A KENDAL woman has launched a sustainable candle business and is donating some of the profits to a mental health charity.

Sophie Labat, 22, said the charity Mind helped her after two of her friends died by suicide, her grandad died and her mother became ill with cancer.

"My mental health took a bit of a battering from that," she said.

And she is ensuring her brand new candle business - named Shmood - supports those suffering with mental health difficulties by contributing 50p from every sale to Mind.

The idea for Shmood was born when Miss Labat returned from university during lockdown.

She felt 'unsettled' and began putting candles on to help instil some calm but, she says, they made her cough and feel dizzy.

Miss Labat, who makes the candles herself and has put £1,000 into the business to get it off the ground, said she began researching the materials used to make candles and was determined she would make sustainable products which were 'good for you and good for the planet'. The candles are made using soy wax, pure essential oils and non-bleached cotton wicks.

"They are 100 per cent natural. There are absolutely no nasty ingredients," she said.

Visit www.shmood.co.uk for more information.