There is a quiet shift happening in Canadian homes. We are paying closer attention to what we bring inside, what we breathe, and how our daily routines actually feel. The good news? Slowing down does not require a brand new self care plan. It often takes one good gesture, repeated.

Below, three small rituals worth folding into your week, with a Canadian-made brand we love that has built its whole philosophy around them.

A Family Story, Made in Montréal, Canada

SOJA&CO. began with a deeply personal need. Laurence Gaudreau-Pépin was looking for ways to bring more calm into her daily life, and she turned to candles. What she found instead was a market saturated with the same generic lavender and vanilla, in paraffin candles with that harsh chemical hit you catch the moment you crack open a new jar.

So she started making her own. Not the familiar scents that dominated the shelves, but compositions built like fine perfume, with top, heart and base notes. An architecture closer to an eau de parfum than to a typical candle.

The brand stayed family-led. In 2019, her brother Benjamin joined to take on the operations side. More recently, her partner Adrien came in as VP of operations. Behind them, a team of 25+ people, mostly women, who keep the studio running.

What started in small Quebec batches is now one of Canada’s most distinctive home fragrance brands, sold in more than 500 retailers across the country. In May 2025, after more than a year and a half of rigorous process, SOJA&CO. earned its B Corp certification. Not just another logo on the packaging, but a truth that guides every decision the company makes.

“We make things, here, for those who know the small gestures matter.

Gaudreau-Pépin, Founder“ Laurence

Ritual #1: Light a Candle to Mark the Pause

This is the gesture the brand was built on. The soy wax candles are hand-poured in small batches in reusable amber glass jars, every one phthalate-free, vegan, and developed with a French perfume house with more than 250 years of expertise. The fragrances are built like fine perfume, with top, heart and base notes that evolve as the candle burns.

Lighting one is a deliberate cue to slow down, whether for a quiet morning, a long bath, or an evening with a book. SOJA&CO. also releases a new fragrance collection four times a year, so your candle can follow the seasons. A few favourites worth knowing right now:

 

Pine + Cedar Bark, a forest-floor warmth that suits any season

Tangerine, Sandalwood & Amber, the vibrant zest of tangerine softened by creamy

sandalwood and amber

Eucalyptus + Grapefruit, fresh, bright and energizing

 

 

Shop SOJA&CO. candles on Well.ca

Ritual #2: Let a Reed Diffuser Anchor Your Space

If lighting a candle is the active pause, the reed diffuser is the passive one. Place it in your entryway, your bathroom, or your home office, and the fragrance does its work quietly for around 12 weeks. No flame to think about, no app, no maintenance. Just flip the reeds once in a while

to refresh the diffusion.

The brand’s three top-selling reed diffusers are a great place to start:

 

Pine + Cedar Bark, a calm, woody anchor for the entryway

Eucalyptus, Mint & Rosemary, the cool clarity of eucalyptus lifted by mint and herbal

rosemary

Lavender, Sandalwood & Vanilla, soft lavender warmed by sandalwood and vanilla,

perfect for the bedroom

 

 

Shop SOJA&CO. reed diffusers on Well.ca

Ritual #3: Carry Your Favourite Fragrance Through the Everyday

Here is something most home fragrance brands do not do. SOJA&CO. takes the same fragrance you love in your candle and reworks it for your linen water, your dish soap and your

all-purpose cleaner. Same olfactive signature, reformulated for each use.

The result is a kind of scent continuity through your day. A spritz of linen water on freshly washed sheets. Dish soap that turns the kitchen sink into a sensory moment. All-purpose cleaner that makes Saturday morning feel a little less like a chore. The everyday gestures we

already do, with a small upgrade.

Shop SOJA&CO. home essentials on Well.ca

Ritual #4: Make Hand Washing a Small Luxury

Hand soap rarely gets the love it deserves. Most of us treat it as the most utilitarian thing in the bathroom. SOJA&CO. takes a different approach. Their liquid hand soap is formulated to cleanse without stripping the skin, leaving hands soft, lightly fragranced, and a little bit cared for.

The texture is rich, the lather is generous, and the same fine-perfume signature you love in the candles carries through here. Match it to your favourite scent, or pick a different one for each sink:

 

Lavender, Sandalwood & Vanilla, soft and grounding for the primary bathroom

 

Tangerine, Sandalwood & Amber, uplifting and warm for the kitchen

 

Pine + Cedar Bark, woody and clean for the powder room

 

 

Shop SOJA&CO. liquid hand soaps on Well.ca

Why More Canadians Are Reaching for SOJA&CO.

Choosing local has become its own kind of self care. The brand checks the boxes thoughtful shoppers look for in 2026: made in Canada, B Corp certified, women-led, and free of phthalates, formaldehyde and benzene. Every product is hand-poured in Montréal, Canada in small batches, then sold through trusted retailers like Well.ca.

If you are leaning into Canadian-made wellness, you might also like our round-up of Canada’s Top Wellness Essentials for more brands worth discovering.

Over to You

What is the one small ritual that helps you slow down at home? A candle, a stretch, a quiet cup of tea? Share it in the comments. We love reading them.

Explore the full SOJA&CO. range on Well.ca