A Dallas business owner’s Mexican-inspired candles have become a viral TikTok sensation

DALLAS — As the garage doors opened and the light shined through a new warehouse in Mesquite, Grecia Alfaro smiled ear to ear. In September, roughly two years after starting a candle business in her 700sq. ft.

apartment, Alfaro expanded her business from her home to a warehouse. “It’s exciting, hectic,” Alfaro said. More than 2,000 candles fill shelves inside of the warehouse, and the Dallas business owner is already running out of space.

Every month, a newly-announced candle drop sells thousands of candles within a matter of minutes. It’s evidence that her candle business, Luz y Tierra , has taken off like a rocket ship. “I only could ever dream of it, you know?” Alfaro said.

The first-generation Latina, who is a native of Texas, dreamed up the idea after her feeling a lack of passion in her previous full-time job. Her partner, Marco Duran, suggested learning to make candles. That’s how Luz y Tierra, a Mexican-American candle company, took off.

Her scents are unique, and she sources her vessels from ‘Artesanos,’ or artisans in Mexico. The candles have become a viral TikTok sensation. She shares engaging videos of her brightly-colored “tacitas,” or teacup candles.

Her most popular scent, the “Café de Olla,” comes in a Cazuelita de barro, which is a popular Mexican pottery dish. “It embraces the beauty of Mexico, and it’s unique,” Grecia said. “When someone sees it, they automatically feel connected.

” Every Mexican-inspired candle is a celebration of Mexican culture. The success of her business still feels surreal for Alfaro, the daughter of immigrant parents who always pushed her towards success in her career. “We grew up very humble,” Alfaro said.

“But she’s just gone for it,” Duran said. Every month, thousands of people sign up on her pre-order list. In order to keep up with such high demand, Alfaro and Duran are dedicated to the business full-time.

“The moment that we sell out, it’s always super exciting and we can’t believe that so many people love our products,” Alfaro said. “Just following my instinct and my intuition, my heart, really is what brought me here. ” Her business venture reconnected her to her Mexican roots.

Alfaro visited Mexico during her childhood but lost touch with her culture as a young adult. “Growing up as a Mexican-American first-gen, you’re growing up in the U. S.

And you can get lost in the assimilation of things, and I think that being able to bring a product that connects people to their roots and their culture just means everything to us,” Alfaro said. Now, her journey has led her to different regions across Mexico, where she meets face-to-face with the artisans who hand-make her vessels in her parent’s homeland. Through Luz y Tierra, which hand-pours candles in North Texas, she’s supporting artisans in Mexico, including Puebla, Ciudad Mexico, Guanajuato, and Oaxaca.

“People love it, cause they truly feel like they’re grabbing a piece from their homeland,” Alfaro said. Now, Mexico is never too far for the young business entrepreneur who is rediscovering her ‘Latinidad’ by sharing her light and creativity with others. .