Our story

First of all, I want to say thank you !

It's great that you've found our website and want to get to know better who makes these candles. 🤍 Thank you for your interest in my company and the work that goes on behind the scenes with candles.

Loimutars team

We are a domestic family business from Rovaniemi.

Entrepreneur: Annika

Packing assistants: Suvi, Milla and Eija

On this page you will learn where our business idea originated and what the path to starting our own online craft store has been like .

Where did the idea come from?

I first got the idea for candle making in February 2024 when I saw a reel on Instagram of someone lighting a candle themselves. I must have imagined that you needed a factory to make candles! I was so excited that I woke up my husband who was sleeping next to me and said to him, "I'm going to start making candles." To which my husband said, "Good," and continued sleeping.

How did Loimutar get started?

There had been a difficult phase in my life that lasted for years, the emotional burden of which had sapped my strength. I had been down for a long time. I helped my husband occasionally in our accommodation business, mainly with cleaning. However, I missed something of my own to do. I wanted to do something that would not burden me too much and something that would fulfill my longing for aesthetics, beauty and harmony. The source of creativity had begun to bubble up again in me.

We live in an old school building, the north wing of which had become a scrap yard. The space was filled to the ceiling with unnecessary stuff, old school kitchen equipment, dishes and folders. I decided that I would harness the space for my candle making work. The emptying and renovation project took a few weeks, as we first took the unnecessary junk to the landfill and added counters, shelves and lighting to the space.

The first candle I ever made looked miserable and didn't even light up! Candle making wasn't exactly child's play. I realized that I didn't have nearly enough tools or skills yet. I wasn't satisfied with easy solutions. I wanted to learn how to make whipped cream and cookie crumbs from candle wax. My goal was to make scented candles made from natural wax that would bring a touch of the pure nature of Lapland into your home.

The name Loimutar popped into my head one night while I was designing a logo. Coincidentally, there was no company with that name in Finland yet, so I immediately registered the name Loimutar for my company.

What ideas have come up for your own candle collection?

The untouched nature that surrounds my home has inspired me from the beginning when designing candles. We live in a small village in the countryside next to a forest. Walking trips in the nearby nature influenced me to want to bring the pure scents and colors of the north into my candles.

Scents play a special role in my candles. I love scents! Although I also have unscented options in my collection, scented candles have been my main product from the beginning. I tend to get headaches from scents, so I've focused on making candles that smell genuinely good without giving me a headache.

What challenges did I face?

Getting clients wasn't exactly easy. I was insecure and didn't yet have confidence in my own vision. In May, I found myself in a situation where I - a new entrepreneur - had zero followers and zero clients. So I was literally starting from scratch.

The challenges in product development have also brought problems. The candles have not always burned as expected and the composition of some of the candles that can be removed from the mold has had to be refined for a long time. The feedback I have received from customers has been valuable in this regard.

How did the business idea progress?

I didn't have an online store at the beginning, so I sold my products on Instagram. Getting my first order through Instagram was so incredibly exciting that I'm still not sure if I even enjoyed it! Gradually, I also got a few contacts from retailers. It was inspiring and exciting. I had never made an invoice before and I didn't know how to do an order confirmation. Even printing a sticker-based address card was new to me and I think I even got the printer stuck while learning.

Perseverance and practicing coping skills were rewarded. By autumn 2024, Loimuttare products were available in gift shops across Finland. I received valuable suggestions for developing my products from retailers and customers. Finding my own style and gaining skills brought me customers on social media, whose inspiring and encouraging feedback helped me continue and eliminate unnecessary uncertainty. Towards the end of the year, just a few months after founding the company - I was able to employ employees in my own candle workshop. It felt and still feels incredible!

What does Loimutar's story tell?

The different stages of our lives have greatly and permanently influenced how we experience the surrounding reality and how we are able to be present with others or ourselves.

We all need moments of restorativeness in our daily lives, and this is where a candle flame can help us. When you enjoy a hot cup of coffee and perhaps a piece of your favorite treat by the gentle light and warmth of a candle, your mind and body can get a little much-needed break. In this way, we can enable the experience of peace and presence - of being worthy just as we are in this very moment.

The meaning of life consists of who we understand ourselves to be. That understanding is always also built on other people and our relationship with them. We are universally united by a longing for peace, comfort and gentle connection, and the magic of a blazing flame best conveys these to us.

Annika / Loimutar🎀