People who've followed along on our journey know how important makers are to Boston General Store.
When the shop first launched online, the idea was to create a small assortment of products from around the world featuring craftsmen who truly cared about their trade. Today, four years after opening the business, we still carry almost all of the items from that original collection, speaking to the significance these makers have had in the continued success of BGS.
One of the earliest maker partnerships we made during our first years was with P.F. Candle Co., a handmade candle and fragrance company. Started as Pommes Frittes (later shortened to P.F.), the brand's name is a play on the pronunciation of “Pumphrey”, as in Kristen Pumphrey the founder of P.F. Candle Co. Kristen now operates the business with her husband, Thomas Neuberger, in Los Angeles. They've been around since 2008, but Kristen has over fifteen years of candle-making experience and it shows in every single one of the well-crafted products they create.
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Independent Candle Maker
Their work is done expertly and honestly, making all of their candles with soy wax (grown domestically), cotton core wicks and high-quality fragrance oils. If you've been to one of our shops and picked up one of their candles you've probably gotten a lecture about soy wax – even if you already knew everything there is to know about soy wax.
Warning: soy wax candle lecture ahead.
A lot of the candles you see on the market today are commonly made with paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is a by-product of the petroleum making industry and has been used to make candles for over a hundred years. The problem with paraffin wax is that it doesn't burn very clean which shouldn't be surprising considering its source material. If you've ever burned one near a wall you might recall seeing a black, sooty stain left behind. This soot being released is considered to be a type of harmful indoor-air pollutant, per a study done by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2001.
Soy wax burns much cleaner and is made from the oil derived from soy beans, of which 90% of the world's supply is grown here in the United States. A soy candle also burns slower than its paraffin counterpart, meaning you're getting more for your dollar with a soy wax product.
The list of benefits from using P.F. candles versus paraffin goes on; their cotton-core wicks being yet another. A lot of candles today still use wicks made with lead, which contains many harmful chemicals. Cotton-core candle wicks, like the ones used in P.F. Candles, remove the existence of those harmful toxins released into the air made by lead-based wicks.
All of this points to the dedication that P.F. Candle Co. puts into being an independent maker. They are providing sustainable, eco-friendly products that are made well and meant to last longer. Which is why when P.F. contacted us to tell us about their upcoming incense line, we couldn't have been any more excited.
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New Incense, Familiar Fragrances
Getting into the incense market is a natural progression for P.F. as they've shown their skill in crafting all types of fragrance products. They took that skill and created a line of incense sticks that matches the quality and sustainability of their other goods. If you're a incense devotee you're going to love P.F.'s new product. If you're not someone who's used a lot of incense in the past but adores P.F.'s fragrances, then you might find yourself becoming an groupie in short time.
Their incense is made from charcoal with the company's special fragrance blends and are hand dipped, packaged and shipped by their team in small batches each week. The incense is available in seven of their most popular scents, which you may already be familiar with from their other collections.
There's the three leading scents of Teakwood & Tobacco, Amber & Moss, and Golden Coast, plus other favorites like Patchouli Sweetgrass, Nightshade, Copal and a unique new aroma of Black Fig that you should give a sniff test to the next time you stop by our shops.
Lighting one of their incense sticks will help to cleanse negativity away, filling your space with delicate aromas and changing your perspective on a bad day. They're perfect for anywhere in the house, from living rooms to bathrooms and can even work well in a hectic workplace. Each pack of incense comes with fifteen sticks, so you can expect to get about fifteen hours of burning time total. Their dynamic scents are lasting though and will continue to keep your area fragrant long after the sticks have burned out.
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Transforming Spaces Through Scent
P.F. Candle Co. is eager to prove that they are more than just candles. Their mission is to “activate the senses...”, a fitting motto for a company that has committed themselves to transforming the atmosphere of rooms everywhere through smell.
Give their incense sticks a try because we know you'll love them as much as we do. If you're in need of a holder for your new incense obsession, check out the beautiful ceramic wares from Gopi Shah.
- The Boston General Store Team
Stop by our shops in Brookline and Dedham to discover P.F. Candle Co's new incense or buy here online.
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