What inspired the creation of your company, and when did it start?

We founded Aesthetic Content in 2012, from roots in product design and interior design. We started the company with the intention of providing modern home decor that is clean-lined, accessible, sustainably-made & creating home fragrances that are made from pure, cosmetic-grade ingredients and free of dyes, pesticides and allergens.

What is your brand’s mission, and what causes drive you and your team?

With our clean-lined perspective, we strive to use clean materials in our production processes, making things that are long-lasting and don’t need to enter a waste stream.

How is your brand socially responsible?

We source sustainable materials for our decor line, using things like renewable cork from FSC-approved sources or recycled polyester from post-consumer and post-industrial sources. For our candle, we only use materials that contain no dyes, sulfates, parabens and pesticides and do extensive product testing to ensure that the formulations burn cleanly and release a rich fragrance without releasing soot or smoke into the home.

What does your brand do to lower its ecological impact and/or promote environmental health and well-being?

We reuse and recycle all materials that come into our facilities and only source reusable and recyclable materials that go out in our products and packaging.

Does your company perform animal testing and/or use animal-based ingredients in your products? Why or why not?

We do not use any animal-based ingredients or perform animal testing. We believe in using renewable resources in our products and do everything possible to ensure they are safe for both human and animals.

Where does your company make/manufacture your products, and why?

We primarily manufacture in the USA, which supports our domestic economy, cuts down on non-renewable energy used to ship in products, and allows us to have inventory that is freshly made. We do some limited importing of components that can’t be sourced locally but have been shifting to US-based manufacturing for many items that were formerly made overseas.

Describe your design philosophy – how do you balance quality and affordability?

As an industrial designer by training, I’ve never understood the notion that ‘good design’ has to be expensive, which is traditionally the case for many types of items from apparel to electronics to cars. If you infuse a design with the ability to be manufactured and assembled easily, then the price can (and should be) affordable while maintaining a high level of quality.

Tell us a little about the ingredients/materials you use. Generally, why did you pick them over other options?

We select our materials carefully from the conception of a project. For example, in our candles, we use a blend of soy wax, essential oils and fine perfume ingredients. These are all selected using a criteria based first on performance, second on quality, then factoring in eco-friendliness, origin, cost, and several other vendor and manufacturing-based measures. If we can’t get a product right from the materials upward, we don’t launch it.

What are the next steps for your company?

We continue to slowly expand our lines, adding new categories and extending categories that are working. We would love to expand into a lifestyle brand that covers any home decorating category like furniture, lighting, wall and floor decor.

How do you view the future of conscious consumption?

I believe that conscious consumption is a growing concept, but takes a lot of consumer education to take hold. In our society in the US, we are used to disposable and ‘fast’ everything, most people choosing to ignore the impact that their choices make on the environment, their well-being, and the future. As big brands like Tesla become more popular and accessible, I believe that there will be a surge of organic education that comes from people buying and using conscious products. However, the general apathy will not change until disposable items become too expensive or the materials become too valuable to be disposed.

As a parting sentiment, if you could only use one word to describe your brand ethos – what would it be?

Flourish