“Sometimes, all it takes to start a fire, is the simplest act of kindness, a gesture—just a tiny bit of love,” shares Charles van Valkenburg,  founder of Apiscera. Kids rarely grow up dreaming of becoming an artisan cirier, or “beeswax chandler,” neither did Charles, although arts and crafts have always fascinated him. “One must reconcile with the realities of existence, and for over a decade, working behind a desk as a web designer had become my share in life, my daily routine. But fate had it otherwise.”

“A few years ago, I purchased a bundle of natural beeswax candles from a local beekeeper as a gift for some friends. Although the wrapping left much to be desired, the wax sticks were quaint and graceful. So much that I decided—unbeknownst to my friends—to keep one for myself. And then one day, it hit me: With a little practice, I bet I could make something like that. My creative spark had been ignited. From that day on, my ambition has never wavered.”

Charles adds,”Working with nature’s gold was challenging but extremely fulfilling, and the result, equally rewarding. I had found my calling. In due time, I traded my mouse and my keyboard for a few tools, some molds and a workshop in beautiful Southern France. Apis Cera (bee wax in Latin) was born.  Over the past few years, Apis Cera has developed an exciting variety of exclusive hand-made creations: Signature honeycomb candles, embossed pillars handcrafted à l’ancienne, and traditional tapers are all made from natural beeswax—a scarce hence costly material. No chemicals, no additives nor coloring are used in the process. And our non-smoking candles’ wicks are made from 100% pure cotton.”

Apis Cera also offers skin care products, such as soaps and lip balms made from organic ingredients, primarily found in the region of Provence (lavender, extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, essential oils of lavandin), around the Mediterranean, and further out (argan oil, shea butter, ylang-ylang, etc.).