Candle manufacturer for brands

Modern Candle is a family-run candle manufacturer in Sylmar, Los Angeles. Since 1978 we have produced more than 20,000 private label and contract projects for brands, from first-time founders to Shinola, Kohler and Urban Outfitters.

What we manufacture

Every product is made under your brand name at our facility at 12884 Bradley Ave in Sylmar, California.

• Container candles from 1/2 oz to 150 oz, including multi-wick candles, travel tins, votives and gift sets

• Private label incense sticks and cones, fragranced to match your candle line or developed as their own collection

• Reed diffusers from 1/2 oz to 32 oz, with rattan, fiber or colored reeds

• Room and linen sprays from 3 oz to 32 oz, in your candle fragrances so the collection matches

Three ways to work with us

Choose how much of the supply chain you want to own. We recommend a model after the first call.

Everything in house

• Custom fragrance development, or adaptation from our library of 200+ IFRA-compliant fragrances

• Soy, coconut, beeswax and paraffin waxes, plus proprietary blends

• Cotton, paper-core and wood wicks, matched to each vessel through burn testing

• Vessel sourcing, custom molds and in-house decoration: painting, spraying and silkscreening

• Packaging and label design, plus label printing and application, including UPC barcodes

• Lab burn testing of every new formula for melt pool, scent throw, soot and flame height

• Compliance support for ASTM F2058, F2179 and F2417, California Prop 65, and EN 15493 and EN 15426 for Europe and the UK, with SDS and IFRA documentation

• 3PL fulfillment, including drop shipping and direct-to-consumer orders, priced separately

Minimums, timelines and fees

• Minimum order: $5,000 per order, with no unit minimum per SKU

• New product lines: 15 to 30 weeks from first call to finished goods

• Reorders: typically ship 4 to 12 weeks after PO

• Fees: custom fragrance development $1,800, reverse-engineering an existing scent $450, sample tins $10

• Payment terms: a 50% deposit starts production, and 50% is due at pickup

• Holiday programs: place Q4 orders by July

Need a smaller run first? Our sister company, Aroma Crafters, makes white label candles from 54 pieces per SKU.

How a project works

1. Send us your concept, target retail price and estimated quantities through the contact form, or call 323-441-0104.

2. We schedule a call, recommend a production model and send a quote.

3. Our fragrance team develops your scent and samples for your approval.

4. We source and decorate components, print labels and prepare packaging.

5. Every new formula is burn-tested in our lab before production is approved.

6. Finished goods are released for pickup in Sylmar, or shipped through our 3PL service.

Why manufacture candles in Los Angeles

Making candles in the U.S. means faster lead times, no ocean freight delays, lower tariff exposure and hands-on quality control. Brand partners are welcome to tour our Sylmar facility by appointment and approve production in person.

Brands we've worked with

We have manufactured for Shinola, Kohler, Urban Outfitters, Boy Smells and Sarah Jessica Parker, and for brands sold at Sephora, Ulta, Credo, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and TJX.

Candle manufacturer FAQ

Start your candle line

Send us your product type, estimated quantities, target retail price and launch date. We typically reply within 1 to 2 business days.