Paraffin Can't "Hold a Candle" to These Soy Creations

Light a candle, and anything can happen.  Aromatherapy?  Check.  Ambience?  Check.  Romance (possibly)?  Check.  Filthy, black soot residue on the wall and ceiling?  Check.  Wait, wait, wait!  Black residue on the wall and ceiling!?

Anyone seeking the three former, but not the latter should visit the soy emporium, Things That Make Scents at 56 Union Ave. (Route 71), Manasquan.  The shop, owned by Janine and Tom Predmore, specializes in 100 percent soy candles that are eco-friendly and leave no messy residue behind.

The Brick couple have been in business online since 2002, and opened Things That Make Scents, named by Tom, four years ago. 

“I had a full-time job, so I did this evenings and weekends, so it started online first.  It started as a hobby,” said Janine, a former project manager for an internet marketing company.  The couple decided to expand the business to a shop when the candle factory overran their entire house.

“It all started with a candle kit … my husband and I began with a kit,” she said.  When Tom noticed the soot was all over the ceiling of their home, he said, “That’s it, no more candles!”

Janine did research and noticed soy wax was an alternative.  The duo experimented and tested with the wax, noticed it didn’t produce soot, and began making eco-friendly and clean-burning soy candles, coined Oh Soy! by Janine.

The 1,100-square-foot establishment is divided with half the footage devoted to the factory, half retail.  The corner shop is strategically designed with displays well-spaced, so patrons — especially women with strollers — can navigate.  ­

Things That Make Scents is one of only a handful of shops that manufacture onsite.  Janine, along with two female co-workers, hand pours the candles.

“Our candles are hand-poured, are all 100 percent soy, and virtually soot-free,” she said.  All are packaged in clear plastic wrappers or festive tissue, tied with a raffia ribbon.

Candles come in either a single or multi scent.  The scents run the gamut from hyacinth and the “tried and true standard,” patchouli, according to Predmore. 

Want to stimulate the tastebuds?  Try hot-fudge brownie, Creamsicle, and purple truffle. 

Custom scents to tempt the olfactory senses include “Clothesline,” “Frosty,” and the shop’s number-one seller, “Summer at the Shore,” with eucalyptus-spearmint running a close second.  “Surf’s Up” is reminiscent of a coconut surf wax, said Predmore, who doesn’t have a specific favorite, but enjoys food scents or “anything pumpkin!”

The energetic brunette has no idea why soy hasn’t caught on sooner, but feels some people might have misconceptions about the scent strengths of soy wax.  Her company has no problem creating highly fragrant candles that take approximately 1-½ hours per batch, depending on size and on what is being poured.

Why soy and not say, beeswax?  Predmore doesn’t find it optimal to use beeswax for her votives.  The wax is a different process, and most people prefer it in its natural form. 

“It’s more of a honey fragrance and color,” said Predmore, who likes to experiment more with fragrances and oil in her soy creations.  “I prefer to use better-quality oils, and more natural ingredients in the fragrances.” 

She noted beeswax is hard, and perfect for tapers, pillars and even votives, but not suitable for jar candles.

Soy doesn’t have the elasticity of paraffin, so Predmore creates votives, jar candles and “cupcake” candles with the medium.  She is working with a natural pillar wax that’s a blend of five different and natural waxes, and can be scented and dyed to match her candle line.

Things That Make Scents is a virtual potpourri, carrying not only candles, but body lotions and soaps, jewelry and coffee. 

“That was part of our original plan, and we reached out to local artisans,” said Predmore, a board member of the Manasquan Chamber of Commerce.  Her jewelry is created by two local artists, body potions by two area women, and various coffees by a private roaster.  She and her husband are always looking for new and exciting things to add, and envisions this possibility down the road.

The shop’s clientele range is all over, and interestingly enough, not all female. 

“We have a lot of male customers; our customer base ranges from teens to a 92-year-old woman,” she said.  Incense in the shop is enticing to many teen customers.

A lot of her customers have defected from mass-manufactured paraffin candles. 

“We have the best customers.  They’re very loyal,” she commented. 

Predmore is proud of her customer service, which involves taking special orders, and does her best to accommodate customer requests.

Sales at the physical location and its website are comparable, and  both are growing. 

“There were months when online was busier, but there are months where they ran neck and neck, such as around the holidays,” said Predmore.  “We have a very big candle season that kicks off the beginning of September and runs through the middle of June, with the busiest time being November and December.” 

She noted each year the company gets busier, although it has taken some time for tourists to find them.  She opined a lot of people also burn candles less during the summer.

However, “We’ll be launching a new site within the next month or so, so hopefully that will increase online sales,” announced Predmore.

When asked what the best and worst part of her day were, Predmore commented “There is no worst part of my day,” although it’s not always easy being the boss.  Her husband, Tom, is her “tech guy,” does the company’s marketing, and serves as its website administrator.

Candle making is what she wants to be doing for many years to come. 

“This is my baby, so I’m not going anywhere!” she said.

Things That Make Sense is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m-4 p.m.; and closed Monday.  The phone number is 732-722-7206, and website address is www.thingsthatmakescents.com.