication de Bougies) 1h30 in-person workshop at the Maussane-les-Alpilles workshop teaching natural scented vegetable candle-making; participants create a personalized candle and groups of 4-6 are welcomed by reservation at €49 per person.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% of sales from Les Antidotes collection donated monthly to cancer research

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bon Marché Rive GaucheminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2021Summer 2021 retail partnership featuring L'Antidote products at the legendary Parisian department store as part of a South of France exhibition. Operated by founder's niece Noémie.
• Institut Gustave RoussycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2020Monthly charitable partnership where L'Antidote donates 5% of sales from the 'Les Antidotes' collection (Joie, Calme, Confiance) to Institut Gustave Roussy, Europe's leading cancer research center. Sponsorship agreement signed April 20, 2020. Partnership aligns with founder's personal cancer journey.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Voluspa: US-based premium coconut-wax candle brand. Comparable to L'Antidote in hand-poured positioning, clean ingredients, and gift-set emphasis, serving as a model for North American expansion.
• Nest Fragrances: Premium home fragrance brand offering candles, diffusers, and reed diffusers sold through department stores and specialty retail. Comparable to L'Antidote in product mix and luxury retail distribution, with stronger US shelf presence.

Direct peers

• Diptyque: Iconic Parisian luxury candle and home fragrance brand. Direct competitor to L'Antidote in the artisanal scented-candle segment, with similar positioning around fine fragrances, premium glassware, and gifting, but operating at much larger scale under LVMH ownership.
• Cire Trudon: Historic French heritage candle maker dating to the 17th century, producing luxury scented candles for home fragrance. Closely comparable to L'Antidote in artisanal positioning, premium price points, and European luxury retail distribution.
• Durance en Provence: Provençal-based natural home fragrance brand offering scented candles, room sprays, diffusers, and body products. Closely matches L'Antidote's geographic origin, plant-based positioning, and product breadth.
• Esteban Paris: French home fragrance specialist with a long-standing catalog of scented candles, reed diffusers, and room sprays. Direct competitor to L'Antidote across both DTC and pharmacy/specialty retail channels in France.
• Compagnie de Provence: Provençal personal-care and home fragrance brand selling candles, soaps, and liquid hand soaps through premium retail. Comparable to L'Antidote in Provençal identity, plant-based formulas, and global DTC plus wholesale distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Maison Margiela Replica: LVMH-owned fashion house whose Replica candle line competes in the lifestyle-fragrance home segment. Comparable to L'Antidote at the premium-candle category but operates as a broader fashion/beauty portfolio.
• Yankee Candle: Mass-market candle company (now under Newell Brands). Comparable to L'Antidote's core product category but operates at industrial scale with broad distribution and lower price points.
• Jo Malone London: Estée Lauder-owned British luxury fragrance brand with a strong home candle line. Comparable to L'Antidote in premium positioning and gifting skew, with much broader global distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lantidotebougies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lantidotebougies
• Instagraminstagram.com/lantidotebougies

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 L'Antidote