By Akeem Greene
Candles, Candles; for some, it is a necessity after dusk, a soothing effect after a strenuous day of work or just ornaments to add greater aesthetics to a home.
Sharda Rajnarine, the owner of S&S Scents, started making candles with a broad objective of making people happy and the underlying reason for spending more time with her young daughter.
The 32-year-old worked in the Aviation sector for ten years until she made a switch to full-time entrepreneurship in August 2020, due to her daughter.
“In 2017, I got pregnant and when I was eight months, I was put on bed rest due to a complication, and I left my aviation job”, Rajnarine told the News Room.
“After my daughter was born, I wanted to be available for her so I decided to stay home, but I wanted to start back working once she started pre-school, however, I thought about so many things; who will take her, pick her up back etc, so I took the leap in starting my business but COVID-19 had different plans for us all.”
Looking at the smiles she puts on a customer’s face, the mother has no regrets since she is now homeschooling her daughter and running her dream business.
The dream has evolved from just selling to friends and family, as Rajnarine now has a spot in the Babe Cave located on Duncan Street, Georgetown, where she caters for an expanded clientele, supplying scented candles, wax melts, wax warmers, foot and bath soak, along with car and home fresheners.
The concept behind S&S Scents is all-natural soy-scented candles that are made with essential and fragrance oil. Rajnarine explained they customise candles and labels to suit the customer and they have launched Guyana’s first insect repellent candles along with a unique ‘Happy birthday’ candle.
“I started this business because I love scented candles and always dreamt of owning my own candle shop. I had my daughter and I wanted to be available for her, so with this, I decided to pursue my dream with the help of my husband.”
A simple day in making candles starts with preparing the jars, weighing the wax and oils, followed by the necessity of adding the fragrance oil at the right temperature.
According to Rajnarine, Soy candles generally take four to five hours to cool but it is best advised to cool overnight. After spending the long hours in her homemaking the candles, she wants to go out with a product that can change a person’s mood for the better, cognisant of the many mental strains a person may face on a daily basis.
“Candles help you relax and it’s something we need in these troubling times. I am mostly motivated to keep pressing on because I get to hear exactly what people want and how to make it possible and that is great for me.”
The mother further revealed, “mental illness is very much a major concern in our society today. I, myself, have a close family member who suffers greatly from the illness. Research has shown that the smell of scented candles stimulates our limbic systems, the part of the brain that is home to our memory and emotions and this can ultimately regulate the mood.
“Candles are scientifically proven to soothe us and were used for centuries in all manner of rituals as they promote healing, enhance meditation, and cleanse energies. The gentle and mesmerising quality of their light makes them a perfect aid for any relaxation routine.”
The entrepreneur said her current aim is to supply affordable Mother’s Day gift packages that focus on self-care. S&S Scents can be contacted on 668-9999.
