Candle-Loving Sisters Launch Nontoxic Soy Candle Line In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Sisters Amanda Funicelli and Jillian Conklin admit to being obsessed with candles.

"Any time we would go to the store and come home we would have a new candle," Amanda, 28, said recently, as the sisters talked about Conklin Candle Company, their venture into the world of wax and scents.

"We had an accidental experiment one day at home," Jillian, 24, said. They had lit a reputable brand of candle and within minutes, "the air purifier in the room shot up to red," with a reading of 150 particulates per milliliter of air.

They learned that many popular brands of scented candles have similar characteristics as a result of how they are manufactured, the sisters said.

It was an unwelcome surprise especially for Amanda, who has a toddler and is expecting her second child in May.

“This is not healthy that they make candles with toxic chemicals," she said. "More people today want to avoid toxins."

So the sisters set out to develop a candle that delivered the scents they loved without the chemicals and launched Conklin Candle Company, based in Toms River. The company makes candles from 100 percent soy wax with pure cotton wicks and high-end fragrance oils to bring a warm ambiance to people's homes.

The candles and wicks are phthalate-free and lead-free, the sisters said. Phthalates are commonly used to help candle wax burn more evenly, they said, but the soy wax does that on its own. It also gives the candles more burning time, the sisters said.

"I did a lot of research and looked into many manufacturers," Jillian said. They found one, based in the United States, to produce soy candles and then worked with chemists to come up with the scents.

"It’s a long process but it’s really fun," she said.

They knew they had achieved their goal when they lit one of the first batch of candles "and the air quality meter never budged," Amanda said. "We were really excited."

They have approached the business, which they formally launched in June first online-only, and later opened their storefront at 21 Route 37 in Toms River, from the viewpoint of customers, they said.

"What would we want as a consumer?" the sisters said.

The scents are a key part of that.

"The sense of smell is really linked to memories," Jillian said, "making memories and being able to hold them."

"We take into consideration setting a mood and really creating a vibe," Amanda said. "Our candles are really good at doing that."

"The scent fills any space you put it in," Jillian said, even if the candle is not lit. "Just take the lid off and it still smells great."

They also carefully chose the presentation, putting the candles in a smoked glass vessel that they've designed to fit into any decor.

The candle company is in addition to their full-time responsibilities. Jillian is a nurse who works for a gastroenterology center, after spending time working in an emergency room. Amanda taught special education before resigning to be home with her children.

"We were in professions that revolved around taking care of others," Amanda said, and Jillian added that their backgrounds taught them to be very detail-oriented.

"We took those skills and honed them and now we’re applying them to the candle company," Jillian said.

They also tap into business expertise in the family, including their father, Kelly, and Jillian's fiance, who owns a supplement store.

The response to their candles has been gratifying, the sisters said.

"We didn’t expect them to fly off the shelves the way they are," Amanda said. "Once people have them in their hands they're really hard to put down."

They have been working to expand the line of candles with more scents, including three launched for Valentine's Day: Vanilla Orchid, Amber Vetiver, and Warm Amaretto.

And the shop is having a Valentine's celebration called "Cupid & Candles" on Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. They have invited other local vendors to join them for the event, the sisters said.

More details on Cupid & Candles can be found on the store's Facebook page.

The store is open Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. and Mondays through Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. They are closed on Saturdays.