‘Blossom and grow’: St. George mom starts hand-poured candle business inspired by her twin girls

ST. GEORGE —When the mother of twin girls started making candles as an outlet for herself, she had no idea it would lead to this.

Tracy Yanchunis, the owner of R&R Mystery Candles, sits with her candle line at her home in St. George, Utah, May 17, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Tracy Yanchunis, the owner of R&R Mystery Candles, sits with her candle line at her home in St. George, Utah, May 17, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Tracy Yanchunis, the owner and maker behind R&R Mystery Candles, said it all started when she moved to St. George with her husband and twin daughters. With many moves behind them, she felt down about starting over again in a place with no friends and family. 

“It was hard for me to get a job because my one daughter is severely autistic,” Yanchunis said. “So she’s really, really low functioning. The girls would go to school, and you can only do so much cooking and cleaning. I was kind of losing myself a little.”

Her husband encouraged her to find a hobby she enjoyed and gave her a wax candle-making kit to try. Learning by the process of trial and error, she set out to create unique, hand-poured candles not found anywhere else. Making her own scents with essential oils, she added her own unique twist by drying live bouquets of flowers and adding them to the candle wax.

When she decided to put her first booth up at the downtown farmers market, it changed everything.

“I absolutely love the farmers market,” she said. “It’s definitely got my business to blossom and grow.”

R&R Mystery Candles sit on a table with a mystery surprise, St. George, Utah, May 17, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
R&R Mystery Candles sit on a table with a mystery surprise, St. George, Utah, May 17, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

The business name – R & R Mystery Candles – is named after Yanchunis’s twin girls: Rosy and Roxy. The company logo also represents the twins, with two roses connected together. Each candle comes with a mystery prize that can be anything from a bracelet to a cellphone ring. The “Mystery” part of the name represents the time she found out she was having twins —  something she never imagined would happen. 

R&R Mystery Candles are 100% soy candles made with essential oils and cotton wicks. With scents like Sunshine Clementine and Blonde Coconut, she’s had many repeat customers that keep coming back for more.

It’s been almost two years since she launched her candle business full-time, and Yanchunis said it’s allowed her to be there for her now 10-year-old twins while also creating something for herself.

“It’s been amazing,” she said about owning her own business. “It’s given me the opportunity to be able to grow and make money and learn. And you learn as you go. Just taking feedback and not being defensive, just growing – it’s so beautiful.”

Yanchunis said she’s thankful for the sense of purpose her business has given her outside motherhood and for her husband’s unconditional support. As for future goals, she hopes to get her candles inside more local stores this year.

Purchase R&R Mystery Candles in person at the downtown farmers market on Saturdays or inside the MoFACo shop. Purchase online via their website, or follow them on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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