Chatting Candles and Slowing Down for the Winter Months with Pott Candles

We caught up with the founder of Pott Candles, Ailis, to find out more about her sustainable refillable candle company. As well as offering her expert advice on which candle scents are ideal for creating a relaxing ambience, Ailis answered our questions about how to slow down and relax during the winter months. Read on for our interview.

Could you share three tips for how to slow down and relax during the winter months?

I find that the nights getting darker earlier presents a really great opportunity to embrace cosiness and create a relaxing sanctuary at home. I love getting home and making my space really cosy. My general routine is closing curtains, having minimal lighting, lighting some candles (Pott ones of course!) and reading a good book. I find reading really helps me switch off and relax my mind ready for bed.

Which of your candle scents would you choose for a relaxing ambience?

I think what scents people find relaxing is often down to personal preference . We have Lavendula which uses 100% natural lavender and chamomile essential oils which people love to light to relax and rewind, particularly with a bath. I personally find Tonka the most relaxing as I love the subtlety of the scent and it just smells so amazing. Someone once described it as ‘if cashmere had a scent, it would be like this’ and I completely agree.

Where do you find inspiration for scents?

All over! We generally use the seasons to guide us through our scents and launch fragrances which include plants, flowers etc that are from that season. It is also important to have a range of scents as everyone is so different in what they like, and we like to be able to offer something for everyone.

I love that your candles and pots are made in the UK. Could you tell us a little about how important it was to manufacture in the UK?

For us, this is really important. We started the business during lockdown and it was really important that we were able to support local artisan makers, and since then this DNA of our business has continued. It is important to support local and also keep down air miles of products.

Do you have any tips for burning candles in your home?

You will get the best scent from your candle around 30-45 minutes after lighting it and you should always light candles for a minimum of 4 hours to get the most efficient burn from them. I would also choose scents based on the atmosphere you want to create in the room. For example, a bathroom is going to want a different scent to a bedroom – a bathroom will be more fresh but a bedroom might be more cosy or relaxing.

The time between Christmas and New Year is the perfect chance to take a moment for yourself – how do you recommend taking time for yourself during the hectic festive period?

I always think this is the perfect time to relax and rewind. During most other points in the year, people are working, so it can be hard to switch off. Whereas around this time, generally speaking, most people are off work, so it is a good time for everyone to reset. I like to spend as much time away from my phone as possible and connect with friends, family and nature.

Do you have any New Year resolutions for 2024 themed around slowness or resetting?

I am aiming to go into 2024 with a fresh mind from the reset after Christmas and I am trying to be a lot more strict around time online versus offline. I think downtime is so important and it’s so easy to be ‘on’ all the time in this day and age. Finding time to intentionally switch off and connect with those around you is really important and a big focus for me in 2024.

If you’re looking for a clever gift idea that just keeps on giving, or you want to treat yourself to a little surprise arriving on your doorstep each month, Pott Candles offer a candle subscription service. Simply choose your candle size and how long you would like to subscribe for. You can even change your candle fragrance each month. You could pair your candle subscription with our sock subscription to receive the perfect duo each month – a cosy pair of new socks and a fresh candle to burn.