Six.TwentyFour Candle Co. Promotes More Than Fragrances

St. Louis is full of creatives whose work enlivens our streets and neighborhoods, our museums, theaters, parks and restaurants. Local makers are an especially important part of our cultural make-up. While some have shops throughout the area, others only sell their products online. But it’s as simple as the click of a button to take home their signature products and a special piece of St. Louis.

Wife, mother of two and mental health specialist – Candice Pinkins had her hands full, so in 2017, she started making candles as a way to decompress. Eventually, she turned her hobby into a business.

Today, St. Louis-based Six.TwentyFour Candle Co. offers a line of luxury candles in aromas such as coconut-lime-verbena, strawberry-guava, pineapple-sage and beach linen – the last two being Pinkins’ personal favorites. For people with children or pets and people who work in offices or live in dormitories, she also sells candle-warmers, which melt the wax and release the fragrance without an open flame. Pinkins can turn any candle scent into a multi-purpose spray, as well.

The products are available online, and Pinkins occasionally pops up at local festivals and vendor events. She also does custom orders for a range of celebrations, from weddings to corporate parties.

Here, Pinkins talks about the powerful mission behind Six.TwentyFour Candle Co. and what makes her candles special.

What inspired you to create Six.TwentyFour Candle Co.?

Growing up, my mom always lit candles around the house – there was literally a candle in every room – but some gave me a really bad headache. When I started researching them, I learned that a lot of candles are made with paraffin wax [a petroleum waste product that is chemically bleached] which creates highly toxic carcinogens when burned. I just knew I could make them better. In 2017, I was working as a suicide prevention specialist; I traveled to schools throughout Missouri, talking to students about suicide prevention. Making candles became an outlet for me to detach from that role; it was the best way that I knew how to relax. I did a lot of research before I launched Six.TwentyFour Candle Co., and I decided that I wanted to use coconut wax and a wood wick for my candles. I also used social media to ask my community about their preferences – if they like stronger fragrances, fresh or floral fragrances or fragrances that smell like food.

Can you walk us through the candle-making process?

The first thing that I do is assemble the jars. That’s something that my husband helps me do because it’s not my favorite part of the process. Typically, while we’re assembling the jars, wax is melting in my 20-gallon wax melter. I measure out fragrances, and once the wax reaches 220 degrees, I measure out how much wax I need for the number of candles I’m making. I mix the wax and fragrances together, and then I personally hand-pour each candle. I also create all the illustrated labels myself. All the illustrations feature women, and the labels have the names of the candles, which are typically something playful like Girl’s Trip, Sweep Her Off Her Feet and Love Letters. I always keep others’ mental health in mind, so I also include an inspiring message with the purchase of every candle. This is something that I hold near and dear to my heart, so I want to make sure that the process is done correctly.

What does “Six.TwentyFour” represent?

My birthday is June 24, and I also launched the company on June 24, 2021. As I started developing my business plan, I thought a lot about my customers. Everyone is unique, but if there’s one thing that people have in common, it’s that we all have a birthday. Regardless of your age, race, gender, identity, preferences, we all have a birthday, which means we all have a purpose and a reason to live.

What’s the mission of Six.TwentyFour Candle Co.?

To inspire people to live – whatever living looks like for them. Whether they want to enjoy the peace and comfort of their home or quit their job and travel the world, I want people to do what makes them happy. I think something as simple as lighting a candle can encourage a person to relax, reset and reconsider all the reasons that they have to live.

How do you hope to impact the St. Louis community with your company?

I’m planning on opening a brick-and-mortar location in the St. Louis area. The candle studio will double as an event space, where I will host monthly events centered on mental health for both kids and adults. The event space will also be open for fun workshops where people can come and make candles, wax melts or bath bombs. It will be a safe space where people can share their struggles or take their minds off their hardships, depending on what they need at that time.