Edgewater Candles

Edgewater Candles is a small-batch fragrance company born in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood in 2016. Founded by makers Mark Towns and Stephen Pearlman, the brand crafts soy candles, incense, and home fragrance using non-toxic midwestern soy wax, cotton wicks, and skin-safe oils, with no additives or dyes. Its scents are deliberately bold and distinctive, ranging from the unexpected (Tomato Leaf, Cannabis Vetiver) to the seasonal and classic (Fraser Fir, Woodsmoke, Cardamom Chai). The company pours its candles in classic glass Mason Jars that can be recycled or reused, and it operates a retail store in the Historic Bryn Mawr District of Edgewater, opened in 2022 at 1050 W Bryn Mawr Ave. The store offers in-person shopping and candle-making classes, and customers who return empty Mason Jars receive a discount on their purchase. Production is distributed across studios in Chicago and Evanston, with an additional candle maker based in Austin, Texas. Beyond candles, Edgewater Candles sells car diffusers, foaming hand soap, incense, mini tins, travel tins, and gift cards. The brand also maintains "The Vault," a curated fragrance library where past prototypes are brought back to life in bespoke creations. Its product line spans roughly 120 products and a wide fragrance collection including Apple, Zodiac, and seasonal assortments. The company sells through its own online shop, its Bryn Mawr store, and the Candle Camper, and offers free shipping on orders over $75.

Edgewater Candles was born in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood in 2016. Its founders, Mark Towns and Stephen Pearlman, describe themselves as makers who first fell in love with pouring their own candles and with the process of creating something unique by hand. What sustained the venture was the impact of the local community, which led the brand to find its place among neighbors and fellow businesses. From the start, the company committed to a clean, simple material palette: 100% midwestern soy wax, braided cotton wicks that are metal-free, and non-toxic, phthalate-free, skin-safe fragrance oils, with no additives or dyes. Candles are poured into classic glass Mason Jars that can be recycled or reused, and customers who bring empty jars back to the store receive a discount. In 2022, the brand opened the Edgewater Candles Store in the Historic Bryn Mawr District of Edgewater, at 1050 W Bryn Mawr Ave. in Chicago. The retail store offers a unique in-person shopping experience and is also where the company teaches candle-making classes. The store is open 11am–6pm every day. Production is distributed across several studios. Mark, Stephen, and Allie work out of the main studios in Chicago and Evanston, while Kelly pours candles in her studio in Austin, Texas, and participates in local markets and craft fairs in Texas. This distributed small-batch model supports the brand's handmade positioning. The product line has expanded beyond candles to include car diffusers, foaming hand soap, incense, mini tins, travel tins, and gift cards. The company also created "The Vault," a curated fragrance library where past prototypes become future classics, brought back to life in bespoke creations. Its fragrance collection includes dozens of scents organized into collections such as Apple, Zodiac, and seasonal offerings, with roughly 120 products available online. The brand sells through its online shop, its Bryn Mawr store, and the Candle Camper, and offers free shipping on orders over $75.

• 2022

  Opened the Edgewater Candles Store in the Historic Bryn Mawr District at 1050 W Bryn Mawr Ave.

• 2016

  Edgewater Candles founded in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood.

Small-batch, non-toxic, hand-poured home fragrance with bold, elevated modern scents, rooted in the Chicago Edgewater community.

• 12oz Mason Jar Candle

  Burns approximately 75 hours; poured in recyclable glass Mason Jars.

• 6oz Travel Tin

  Burns approximately 35 hours.

• 2oz Mini Tin

  Burns approximately 10 hours; 2"w x 1.5"h; great for trying fragrances.

• Car Diffusers

  Clip onto an air vent to scent the car.

• Foaming Hand Soap

  Works into a soft lather with favorite fragrances.

• Incense

  Slow-burning incense adding smoky layers and complexity.

• Gift Card

  Available in amounts from $25 to $200; usable online, at the Bryn Mawr store, and at the Candle Camper.

1. 1Edgewater Candles | Soy Candles Handmade in Chicagoedgewatercandles.com
2. 2About Us – edgewater candlesedgewatercandles.com
3. 3Mini Tin – edgewater candlesedgewatercandles.com
4. 4Gift Card – edgewater candlesedgewatercandles.com
5. 5Edgewater Candles – Wikidatawikidata.org