Women-owned candle business in Jasper County: Lori Reynolds lights the way with all-natural ingredients

Women-owned candle business in Jasper County: Lori Reynolds lights the way with all-natural ingredients

Photos taken with courtesy and permission from Farm Life Candle Company’s Facebook page.

A doctor visit led to a small business for Lori Reynolds, owner of Farm Life Candle Company. After her husband and son kept experiencing unexplainable headaches, they turned to research. Lori’s daughter, Jordan, who according to Lori, “researches everything,” called Lori to explain what she had found. The family had been burning candles from big-named candle companies, and they finally found the culprit: phthalates and paraffin wax. 

Lori knew she had to make a difference, and it started with a year of researching what would be the best route to take, and it started with testing. She tested everything from different types of waxes, wicks, oils, and finally found what worked for their business: materials from Texas and North Carolina that were 100% clean, free from harmful chemicals. The company uses soy wax and eco-friendly wicks and oils.

The process of creating the candles starts with a 45 pound box of wax, which has to be melted down into a large pot (that holds about ten pounds of wax) and then mixed with oil, cooled, and cured. Lori is a perfectionist at heart. She makes sure every candle looks perfect before it hits any shelf, and said “When it comes out of my house, I can guarantee I’m 100% satisfied.” 

Lori and Jordan don’t take on the challenges of the business alone. Angela Buck, teacher at Kankakee Valley High School also assists with the planning process before candles hit the shelves. They sit down and discuss scents together, prepare for the design of the candle to be ready for the shelves, and anything else they might need help with. Lori said she’s “[her] best friend, who’s like [her] sister.”

She makes some scents every year that are customers favorites, like Blueberry Cheesecake and Georgia Peach, but she dabbles in new things every now and then. Most recently, she put out a worship line that had scripture on each candle, which went well. She’s also working on  starting a men’s line. 

Lori said she likes having a shop near her house because it has a country feel to it. It’s open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST. 

“I keep my prices where I think they should be because I will not buy a candle more than $22,” she said. “I would not expect my neighbor to do that…I’m not going to price gouge my people when we’re in a society of trying to build everything back up and help each other,” she said. 

More about Farm Life Candle Company can be found on their Facebook page or on their Tik Tok page. The shop is located at 5437 W 600 N Rensselaer. Lori advises to not follow Google Maps, and make sure to look for the big Farm Life Candle Company sign. 

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