Alejandro’s Candles

Alejandro Buxton’s mom had a headache, and she couldn’t figure out why. After some investigating, Alejandro and his mom, Patricia, realized she was allergic to the scented candles they burned in their home. But Alejandro knew how much his mom loved the candles. He didn’t want her to ditch them altogether, so he decided to make his own.

Alejandro, who was 9 years old at the time, researched waxes and essential oils. As a fan of protecting the environment, “I was really looking for a wax that was completely natural,” he says. Wax made from soy got great reviews, and he liked the fragrance of orange mixed with peppermint. A few purchases later, he got to work setting up a lab in his kitchen. With help from his mom, he melted the wax, mixed in the scents, and poured the mixture into a glass container with a wick (the part that burns). He named his first candle Jurassic Orange. It smelled great—and best of all, it didn’t give his mom a headache!

After that day in 2019, Alejandro began creating new scents and named his company Smell of Love Candles. Alejandro started selling his candles at markets around Washington, D.C. He even met Vice President Kamala Harris, who bought an allspice-and-leather scented candle called The Gentleman (a best seller) and another named Cinnamon Buns.

Today, Alejandro has a lab where he and his employees make up to 700 candles a week, with more than 20 different scents. They include candles like Alexa, Clean the House, which has notes of lemon and sugar, and The Wizard’s Library, which smells of cedar and sandalwood.

The best part of the business is meeting people, says Alejandro, who wants to be an engineer when he grows up. “I enjoy showing people what products we have and making them really happy,” he says.

Alejandro Buxton’s mom, Patricia, had a headache. But she couldn’t figure out why. He and his mom investigated the problem. They realized she was allergic to the scented candles they burned at home. But Alejandro knew how much his mom loved the candles. He didn’t want her to stop using them, so he decided to make his own.

Alejandro was 9 years old at the time. He researched waxes and essential oils. He wanted to use ingredients that are good for the environment. “I was really looking for a wax that was completely natural,” he says. Soy wax got great reviews. And he liked the fragrance of orange mixed with peppermint. So Alejandro ordered them both and set up a lab in his kitchen. With his mom’s help, he melted the wax and mixed in the scents. Then he poured the mixture into a glass container with a wick (the part that burns). He named his first candle Jurassic Orange. It smelled great. And best of all, it didn’t give his mom a headache!

After that day in 2019, Alejandro began creating new scents. He also formed a company named Smell of Love Candles. Alejandro started selling his candles at markets around Washington, D.C. He met Vice President Kamala Harris at one of them. She bought an allspice-and-leather scented candle called The Gentleman (a best seller) and another named Cinnamon Buns.

Today , Alejandro has a lab and four part-time employees. They make up to 700 candles a week, in more than 20 different scents. They include scents like Alexa, Clean the House, which smells like lemon and sugar. The Wizard’s Library smells of cedar and sandalwood.

The best part of the business is meeting people, says Alejandro, who wants to be an engineer when he grows up. “I enjoy showing people what products we have and making them really happy,” he says.