Lauren created Underdog Candles in her Maine kitchen to make hand-poured, 100% soy-wax candles with layered, gentler fragrances and refillable vessels. Now based in a historic mill in Westbrook, the queer- and woman-owned business also hosts hands-on candle-making classes and private events. Five percent of proceeds supports organizations serving LGBTQIA+ communities, extending the company’s original Pride-focused mission year-round.
Phthalate-Free
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Vegan
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Maine Made
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Queer-Owned Business
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Woman-Owned Business
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Catskills Candle StudioFrom her fashion-design background and love of the Catskill Mountains, Nicole Andrick creates hand-poured soy candles in Tannersville that bring the region’s earthy scents into contemporary homes. Catskills Candle Studio is a women-owned business using American-grown soy wax and fragrance oils infused with essential oils, with its signature Kaaterskill Falls candle offering a particularly direct link to the surrounding landscape. Nicole also opens the studio to the community through candle-pouring workshops.TANNERSVILLE, NY
GP Candle CoWoman-owned and handmade in the USA, GP Candle Co. creates cheerful home-fragrance products with a social purpose. Its small-batch candles are made with soy wax and cotton wicks, and portions of sales support Women Against Abuse or the National Parks Conservation Association.WYNCOTE, PA
Three Chicks Candle CoThree Chicks Candle Co. hand-crafts and hand-pours scented candles, a small business born when its founder decided to make the peach-and-vanilla candle she could never find. The company works primarily with U.S.-sourced soy wax, recyclable tin and glass containers, and cotton-and-paper ECO wicks, while also creating custom fragrances and event candles. Its collections draw on the founder’s inspirations, from farmers’ markets to flower markets.
TOA WatersTOA Waters makes handcrafted bath and body products, including its signature liquid bath bombs—the company’s mess-free reworking of the traditional bath bomb. The USA-made brand is proudly LGBTQ+ and Latin-owned, pairing bold, transportive scents with plant-powered, vegan formulas and no stereotypes. TOA Waters also donates 1% of every sale to organizations fighting for LGBTQ+ rights.FREDERICK, MD