Light up Winter with Locally Made Candles

The simple lighting of a candle takes on special meaning at this time of year, when people are celebrating religious holidays or simply seeking to mark the turning of the season back toward the light. GreenStar carries a wide selection of candles from two local companies, Sunbeam Candles and Makepeace Candles. Whether purchased for your own family’s celebrations or for gift giving, candles are a simple and timeless way to add some cheer to the holidays.

Sunbeam, located just outside of Ithaca, uses pure beeswax, soy wax, and 100% pure essential oils in the making of their candles. You can find their colorful aromatherapy soy candles and molded beeswax candles year-round at the West End store. During the holiday season, look for pure beeswax Hanukkah candles, sold in packs of 45, and an expanded line of molded beeswax candles. (Our favorite? The evergreen tree!) Sunbeam prides itself on its business practices, running its candle shop on solar power and paying employees a livable wage.

Makepeace Candles, located in nearby Trumansburg, offers molded beeswax candles as well. (Favorite — the tiny pine cones! Add a handful to seasonal greenery for an instantly lovely holiday display on mantel or table. They make perfect stocking stuffers or Hanukkah gifts, too.) Makepeace, a woman-owned company, sources their beeswax locally and donates a portion of proceeds to charities.

Whatever you celebrate this winter — Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Solstice — our candle shelves hold something for you. Come and peruse our selection and your sure to find something that suits your preferences, from specific scents to aromatherapy blends to the sweet, simple scent of beeswax, from a simple elegant pillar to an intricately molded design. Look for them on the back wall of the West End Wellness Department.