Frequently asked questions
WHAT ARE YOUR CANDLES MADE OF?
Living Thing candles are made from all-natural wax made predominately from coconut and fortified with small amounts of soy and RSPO-certified palm waxes. They do not contain any paraffin wax (aka a nasty byproduct of the petroleum industry).
We only use skincare-grade scent oils that are phalate-free and formulated without significant hazard groups like carcinogens and reproductive toxins that are all too common in the candle industry.
Our wicks are made of braided cotton with paper shreds woven in to aid in a consistent burn. They are lead and zinc-free.
WHAT IS YOUR RETURN / EXCHANGE POLICY?
Buying candles online kind of sucks – we get it. If you receive your candle and don't totally love it, we will accept returns or exchanges on unburned candles in original packaging. Please note that because we are a small business, any shipping costs will need to be covered by the customer.
If your candle arrives broken, send us a pic and we'll send another out at no cost to you.
To initiate a return or exchange, please email us at hello@livingthing.co and include the word "Return" in the subject line.
WHAT STEPS DO YOU TAKE AROUND SUSTAINABILITY?
Running a sustainable business is extremely important to our mission of leaving the world better than we found it. We are always striving to do better, but here is what we are doing today to minimize our footprint:
Small batch production: We don't make more product than we know we can sell, so we don't create any more waste or use more electricity than is absolutely necessary to create quality products.
Plastic-free labels: We label our candles with paper instead of BOPP labels that are common in the candle industry to cut down on the amount of plastic that we are putting into production and to make them biodegadable when your candle is spent. The warning label on the bottom of your candle and fragile/glass stickers on our mailer boxes are made of biostone, a sustainable stone-based material.
Reusable vessels: We think our candles have a wonderful second life as a stylish glass or vase once you've burned through the wax. If that's not your speed, please recycle.
Recycled packaging and shipping materials: We are committed to using no new plastic in our shipping materials (including tape), and choose recycled paper products when possible. Any packing peanuts we buy are made of compostable corn starch. If you do receive bubble wrap in your order, rest assured that we are reusing something we received from a vendor rather than sending it to the landfill. Our cartons are made from FSC® Certified paper.
One thing you can help us with is choosing slower delivery options at checkout if you're not in a hurry to receive your order. Generally the quicker the delivery, the less ethical it will be. Help us in the slow movement :)
HOW CAN I EASILY REUSE MY VESSEL?
When your candle is gone, we recommend scooping out any remaining wax as well as the wick tab from the bottom with a spoon. Once you've done that, give it a quick soak in the hottest water that will come out of your tap. After a few minutes, the labels should peel right off and any extra wax will rinse right off. Voila! Now you have a stylish glass to drink from or use to store anything from pens to makeup brushes.