The journal

Notes from the studio.

Short essays about scent, sourcing and the small business of pouring candles by hand. Updated when we have something worth saying.

Why we retired 'Bay & Salt' after two seasons

Some scents are better left as memories. A short essay on when to stop making a thing.

A day of pouring, in twelve small photographs

6 a.m. wax melt, 11 a.m. wick set, 3 p.m. labels. What a release Tuesday looks like.

Where our wax comes from — a Central Valley soybean field

Tariq drove out to Firebaugh to meet the farmer whose beans we use.

On the difference between 'cozy' and 'sedative'

The most common mistake in autumn candles, and one small change that fixes it.

Odessa, the studio cat, at seven

A portrait of the least productive employee at Christina Hermes.

Why our glass comes from Sacramento, not China

A shorter supply chain is a slower supply chain, and worth every day of it.

Reading a fragrance label without getting lost

A field guide to the words on the back of your candle jar.

The refill program, one year later

1,847 refilled jars and one very tired dishwasher. Notes from a small experiment.