from hobby to hustle: Sweet Aurora Soap & Candle
When you meet the maker behind Sweet Aurora, you immediately feel her passion for color, creativity, and community. What started as a deeply personal journey has blossomed into a brand that embodies self-care, resilience, and joy.
Ready to be inspired by Lina Escobar?
finding the light at the start
"Sweet Aurora was born as a form of therapy, at a time of great personal uncertainty. At the height of the 2020 pandemic, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that kept me homebound for a number of months. Making and using my own bath and body products and delving into candle making became a form of therapy, while trying to navigate my diagnosis. I then started noticing that the small moments of self-care I was taking for myself had a compounding effect. My mood and outlook were improving! This is where our slogan ‘A little pampering now and then doesn’t hurt’ came from. I like to say that I launched Sweet Aurora, in December 2020, without ever leaving my house"
the moment everything changed
"I started noticing that people really gravitated to our combination of design aesthetics and the process behind them. Friends and family started placing orders unsolicited. In 2023, I decided to host my first pop-up at a local market. I almost sold out! From that I saw that my products were resonating with people in a very meaningful way. I decided to push forward. Local markets remain our passion to this day."
products with wonder
"Our products are inspired by the language of color and the spirit of childlike wonder. However, that is just the aesthetics. Behind their ‘looks,’ there is continuous research into the best processes and practices. We do not cut corners when it comes to candle testing, labeling requirements, proper insurances, permits and safety standards. I am committed to learning everything I can and I will not stop learning and growing. That’s what makes brands special."
balancing the everyday
"[...] right now it looks like chaos: Fun, rewarding, organized chaos. As a matter of fact, one of my current goals is to organize my processes in order to give myself back some time and avoid headaches. To that, we were lucky to have been accepted to an entrepreneur accelerator program at Rutgers University, called EPI. Structuring to support growth is the primary goal of our process with them."
the words of wisdom
"My biggest advice for any maker is to find your own voice. People respond to uniqueness, transparency and originality when they see it. The second piece of advice that I give is to be your own inspiration. Building a cohesive brand that is memorable demands that you look within and exercise your creativity, rather than replicating current trends and/or the work of fellow makers.
Makesy has been one of our main suppliers, since our inception, for a reason. The aura jars are a signature vessel in our collection, and we had so much fun over the years creating different color stories with them. Our favorite Makesy Fragrances are Palo Santo and Sage and Dark Rose and Labdanum. We cannot keep those two fragrances on the shelves! Thank you Makesy for making this journey much easier and allowing us to become better made certified."
follow along at: www.sweetauroracandle.com
Instagram: @sweetaurorasoapcandle
You can also find Sweet Aurora Soap & Candle at local markets throughout New Jersey!
Happy making!
