Mental health is a huge issue impacting a tremendous percentage of people all over the world right now. Through this pandemic, with all the changes and isolation, worry and confusion, the struggle for many people with their mental health continues to grow. As a society, no matter where each of us is located, we can choose to learn from each other and be inspired by one another’s strength and success stories.
One such story is that of Madeline Jewett, owner and creator of The Scent Garden.
Before starting The Scent Garden, Madeline was struggling pretty hard with her mental health. She had experienced a lot of changes in a short period of time, and she just didn’t feel happy. These changes caused her mental health issues to flare up and created a lot of stress. She had changed her major, transferred schools, moved back home, and broken up with her boyfriend.
She loved working in healthcare but it didn’t feel like the place she was meant to be, and her goals were not lining up with who she believed herself to be. Tell me this isn’t hitting home for a lot of you?!? It sure is for me!
Madeline had been working towards a nursing major but was not enjoying it. The patient care was not calling her name but the paperwork was (funny, that is the exact opposite for a lot of us). She switched majors to public health and enjoyed it a bit more but it still didn’t feel quite right. The one thing she kept coming back to was a strong sense that she needed to make her own path instead of following one…and that is exactly what she did.
Mainly just searching for a new hobby, or something she could enjoy and use to relieve stress, she found that and so much more!
She began making candles for fun and ended up making so many that she had to start selling them to friends and family just to help get rid of them!
She had a friend who had taken a chemistry class where he made soap, and since she was already making candles, she thought making soap would be just as exciting.
Another friend told her that she did not like the smoke produced by candles, but she had an electric wax warmer that she loved. Because of that conversation, Madeline decided to begin making wax melts as well. From this, The Scent Garden was born.
We asked Madeline about her products and vision for her business:
“My products are handmade in small batches with love. I can only make 5 candles, 4 orders of wax melts, 6 bars of soap, or a single rose globe at a time (rose globes are my newest product which are still in development and not available yet). That takes a lot of time and energy from me which just goes to show I care about my products. I care about my customers. I have had multiple people message me requesting customized globes and while I’m not able to provide them right now due to them still being in development, I have told them to give me time to work and I will send out messages as soon as they are ready.
The main goal of my business is sustainability and philanthropy. While philanthropy is mainly reflected in my work after the product is made, sustainability is reflected throughout the whole process including my ingredients. I chose the ingredients and suppliers that I believed to be the most sustainable for the economy, environment, and society.
For my soap bars I use a shea butter base. I have very sensitive skin and eczema so I need something that provides moisture while also smelling good enough to eat. As far as fragrance oils, I like a variety but I only use the ones that are safe for skin in my soap. I conducted a lot of research before I decided which ingredients to use in my candles and wax melts. I decided both are best made with soy wax. However, I saw a lot concerns regarding the soybean industry, like deforestation and the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Before I buy my soy wax I try to do research on the company to make sure their message and methods fit mine too. I buy fragrance oils that are clean for the environment as well.
I have a job as a florist because I really love plants and flowers. I decided I wanted to incorporate that love into my business. I also love the look of flowers but they never last very long. I found a supplier who makes beautiful rose globes (basically snow globes with roses instead). I bought a few and they became my biggest seller, so I am trying out my own method of making the rose globes so that they are handmade by myself and more sustainable.
After looking at preserving roses I found a company called Verdissimo that sells beautifully preserved roses and other flowers, but I was looking for a way to make them unique and user friendly. I’m testing Verdissimo roses encased in a glass globe with distilled water and vegetable glycerin. Vegetable glycerin and distilled water have so far been the most successful way to preserve flowers for long periods of time. However, there are some drawbacks. Direct sunlight and extreme temperatures can shorten their lifespan.
I am most passionate about giving back to people, especially strangers. I say it a lot, I really want to help people.
My mental health caused me to rely heavily on a lot of different people in my times of need, so I want to do my part to help others. Even though I relied mostly on the people close to me, the actions of strangers made the biggest impacts when I needed them most.
When I buy personal products, I try to chose from small businesses that are budget friendly. That is the very thing I am now trying to provide others with. I know my products aren’t a necessity, they are a luxury. But I want everyone to feel like they are worth some luxury, without having to break the bank. This is exemplified in my rose globes. Nobody NEEDS a rose globe, but they are something special that can make you feel a bit better. The beauty of a long-lasting rose can show someone how much you care about them, or how much you care about yourself honestly.
I spent sooo much time thinking I wasn’t worth anything, and I don’t want anyone else to think like that. To everyone reading this article (and even the ones who aren’t), I want you all to know you are worth much more than a single rose globe. You are worth much more than a million rose globes! But for now, rose globes are the best I can offer to you with my own two hands.
Products form big box stores are mass produced by machines and the people making them don’t really care about them. I do what I do because I love it and I want to make the world of business more sustainable while providing everyday people with quality home goods. I only use eco and budget friendly ingredients and every month I donate 10% of my revenue to a local volunteer organization in order to give back. I’m sure there are plenty of other small businesses that care as much as I do, and I encourage people to support those businesses as much as they support me.
I currently do volunteer work for 3 organizations, and at the end of each month they are where I make my donations to.
While I might have been the one doing the volunteer work, these organizations put me on the path to where I am now, and I don’t know how to express how much they mean to me. My thought is, while I may not be able to express it, I can begin to show them by donating as much as I can afford.”
Madeline is still majoring in Public Health and also volunteering as an Emergency Medical Technician whenever she can, but she is so thankful to have found a new way to make herself even more happy. She is now helping people in multiple ways and feels like she is finally doing what she is meant to.
Here at Maturing Mama, we believe in women building up other women. We believe in woman owned businesses. We believe that we can learn from one another and inspire each other. We hope that you are encouraged by Madeline’s story today and excited to check out her products.
The Scent Garden: Real products for real people, by real people.
Use code “MAMA1” for a 10% discount.
If you are interested in a rose globe, email Madeline at jewettm@thescentgardenshop.com for preorders with the 10% discount included! Payments can be made through the website or Etsy shop.
