People ask us for "a candle that smells like rain" more than almost anything else. What they usually mean is the smell right after a storm hits dry ground, and that smell has a name: petrichor.
What petrichor is
Two Australian scientists, Isabel Joy Bear and Richard Thomas, named it in 1964. They put together two Greek words: petra, stone, and ichor, the fluid that ran in the veins of the gods.
Part of the smell comes from oils that plants give off during dry weather, which collect on rocks and soil. The earthy part is geosmin, a compound made by bacteria that live in the soil. People can pick up geosmin at very low levels, which is why one summer shower can fill a whole street with it. When rain lands on dry ground, it knocks all of that into the air.
What's in our Petrichor candle
We built Petrichor to smell like that first rain on warm, dry earth: damp soil, green moss, a little cucumber for the fresh, wet air, and a touch of patchouli underneath. It's been our best seller for years. You can see every size, the wax melts and the gift sets together on our Petrichor candle page.
- 9 oz amber jar: soy wax, cotton wick, 40+ hour burn
- 20 oz three-wick: 100+ hour burn
- Wax melts for a warmer
It's the same candle, at the same price, as the Petrichor in our Etsy shop.
If you like rain, try these next
- California Redwoods: a coastal hike under very tall, damp trees.
- Campfire Stories: woody embers, for after the rain stops.
- The Great Outdoors Trio puts all three in one box, and the Rainy Day Gift Set pairs Petrichor with melts.
Getting the best burn
The first time you light it, let it burn until the melted wax reaches the edge of the jar, usually two to three hours. Trim the wick to about a quarter inch before each burn, and don't burn it for more than four hours at a time.