ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Element Tree Essentials' scented candles made in western North Carolina are bringing more than just delightful smells to homes this holiday season.

Element Tree makes essential oils, solid perfumes and colognes and car diffusers, but lotion candles that double up as moisturizer remain their best seller. 

Kasey Jackson started her business in 2011 with these candles. Back then, she made them in her parents’ garage and sold the candles in markets before opening her first store in 2020. 

“It was started out as a hobby and it just took off,” Jackson said. 

Her business made it through the pandemic and more recently Hurricane Helene. 

“For the first three weeks, we ended up closing our store. Asheville was like a ghost town, definitely worried that we weren't going to make it through,” she said. 

Jackson said she lost $20,000 worth of inventory and furniture at her booth in the River Arts District, which was a hard-hit area in the city.

“We lost a lot, but I feel very fortunate to have not lost our warehouse or our store downtown,” Jackson said. “So many people at the Marquee lost paintings and things they'd worked on for months and months,” she said. 

The warehouse near Asheville is where employees pour all the candles. 

“We have a small group and they pour small batches,” Jackson said. 

They ship them to online customers and to their three stores in the Southeast and for wholesale around the country.

The store in Asheville is where many customers discover the lotion candles and some of them are delighted when they try them. 

As Jackson demonstrates, the wax is not hot and can safely be used as lotion right away. 

“You light the candle and you let it melt and let a wax pool form there, and then you can actually dip right in and use this as a moisturizer,” Jackson said. 

Jackson said she didn’t create the lotion candles, but she perfected them with clean ingredients.

“We add shea butter, coconut oil, grape seed, vitamin E to a cosmetic grade soy wax so it’s really nice to your skin,” she said. 

This holiday season, she said shoppers from around the U.S. have made the trip to Asheville to buy their products.

“A lot North Carolinians are coming to support Asheville businesses. And we've had record numbers the last two weekends, so that's been what a lifesaver,” Jackson said. 

She hopes this trend continues through the winter.

“This holiday season is everything. In Asheville, our busy season does not start back up until April,” Jackson said. “A lot of people are coming to support us, and hopefully that will continue through January, February and March.”  

Element Tree Essentials also has stores in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, and you can find the lotion candles in booths across the country and online.