Frequently Asked Questions

Ethnology is the study of cultures and the things they make. The brand takes its name from the founder's granduncle, an ethnomusicologist and linguist who travelled the world collecting music, language and the small handcrafted artefacts of the cultures he visited. The founder grew up wandering his Nairobi home surrounded by those pieces, and the brand began there — as a way to honour the same impulse, one Kenyan place and one Kenyan craft at a time. Read the full story on our Roots of Wanderlust page.

Every Ethnology piece is made in Kenya. We work with farmers and artisans across the country — traditional beekeepers in Baringo, brass artists and Kitenge tailors in Nairobi, mango farmers in the eastern lowlands, and tea and coffee growers in Kericho, Nyeri and beyond.

Yes. Every Ethnology candle is hand-poured in our Nairobi studio with 100% pure Kenyan beeswax sourced from smallholder apiaries in arid regions, a pure cotton wick, and a natural essential-oil blend scented to a specific Kenyan place — Amboseli, Lamu, Watamu, Diani, the Mara, Rift Valley, Mombasa. We do not use synthetic fragrance oils. Beeswax has the highest melting point and the cleanest burn of any candle wax; each candle burns approximately 40 hours.

Yes. Every roll-on Kenyan body oil and every cold-process scented shea butter body soap is palm-oil-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, silicone-free, and free of synthetic fragrance and mineral oil. The base for soaps is a layered blend of cold-pressed coconut oil, sunflower and castor oils, with whipped Kenyan shea butter. The line is built for the clean-wellness buyer in the UK, US, EU and beyond, where ingredient transparency is increasingly cultural.

Our apple-mango jam is made with 100% natural ingredients and is low-sugar — slow-cooked in small batches in Nairobi with Kenyan apple-mango fruit, a touch of natural sweetener, and no preservatives or artificial colouring. Our fruit snacks contain no added sugar at all — only the natural sweetness of the Kenyan tropical fruit, sun-dried and hand-packed. Both lines were built for the clean-pantry buyer who wants something giftable and genuinely indulgent without the ingredient deck of a typical supermarket jam or snack pouch.

Sustainability is built into how we source, what we package in, and how each piece lives after the candle burns out.

Sourcing for climate resilience. We partner with Kenyan beekeepers and Kenyan apple-mango farmers on climate-resilient practices — log-hive beekeeping that protects wild colonies through erratic dry seasons, and diversified mango farming that helps growers buffer their income against unpredictable rainfall. Every farmer we work with is paid above the Kenyan processor average, so the people who make Ethnology can plan beyond a single harvest.

Packaging that lives twice. The brass and glass we use are recycled. Our beeswax candle vessels and brass lids are designed to be re-used once the candle is finished — as small ornaments, planters, vases, or storage on a dressing table. Our tea bags are biodegradable.

A small-batch operating principle. We make only what we know we can sell, in editions small enough that nothing becomes deadstock. That keeps the work meaningful and the waste low.

Yes — we ship worldwide from Nairobi by DHL Express. International orders typically arrive in 5–7 business days, including to the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on weight and destination. Inside Kenya, we offer complimentary hotel delivery in Nairobi within 2–3 days — convenient for safari travellers who would like a gift waiting in their room. All orders are tracked end-to-end and we email tracking links when the parcel leaves our studio.

We put genuine care into every piece we make, and we hope you love what you receive. If something isn't right, here is how we handle it.

Consumable products (pantry, body and bath). Because our consumables are made in small batches and handled for your safety, we cannot accept returns or exchanges on opened items — all consumable sales are final once the order is received. If a consumable arrives damaged or with a compromised seal, please reach out via our Contact Us page within 48 hours of delivery with photographs and we will make it right.

Non-consumable products (accessories and non-perishables). We accept exchanges on unused, unopened items in their original packaging within 7 days of delivery. We offer exchanges or store credit, not refunds. Return shipping is at the customer's expense.

International orders. All international sales are final. We are a small-batch brand and cannot currently support the logistics of cross-border returns. We warmly invite international customers to reach out before purchasing with any questions — we'll help you choose well.

If something we made falls short of our standard, we want to know. Visit our Contact Us page and we'll take care of you.

Yes. Our concierge gifting team curates bespoke Kenyan luxury gift sets for corporate gifting programmes, wedding favors, bridal-party gifts and hotel amenity programmes — with custom-printed enclosure cards. Lead times are 10–14 days for stock items and 4–6 weeks for fully custom branded sets. Reach out via our Contact Us page with your occasion, recipient count and budget; we'll return a quote within one business day.

Yes. Ethnology stocks selected boutiques, safari camps, coastal villas, wellness studios and hotel gift-shops worldwide. Wholesale terms begin at a minimum of 48 units. We can produce co-branded editions for hospitality partners. Reach out via our Contact Us page for the full wholesale catalogue, lead times and current line sheet.