Let's meet Guilhem & Vilayphone Rousseau, founders of the Manufacture Française de Bougies.
Today, they open the doors to a sharp and demanding know-how to develop a candle formulation of unparalleled quality.
Located in the heart of Provence, a stone's throw from Grasse, the world capital of perfume, the Manufacture flies high the colors of French know-how.
Backed by close partnerships with perfume houses and professionals in the sector, the Manufacture has gradually established itself as THE benchmark for high-end scented candles.
Equipped with experts at each manufacturing stage and with ultra-sharp innovative equipment, the Manufacture creates more than candles, it creates olfactory memories. Perfect combinations aimed at multiplying the notes of perfume.
1 It all starts with sourcing: top quality natural vegetable and mineral waxes,
cotton wicks to guarantee optimal combustion and a perfect burst of flame, the experts have a perfect knowledge of the raw materials. The objective will always be to create candles with an optimal olfactory rendering, which is why they are very demanding in the selection of raw materials (compliant with REACH regulations) , with a constant concern for quality.
2 Once the perfume has been established, the laboratory's mission is to optimize its olfactory quality, while complying with the standards in force for candles. He conducts specific tests at the request of the client.
3 Finally, let's move on to production. This is done in 4 steps:
- The weighing of the ingredients of the formula.
Weighing is done to the nearest gram for waxes or perfume, to the nearest milligram for colorants. A deviation of only one gram of certain materials can compromise the burn.
- The cast iron.
The waxes are melted in adapted melters at strictly controlled temperatures
- The pouring.
The actual pouring of the candles is done just after the fragrance has been incorporated into the melted wax mixtures. Again, temperatures are controlled throughout the process.
- The recooling.
It is carried out according to precise temperature curves.
Little tips: How to use your candle properly?
It is always good to remember a few precautions to guarantee the safety, quality and durability of a scented candle:
- the candle must be left to burn for at least 1 hour during the first use so that the wicks are fed with paraffin and burn properly. A homogeneous melting pool is created and thus prevents the wax from hollowing out afterwards, a slight smoke may appear when lighting
-it is recommended to let the candle burn in 3 or 4 hour increments
-recenter the strands after having extinguished them
- regularly cut the wicks with a wick trimmer (the ideal length is 3 to 5 mm) so that the candle does not smoke
- prefer the use of a candle snuffer
-never leave a burning candle unattended
-do not place a lit candle in a draught, or on a glass, wood or marble surface
-never move a lit or still hot candle
-and of course, keep out of reach of children.
By Elisa THAREAU
October 11, 2021