New Vendor Feature: Gratien Jamail of Ella’s Apothecary

“Relaxing ambiance, amazing smells, what’s not to like?” says Gratien Jamail, creator of Ella’s Apothecary, as he reflects on his lifelong appreciation of candles. “I am not sure why I gravitated towards candles first [in my business], except that it looked like fun and I have always loved candles. Even as a teen, I would have them burning all the time.”

Gratien Jamail of Ella’s Apothecary with one of his handmade concrete planters that doubles as a candle holder. Photo courtesy of @ellas_apothecary on Instagram.

In adulthood, Jamail began to experiment with different art forms, eventually leading him to candlemaking after his beloved dog went to the big farm in the sky. After the pandemic hit and Jamail could no longer work as a live event DJ, he decided to see if turning his newfound love of candlemaking into a business was a possibility.

“I started making candles when my sweet Ella—my dog and companion of 19 years—passed away in 2019,” Jamail says. “I found it peaceful even though it’s a challenging craft to perfect. ...I named [the business] after Ella, and I just went for it.”

Although this is a relatively new endeavor, Jamail has always admired the art world.

“Art and I go way way back,” Jamail says. “My mother is very gifted at crafts and decorating. She has a real eye for it. I learned quite a bit from watching her, but most of my relationship with art, up until now, had been through music. As time went on, I found that I enjoyed woodworking and other skill related crafts as well, so I just kept expanding my hobbies.”

At first, friends and family were Jamail’s main source of business. However, his customer base quickly began to expand, and soon people began asking if he made other products, too, like body scrubs and soaps. Insatiably curious, Jamail thought to himself, “Why not?” He adds that not every new product idea sticks, but he loves expanding on the ones that do and digging into the research to make each product as high-quality as possible.

“I started with just candles,” Jamail says, “but now I make so many different products, including concrete vessels to pour the candles into. Upcycled and reusable are two of my main goals. Vegan, organic and ethically/sustainably sourced are my others. All of my products are handmade by me out of all natural ingredients.”

What began as a hobby to cope with the loss of Ella has continued to be a therapeutic process for Jamail.

“Production can take all day and night and every day of the week,” Jamail says. “It’s truly never ending, but it’s my favorite part of the business. It’s where I feel the most relaxed and able to unwind. That sounds funny because it’s also hard work, but it’s true. It’s something about the process and setting my intentions for each product. It’s peaceful and calming.”

Not only does Jamail hand make each product, he truly believes in them.

Part of Jamail’s display at ArtUs Co. Photo by Kaiti Neuman.

“I make sure anything I put out into the world is excellent quality,” Jamail explains. “My partner and I use my products daily and we both love it. ...I also really believe my lotion is the best out there. I use it every day. I have always suffered from dry skin and this stuff is a blessing.”

Ella’s Apothecary is absolutely a passion project very dear to Jamail’s heart, but he understands the importance of finding a healthy balance. He is still learning how to best juggle Ella’s Apothecary, his other two careers of massage therapy and being a wedding DJ, and quality time with his partner.

Part of Jamail’s display at ArtUs Co. Photo by Kaiti Neuman.

“We like to go to the little nearby towns and windowshop, drink wine, walk around, sit by a fire, connect with each other, have some fun and relax,” Jamail says. “We both work really hard so we look forward to little getaways. When we can’t do that, the porch will do just fine.”

And in the future? Jamail is playing it by ear.

The Ella’s Apothecary display at ArtUs Co, all ready for spooky season. Photo by Kaiti Neuman.

“I am still finding a healthy balance, so I don’t want to expand too big just yet,” he explains. “ I have some ideas I’m not ready to share yet. Those will take some time to put into action. For now, my focus is on keeping the highest quality in all I do and maintaining an overall healthy life balance.”

We could not be more excited to welcome Ella’s Apothecary to our store! Thank you for being a part of the team, Gratien!

Written by Kaiti Neuman.

One of Ella’s Apothecary’s wooden-wick candles in a holder made by Jamail. Photo by Kaiti Neuman.

A bat friend guarding the bath potions and concrete soap dishes on Ella’s Apothecary’s display at ArtUs Co. Photo by Kaiti Neuman.