I began making candles and soaps for my family 6 years ago after becoming more mindful of the ingredients commonly used in everyday products.

At Forestside Farm & Garden, we only use fragrance oils from Candle Science’s CleanScent+ in all our candles and soaps, and all other bath and body products to come. These fragrance oils are specially formulated to not use any currently known CMR (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic) chemicals, and are tested and reformulated regularly as new safety information becomes available.

This business was built from a commitment to creating thoughtful, high-quality products with carefully selected ingredients.

1. The process of converting lye & fats together is called saponification, and it is an intense chemical process on the molecular level. Without getting into a whole lot of chemistry, it boils down to: essential oils struggle to survive the chemical process of soap making.

   • Important side note: some fragrance oils also struggle to survive this process - they just, in general, survive better

2. Essential oils are often a great option in many applications. However, in products like candles where fragrance is exposed to high heat, some research suggests that certain essential oil components may degrade or form unwanted byproducts.

   • By using only Candle Science CleanScent+ fragrance oils, I have peace of mind that each scent has been formulated and tested to specifically give off no known CMRs

3. Lastly, essential oils can still be damaging to the environment and to local ecosystems.

These ideas highlight the concept that naturally derived is not a blanket statement for a product that is better in every way, in every situation.

At Forestside Farm & Garden, every ingredient is chosen with intention. We believe a candle should do more than scent a space — it should reflect care, craftmanship, and transparency from wax to wick.

We use a blend of soy and soy-coconut waxes because they are renewable, plant-based, and burn more cleanly than petroleum-derived paraffin. This creates a slower, more even burn with less soot, giving you a candle that lasts longer and feels better to use in your home.

Our 100% cotton wicks are lead-free and zinc-free, ensuring a steady, consistent flame without hidden metal cores. This supports a clean burn, reduces excess smoke, and helps the fragrance unfold smoothly from the first light to the last burn.

We choose to avoid paraffin wax because it is a byproduct of refining crude oil (the same source as gasoline and plastics). So while it’s widely used and approved for candles, it’s not renewable and doesn’t align with our values on environmental sustainability.

Every detail is selected to create a candle that feels simple, honest, and elevated—so what you bring into your home is something you can feel good about burning, again and again.

Every bar of soap, scented or unscented, uses the same base formula: RSPO Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, and Castor Oil. Different bars may included additives like oatmeal, sugar, salt, or charcoal to give each bar a unique property.

The scoop about RSPO Palm Oil:

The forest is not just a backdrop to our farm—it shapes every decision we make. I approach each ingredient with one core question: what is the environmental impact of this choice?

Palm oil has received significant attention due to deforestation and monocropping practices, particularly in regions like Indonesia and Malaysia, where large-scale production has impacted ecosystems and wildlife.

In response, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)was established to promote more responsible practices. RSPO certification helps ensure that palm oil is produced with stricter environmental standards, reduced deforestation, and fair labor practices.

A note on sustainability:

This was not a simple decision—and one I spent a long time considering.

Palm oil plays an important role in soapmaking:

• It creates a hard, long-lasting bar

• Helps soap perform well in wet, humid environments like the shower

• Contributes to a balanced, high-quality product

Without a hard oil like palm, soap bars tend to soften quickly, wear down faster, and require significantly longer cure times.

Palm oil is also a major component of my recipe, making up over 40% of each bar. Replacing it with alternatives like shea or cocoa butter would significantly increase production costs—nearly tripling the cost per bar.

As a small business, keeping high-quality, ingredient-mindful products accessible to the entire community matters deeply to me. Using responsibly sourced palm oil allows me to balance quality, sustainability, and affordability.

That said, I’m always open to feedback and may revisit this decision if there is strong interest in palm-free options

A note on sustainability

While palm oil often receives the most scrutiny, all agricultural ingredients —including shea and cocoa butter — come with environmental impacts.

One reason I choose RSPO-certified palm oil is because it is actively monitored and regulated for sustainability and ethical practices. This provides a level of transparency in sourcing that is not always available with alternative oils.

Item descriptionAt Forestside Farm, we believe in using ingredients that honor the land and make sense for a small, sustainable farm. Tallow has been used for generations as a nourishing skin protectant because its composition closely resembles the natural oils found in our own skin.

We choose responsibly sourced tallow as a foundational ingredient because it is deeply moisturizing, naturally rich in fat-soluble vitamins, and allows us to create simple, effective body care products using ingredients with purpose.

How our farm grows this story

We are in the process of preparing our land to raise a flock of sheep for meat, milk, and wool. Once we have achieved our goals and obtained our flock, we will be switching from beef to sheep tallow, making our tallow products just another farm of our farms story and self sustainability. Tallow will also then make an appearance in our soap lines as well.