OUR STORY

Welcome to Max Benjamin, a family owned, candle-making studio situated in the Wicklow mountains surrounded by rambling scented hedgerows and breathtaking scenery.

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Our Belgian father and Irish mother moved to this remote and beautiful part of Ireland back in the 70’s, bringing with them a classic Flemish aesthetic. As children, growing up in the wilds of Glencree Valley, this love of design and adventure was passed on to us. Having arrived back from New York in 1996, founder Orla Van den Bergh, started the candle-making business.

 

Renamed Max Benjamin after her twin boys, Max and Ben, our founding philosophy — to uplift everyday lives through the power of evocative scent — is as true today as it was back then. We are now one of Ireland's leading makers of handmade home fragrance products globally.

Using only 100% natural wax, our scents are inspired by both our travels around the world and by the natural habitat on our doorstep, helping you relax and unwind.

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Sustainability

Our natural environment is a priceless part of our heritage and daily inspiration. A healthy natural environment is vitally important for all eco-systems and it is our responsibility to protect it and while we are not perfect yet, being as sustainable as we possibly can is an essential element to our business and is of huge importance to our customers.

We use natural soy wax in our candles as it is more environmentally friendly and produces a cleaner burn than paraffin wax. Our wicks are made from lead free Italian cotton and our wooden diffuser reeds are sustainably sourced. Our hand soaps are triple milled with olive and coconut oil and are palm free with 97% natural ingredients. Our organic liquid hand soap and essential oils are all 100% natural vegan and cruelty free, as with all of our products. 

Our candle, diffuser, essential oils and forever soap vessels are glass and fully recyclable and we have refill options available across most of our ranges to help customers reuse these so they can be as environmentally friendly as possible.

Our packaging is kept to a minimum and is fully recyclable in keeping with our efforts to be as sustainable as we possibly can.