Atmo Home has built a mission-led brand around a refined hero product: clean, refillable candles that feel as elevated as they are safe and sustainable. I had the opportunity to speak with founder Margaret Trainor, and the intentionality behind the brand and product development came as no surprise.
Margaret lived in Germany for 10 years and was inspired by the culture of preservation. “There was an emphasis on caring for things that last over time, and that really inspired me in creating Atmo Home, with quality being a core pillar for us,” she explains. She studied abroad in college and moved back to Europe upon graduating to work in social change communications, later progressing to venture capital.
“In general, Europe has really good social infrastructure and has just created sustainable systems that everybody adheres to as a community,” Margaret says. She collaborated with TU Berlin’s Chemical Invention Factory on product development to launch Atmo Home aligned with green chemistry frameworks.
“We talk to our Chief Science Adviser about how we can actually make an idea happen. We get into the weeds on the chemistry to really understand how a product works, and then we look for opportunities to innovate and create a better product.”
Bringing the business to the US in 2024, Margaret has had to debunk many myths around clean candles. “A clean candle really comes down to perfect combustion. Similar to a car engine, if the combustion isn’t perfect, you’re going to get exhaust in a car or smoke and soot in a candle,” she explains, “We optimize for the interaction between the fragrance, wax blend, and wick to be as perfect as it can possibly be.”
They’re mindful of every ingredient, working with a certified toxicologist to develop safe, science-backed formulations that go beyond beeswax and essential oils. The stronger-fragranced candles include FDA-approved paraffin. “Paraffin has a bad reputation in the industry, but it’s a recycled byproduct,” Margaret notes.
“It’s important that we remember that a lot of the things that we experience today, people had good intentions when they were making them,” Margaret says, explaining that plastic was developed as an alternative to ivory, which had impacted the elephant population. “We just know more now, and we can do better now.”
“That’s why I’m so excited about the green chemistry frameworks. It brings together synthetic chemistry, which creates materials, and analytical chemistry, which measures impact. You bring these two together to start developing products that are environmentally benign by design.”
“I do think that as a brand, I can build better so that people can enjoy without needing to worry about the impact on the broader world,” she shares. She sees the beauty in consumerism and has enjoyed building the business in America, where there is a “joyfulness and excitement” in experiencing novelty and sharing it with one another.
Margaret continues to take “small, consistent steps over time” to improve sustainability within the business, conducting internal research on new materials and trials on new types of feedstocks. “I’m an impatient person, so this is hard for me, but we focus on incremental progress over time,” she says.
Atmo Home will soon launch an updated website that allows customers to dive deeper into product science and sustainability, and aims to host more in-person events this year. “I really believe in pouring into the people who see something in you as a community,” she says, “and for us, our influencers are our community, so we’re going to treat them like they’re an influencer.”
“I think when you lead with the impact that you want to have in the world, everything else will fall into place. You will find your people, and they’ll really respond to that authenticity.”
Not overly rigid about routine, Margaret balances time at the gym and sauna with therapy and journaling, cooking at home, and going out with friends. “Most of my life is the preparation that I put into it,” she says, “I just try to give myself what I feel like I need.”
Behind the scenes, the Atmo Home team continues to work hard, launching two new products this year: an introduction into air care and another to expand on their candle collection. They’re also working on a fragrance collaboration that is “pushing the boundaries” in product ideation. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You have to get really comfortable with the mentality that you will never be done,” Margaret shares.
Shop Atmo Home when you’re ready for your next candle, and use Stéibel20 for 20% off your purchase! I love the lightness of the Atmosphäre fragrance for spring, and also highlighted the bestselling Santal fragrance in Worth the Shelf Space. You’ll be blown away by the quality!