Slow North
Quick verdict: Slow North scents with essential oils rather than fragrance oils, pours into tins you can reuse, and charges less than most of the boutique names doing the same thing. The scents are herbal rather than sweet, and there’s no third-party certification anywhere. Our rating: 3.6 out of 5.
Who they are
Michelle Simmons started Slow North in Austin in 2015, around the birth of her first son, after giving up candles entirely because she couldn’t find one she trusted in the house. She and her husband Jon co-own it. There’s a storefront and workshop studio on North Lamar where the products are actually made.
What they get right
Essential oils only, which is a harder choice than it sounds. Most candles labeled clean still use fragrance oils, which are engineered blends that carry scent well and legally need not be disclosed. Slow North scents with pure essential oils instead. That means the scent source is an ingredient you can name, and it means accepting a weaker throw, which is a real commercial sacrifice most of the category won’t make.
100% soy wax sourced from American farms, with cotton wicks. No paraffin, no metal wick cores.
The tins are the point. Much of the range is poured into reusable travel tins and vessels rather than heavy decorative glass, which keeps the price down and gives you something to refill or reuse. It’s the least wasteful packaging in our candle roundup.
Family-owned since 2015, with no outside investment, and they make the products themselves rather than contracting it out.
It costs less than most brands making the same essential-oil promise, which is the practical reason to care.
Where they fall short
Nothing here is certified. No MADE SAFE, no B Corp, no Leaping Bunny. The soy sourcing and the essential-oil formulation are the company’s own statements. Fontana makes similar claims and has MADE SAFE certification standing behind them, for about $26.
Essential-oil scent is quiet and it fades. The same choice that makes the ingredient list honest makes the candle less effective at scenting a large room, and essential oils lose their top notes faster than an engineered fragrance. If you want a candle that announces itself, P.F. Candle Co is the pick and it uses fragrance oils to get there.
The range is herbal, not indulgent. Lavender, rosemary, citrus, cedar. Lovely if that’s your taste. If you were after vanilla or something dessert-like, essential oils largely can’t produce it.
Soy tunnels if you rush the first burn, same as every soy candle.
What they sell and what it costs
Candles around $36, with travel tins cheaper, plus essential oil blends, heated neck wraps and candle-making workshops in Austin.
Who it’s actually for
Buy Slow North if you want essential-oil candles and you’ve noticed that most brands making that promise charge boutique prices for it. It’s the sensible everyday option, and the tins make it the easiest one to keep buying.
If you want the ingredient claims independently checked, Fontana is certified and costs less again. If scent strength is the priority, P.F. If you need every component printed on the label, Grow Fragrance.
Deals and discounts
No affiliate relationship on our side. The travel tins are the cheapest entry, and the workshops are worth knowing about if you’re in Austin.
Related reading
- The Best Non-Toxic Candles That Actually Smell Good
- Is Paraffin Wax Actually Toxic?
- Soy vs Beeswax vs Coconut Wax
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils in a candle?
Essential oils are distilled directly from plants, so the scent source is a nameable ingredient. Fragrance oils are formulated blends, often partly synthetic, and US labeling lets them sit behind the single word “fragrance” without disclosure. Fragrance oils throw scent through a room far better. Essential oils tell you what you’re breathing. Slow North chose the second.
Does Slow North have any certifications?
No. There’s no MADE SAFE, B Corp or Leaping Bunny certification. The soy wax sourcing, the American farm origin and the pure essential oil scenting are all the company’s own claims rather than outside-verified ones.
Who owns Slow North?
Michelle and Jon Simmons, who founded it in Austin in 2015 and still run it, including a storefront and working studio on North Lamar. It’s family-owned with no outside investors.
Why don’t the candles smell as strong as other brands?
Because the scent comes only from essential oils. They’re less volatile and less persistent than the fragrance oils engineered specifically to fill a room, so the throw is gentler and fades sooner. Burning one in a smaller room, or lighting two, is the practical workaround.