Gift #5: Vegan Bunny - Natural and Vegan Candles

Did you think that we will leave out candles for our autumn box? What attracted us to Vegan Bunny were their exciting and fun scents (Chai Latte! Cuban Mojito! Unicorn Tears & Glitter!), and their beautifully designed labels. We had the chance to speak to Elisa Lubisco, founder of Vegan Bunny, to find out her inspiration behind these vegan and natural candles.

For Elisa Lubisco, the driving force behind Vegan Bunny has been candles. For her, candles symbolize light, purity and relaxation. “Somehow, we assume candles are all good. But mass production of any product is hardly good in any industry,” says Elisa.

By chance, she found herself looking at the label of a beautifully-packaged candle bought in a high street store, and was shocked by the amount of unrecognizable and potentially-dangerous chemicals that made up the candle. She could not believe how she had allowed her household, her family, and herself to be exposed to such harmful chemicals. And with that, creating natural and vegan candles became Elisa’s weekend DIY hobby. These homemade candles were a hit among her family and friend, and hence her craft evolved into Vegan Bunny in 2017.

With any business endeavour, the challenges were far from short. With every obstacles that were thrown her way, Elisa had to remind herself to maintain her optimistic perspective, and to keep moving forward. It is this exact sunny disposition of hers that shines through her products. For Elisa, her vision and mission is to spark the curiosity about natural alternatives on everyday products, while at the same time providing conscious gifts for the planet, animals and humans.

Hi Elisa, to start with, can you share with us the ethos of Vegan Bunny?
Handmade natural and vegan alternative to candles and gifts affordable to every bunny out there.

What led you to start Vegan Bunny?
Vegan Bunny was started by chance. I got curious one day, and decided to check out the label at the bottom of a candle that I used frequently. Imagine my shock when I realized the amount of unrecognizable chemicals that were used to make that candle, and the dismay that I was the one who bought the candle and allowed my family to be exposed to them. Somehow, we assumed that candles are good for us, and we do not question the ingredients put in them. Of course, I should have known seeing how these mass-produced goods can hardly be conscious about these details. I became interested in creating candles that are safe and natural, and hence candle-making grew into my DIY weekend project. That was until my friends and family started appreciating the candles that I made myself.

What are some of your highlights and challenges since starting your business? 
The hardest thing for a small business is to constantly remind myself to keep moving forward regardless whatever obstacles come your way.  Running a small business is difficult, with plenty of ups and downs. You need to maintain a positive, "Bring it On" outlook to the challenges, and face them square in the face. Surprising, it's these stresses that sometimes make the magic happens. Luckily for me, I am glad that I have lavender essential oils at hand all the times to keep me calm from all the stress!

If you were to describe your brand in one sentence, what would it be?
"Conscious gifts for the Planet, Animals & Humans."

What are your hopes for Vegan Bunny in the future?  
I dream on making the world a conscious place. Hopefully, Vegan Bunny can make the impact in sparking the curiosity about natural alternatives to every day products on many bunnies. 

What do you appreciate the most about being an entrepreneur in the UK? 
The support! There is always an open ear ready to hear about your product on every market and social media network. So many bunnies out there making dreams come true.

Thank you so much for your story, Vegan Bunny! 

www.veganbunny.co.uk