My candle making story began …
My candle making journey started more than 20 years ago in Bangkok, Thailand, where I spent many years of my life and discovered my love for candles. There was a candle shop close to my home, and the amazing scent in the air felt almost magical. The fragrance reminded me of an ancient temple and brought a sense of calm, even with the busy life outside.
I was fascinated by the different shapes, styles and scents of the candles, and I dreamed of having my own candle shop one day. I bought many candles from that shop, and I still keep some of them in my small teakwood candle cabinet. Even after all these years, their scent brings me back to that special place where my love for candles began.
I grew up on an island in the Philippines, surrounded by the smell of the sea, tropical warmth, beautiful sunsets, white beaches, coconut trees and the flavours of island life. My childhood was not always easy, but those places, scents and sensations stayed with me. Today, some of them find their way into my creations.
Years later, Switzerland became my home. In 2022, while undergoing cancer treatments, I found my way back to the dream I had carried with me since Bangkok and started creating my own candles. During this challenging time, candle making became a way for me to express myself, find moments of joy, and transform memories, places and emotions into fragrance.
I trained in candle making in Switzerland and studied perfume making in Grasse, France, where I discovered more deeply the fascinating world of fragrance and the art of scent composition.
With the support of my husband, I started making candles by hand in our basement, which gradually became my workshop. I named the brand Home Swiss Home because Switzerland is the place I now call home, a place of comfort, beauty and new beginnings.
My son designed the Home Swiss Home logo, incorporating the mountains that reflect my love for Switzerland. He also created the labels and packaging bands, with unique illustrations that help tell the story behind each fragrance.
Every scent has a story
At Home Swiss Home, I create candles using plant based soy wax and carefully selected fragrances that are free from phthalates and CMR substances.
My collections are inspired by different chapters of my life: memories of the Philippines and Thailand, places and emotions that have stayed with me, and the landscapes, traditions and scents of Switzerland.
For me, fragrance has an extraordinary ability to connect us with places, people and memories. A candle can create an atmosphere, take us somewhere else for a moment, or simply make home feel more special.
Through Home Swiss Home, I’m sharing a little piece of my journey with you, one fragrance at a time.
Every scent has a story. Discover yours.
Wendra Mae Mari Berger
Founder & Candle Maker
Home Swiss Home
Notes:
*Phthalates are chemicals that make plastics soft and flexible. When candles burn, phthalates can be released into the air, where they can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. If they enter the bloodstream, they may worsen allergic symptoms, asthma, and disrupt hormone levels.
*CMR stands for Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, and Reprotoxic, which describes a group of particularly harmful chemicals that can negatively affect human health if inhaled.