Kyrra—a name derived from the Norse word for “calm”—is a premium sustainable home fragrance brand, founded in County Durham, England, blending timeless craftsmanship with modern ethics to create scents that soothe the senses while safeguarding the planet. Kyrra’s ethos is rooted in the belief that fragrance should seek to tell a story, spark a connection, and honour the natural world it’s inspired by. Every scent name draws on Norse language, reflecting both the founders’ North East heritage and a time when people’s lives were intimately intertwined with the rhythms of the earth.
Kyrra’s ethos is rooted in the belief that fragrance should seek to tell a story, spark a connection, and honour the natural world it’s inspired by. Every scent name draws on Norse language, reflecting both the founders’ North East heritage and a time when people’s lives were intimately intertwined with the rhythms of the earth.
A Thoughtful Approach to Craftsmanship
Every Kyrra fragrance is artisan-blended using sustainable, ethically sourced essential oils, each formulation entirely unique to the brand. Their candles are crafted without soy or paraffin wax, instead using a premium natural blend featuring British rapeseed oil and certified organic coconut. The oils are extracted through the most environmentally responsible methods available, ensuring that the process protects both people and the planet.
But Kyrra’s sustainability promise goes far beyond ingredients. Every element, from vessel to box, is carefully considered for its entire lifecycle: origin, manufacturing process, and eventual reuse, recycling, or composting. The full-sized (220g) and mini (80g) candles are fully refillable, while packaging is designed from recycled materials and 100% recyclable or compostable components. Sourcing also carries a social mission. Kyrra often partners with small, tribal producers to obtain certified sustainably wild-harvested essential oils, helping to provide livelihoods while preserving delicate ecosystems. In addition, the brand donates 10% of profits to environmental preservation charities, reinforcing its commitment to giving back to both nature and community.
THE CORE RANGE
Kyrra’s core collection celebrates the diversity and serenity of nature across continents. Each scent is inspired by a distinct landscape or sensory experience:
Heila – a meditative, tranquil fragrance inspired by Kyoto’s hot springs.
Kjarr – lush and vibrant, reminiscent of an Indonesian rainforest.
Glasir – a refreshing fusion of Mediterranean herbs and citrus.
Reykr – smoky and earthy, like a Finnish campfire under the stars.
Wassail – a sophisticated twist on festive spice, warm and comforting.
Each candle is housed in elegant, recyclable Italian glass vessels, designed to be reused and refilled. With recommended retail prices of £42 (220g) and £20 (80g), Kyrra’s core range brings luxury and integrity into perfect balance.
THE ORGANIC COLLECTION
A standout within the brand’s offering, Freyr—named after the Norse god of prosperity and harvest—marks Kyrra’s first 100% certified organic fragrance. This grounding scent combines Angolan basil, eucalyptus, red mandarin, and Atlas cedar. Each ingredient tells its own story of sustainability: the basil and eucalyptus are wild-harvested in southern Angola, supporting local economic development, while the cedar is derived from sustainable forestry waste, ensuring no trees are felled for oil production. The candle’s wax blend includes certified organic beeswax, coconut, palm, and carnauba, with the palm oil traced back to a historic plantation that predates modern deforestation concerns.
The vessel, made in France in a zero-waste factory, is both refillable and recyclable; while the packaging is a masterclass in circular design: a compostable mycelium and straw cradle paired with a card wrap made from recycled paper and embedded British wildflower seeds. Once the candle has been unboxed, the wrap can be planted to grow a pollinator-friendly mini meadow—an act that quite literally breathes new life into the planet. Even the glue is biodegradable, demonstrating Kyrra’s unwavering attention to detail. Priced at £55 for 220g, Freyr is a statement of both beauty and purpose. For those seeking something more portable, the Freyr Organic Travel Candle offers innovation on the go. Housed in UV-resistant glass with a custom laser-engraved lid designed to prevent spills in transit, it’s as practical as it is elegant. Like the larger version, it comes with recyclable materials and a plantable seed-paper wrap—priced at £35 for 95g.
Below, we sit down with Ben, Kyrra’s founder, to discuss how his North East roots, environmental values, and fascination with Norse mythology shaped the creation of one of the UK’s most thoughtful home fragrance brands.
1. Kyrra’s ethos is rooted in reconnecting people with the natural world — through scent, storytelling, and sustainability. Can you tell us about a moment or experience in nature that first sparked your passion for creating fragrances with such deep environmental integrity?
I’ve always loved being out in nature, whether in the countryside close to home or travelling across the world. I’ve also had a passion for sustainability and communities in the developing world since childhood. I started Kyrra when I broke my leg in a skiing accident and ended up confined pretty much to the four walls of my bedroom for a couple of months. I’d buy fragranced candles to try and fill the room with fragrance and transport my mind to memories of being in nature and traveling, but I was often disappointed with the scents- even from high end brands. I also became acutely aware that there seemed to be quite a lot of waste involved with most candles and packaging, and details on the ingredients was scarce or nonexistent. After a lot of research and experimentation I learned to formulate fragrances from entirely natural ingredients and create candles that really helped transport my mind to adventures in nature- a campfire in Finland, walking in the Italian Alps, a village at the edge of an Arabian desert etc. I wanted to feel like I was in those places but also somehow contributing to their preservation. And so Kyrra was born.
2. Each fragrance name has Norse origins, tying back to your North East heritage and a simpler way of life. How does this blend of mythology and modern sustainability shape the creative process behind your scents?
We all have such busy lives and most of us don’t get to go out and enjoy nature as much as we’d like- although we all recognise that relaxation and connecting mindfully with our planet is more important than ever. I chose Norse names as they hark back to a time when people lived in harmony with the natural world and were able to appreciate and work with it every day, rather than the much more exploitative relationship humans have with our surroundings in modern times. The scents are developed by thinking of a place or adventure I want to recreate. I work only with steam distilled or cold pressed essential oils- nothing synthetic or chemically extracted so there’s a really natural and pure quality that you don’t get with a lot of fragranced candles. Once I’m happy with the formulation I’ll test it and will think of some words that express what it represents or how it makes me feel. For example, we have “Heila” which is Norse for calm or healing and “Reykr” which is Norse for smoke. Heila is a really relaxing fragrance that’s great for meditation and inspired by Kyoto hot springs; whereas Reykr is inspired by a campfire in the forest and is quite a primal, earthy scent. I always find it’s very difficult to know what something smells like from a description online so we try and include a location inspiration and a general one word description, along with the fragrance notes to help your mind imagine how our fragrances make you feel. We also provide sample scent card packs so you can experience them yourself prior to deciding on a candle.
3. Kyrra takes sustainability to a remarkable level — from refillable glass vessels to seed-paper packaging. How do you balance innovation and ethics with the realities of running a small artisan business in a competitive market?
It’s a great question. There are thousands of candle brands out there and plenty claiming to be luxurious, ethical or sustainable (with various degrees of veracity). I am absolutely obsessed with attention to detail- form sourcing sustainably wild harvested essential oils from small tribal producers to using biodegradable glue dots in our candles. It’s certainly not the most commercial or mass-market approach but I think there are very few companies paying the same level of attention to sustainability in every single aspect of their product. I’m constantly looking for ways to improve and make them even better. Being small and having complete control over every aspect of production means that we have the flexibility to introduce these improvements rapidly. For example, we’ve just been able to upgrade the wax in all of our core range candles to a new blend that is made with British rapeseed oil and organic coconut, and are incorporating even more sustainably wild harvested essential oils across our range. We also make a lot of our own packaging, so we have control right down to the choice of paper mill we use. Most contract manufacturers used by larger companies won’t be able to offer products at that level of customisation so you can only get this with a small artisan producer. Integrity and transparency are really important to me. I think if you build a brand with integrity and a unique offering then people will come. I want people to look at Kyrra knowing that we’ve put in our homework when it comes to sustainability and that they can light one of our candles and relax knowing that they’ve made the best choice possible when it comes to people and planet.
Made with Integrity in County Durham
Every Kyrra product is handcrafted in County Durham using 100% renewable energy. This local production not only supports the regional economy but ensures complete transparency from creation to customer. In a crowded market of “natural” brands, Kyrra distinguishes itself with genuine sustainability, ethical depth, and scents that tell stories grounded in authenticity. As Kyrra continues to grow, its mission remains the same: to bring calm to homes and harmony to the planet—one candle at a time.
You can shop Kyrra here.