hi, we're the Rickers, here's our story...
My name is Tasha! I'm the owner, founder, and candlemaker of Little Town Soy Candle Co. I'm a born and raised Alaskan girl that settled into the beautiful Peace Garden State (North Dakota), and we couldn't be happier to call the little town of Gladstone our home. My husband Josh and I started the candle company in July of 2020. In the beginning we started candle making in our kitchen as a hobby during the covid pandemic. We had no idea within a few months we would be expanding into a full-time business, and turning the bottom level of our house into a candle laboratory! We have received such gracious love + support from our community and customers all over the country. We enjoy traveling around the state participating in vendor shows and meeting other local creators and crafters. When we're not making candles, you can usually find us outdoors. We love hunting, hiking, camping, traveling, visiting coffee shops, or just sitting on our deck with a good cup of coffee and conversation. You're probably wondering "why candles, and why call it little town?" Other than the obvious reason that we are candle obsessed and always burning candles. We chose candles because of their ability to bring calm, peace, and tranquility to an atmosphere. Also, because of the beauty of being so universal. They can be used as a sign of hope, remembrance, celebration, or simply bring some light and joy into people's lives. We loved the idea of being able to create our own candles and scents using ingredients we could trust and knew we weren't exposing ourselves to hidden toxins and chemicals. When it came to choosing a name to represent the company, we wanted something from the heart, not a trend. Our name represents the people that make up our communities, we look out for one another and can count on each other when it truly matters. That's just how it is in little towns, just like waving at every person you drive by. Being raised or living in a little town means you genuinely care for others around you, you offer a helping hand, you're respectful, you show appreciation and humbleness, but most importantly you're kind and you never forget your roots. Being raised and living in a little town means everything to us. It shaped us into who we are today, and we are so grateful for our little towns full of people with BIG hearts.
-The Rickers
made 'soy' thoughtfully...
Our candles and melts are hand poured in small batches in Gladstone, North Dakota. Why is small batch important to us? By pouring small quantities at a time, this allows us to melt wax to the perfect temperature, blend, and produce the highest quality candles. Every candle is hand wicked, hand stirred, hand poured, hand labeled, hand packaged, and if you're local...hand delivered. Just think of it as each and every product getting a little extra tender love and care. It can take longer to produce candles, but it's one of those steps that is well worth it because quality over quantity will always triumph.
Our wax is 100% natural soy wax from the Midwest. We only use the finest and high-quality fragrances. ALL of our fragrances are clean fragrance oils that are compliant with IFRA (international fragrance association) standards. Our fragrances are made from blends of essential oils and contain ZERO phthalates, ZERO carcinogens, ZERO mutagens, and any other toxic harmful chemicals! Our wicks are a blend of cotton and paper fibers and 100% lead free and zinc free. You may notice the candles and melts are all white. The reasoning behind this is simple, we don't add any modifiers, harsh chemicals, and dyes to our wax to help improve the appearance. By keeping our candles au naturel, it can also result in bumpy tops, especially after burning the candle, which is completely normal for soy wax. Since soy wax has a lower melting point than other waxes, it also solidifies at a more rapid and inconsistent rate which can cause the candle to have minor sinking or bumpy, rough tops, if you observe this characteristic in your candle, that's how you know it's made from natural soy wax.
Our room + linen spray is made from a natural witch hazel base, a small percentage of alcohol (to help extend the shelf life), and fragrance. When searching for a good room spray base we came across many options and DIY recipes, but very few had ingredients we could pronounce or that were backed by trustworthy sources. So, we chose simple, healthy, and nontoxic. Our room sprays contain ZERO sulfates, ZERO parabens, and ZERO harsh/harmful chemicals. Just shake + spray!
