Naturally Handcrafted. Thoughtfully Made.
Founded by two sisters, Vanessa and Ivy.
Discover handcrafted soaps, hand-poured candles, natural mists, and beautiful things inspired by the scents, stories, and traditions of our heritage.
One Heritage
Two Crafts
Products inspired by our childhood memories in the Philippines, created with care.
Our Story
Two Sisters. One Mission.
Vanessa handcrafts soaps in St. Petersburg. Ivy hand-pours candles in Miami. 250 miles apart, but connected by a shared vision: creating thoughtfully made products—good for our bodies, our homes, and kinder to our planet—while staying rooted in the heritage we share.
It started with Vanessa’s daughter, who introduced our family to handmade soaps. Vanessa loved the results, but not the price tag. A natural problem-solver and former registered nurse, she began researching, experimenting, and making her own. As our family started using her soaps, we noticed how much we appreciated products that felt gentle and comfortable on our skin. With eczema in our youngest daughters and psoriasis affecting Ivy, this became especially meaningful to us. What began as a personal project soon became something Vanessa shared with family and friends—including Ivy, who believed thoughtfully made products like these should be accessible to more people. And that’s where the idea for Ives & Bees began.
Inspired by Vanessa’s soapmaking, Ivy began making candles of her own. Her years in luxury hospitality had taught her the importance of thoughtful details and creating meaningful experiences—something she brought to every candle she poured. Before long, what started with soaps grew into a collection of handmade candles and self-care products.
As our crafts grew, so did our vision. Both of us immigrated from the Philippines as teenagers, and we found ourselves drawn back to the familiar scents of our childhood—sampaguita, buko, calamansi, and all the little things that shaped us. Those memories inspired our Filipino Heritage Collection, rooted in the scents, stories, and traditions of our heritage.
Today, our mission is to create beautifully made products that celebrate our heritage, share the beauty of where we come from, and invite everyone to experience a little piece of what inspires us.
We’re sisters, mothers raising daughters, and two Filipina Americans carrying pieces of our childhood forward while creating something new of our own.
Together, we are Ives & Bees—making heritage something you can hold, light, and return to, one scent at a time.
Meet the Makers
Vanessa’s journey into soapmaking started with a simple question: Why not make my own?
Growing up in the Philippines, Vanessa developed a love of music and studied piano at the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music. At 19, she immigrated to the United States and eventually became a registered nurse. Her clinical training, combined with her creative background, gave her a natural appreciation for ingredient safety, precision, and thoughtful formulation.
When her daughter introduced the family to handmade soaps, Vanessa loved the way they felt on her skin but couldn’t justify the price—so she decided to learn how to make them herself. Months of researching, testing, and experimenting turned a simple curiosity into a passion. With sensitive skin in the family, including her daughter’s experience with eczema, creating soaps that felt gentle and comfortable became especially important.
Today, Vanessa handcrafts every batch in her St. Petersburg home studio, bringing together her clinical knowledge, creative problem-solving, and love of natural ingredients. Inspired by the botanicals and memories of her childhood in the Philippines, she creates soaps that are simple, beautiful, and made with care.
Fun Fact: Vanessa came up with the company name, Ives & Bees, inspired by their childhood nicknames. Ivy’s given name is Sylvia, while Vanessa’s childhood nickname was Bunny Bee. She combined them and got Ives & Bees!
Ivy’s journey into candle making started with a love of fragrance—and a simple question: Can I make a better candle?
Growing up in the Philippines, scents like buko, calamansi, and sampaguita became part of Ivy’s childhood memories. After immigrating to the United States at 15, she built a career in luxury hospitality across New Jersey, New York City, Chicago, and Connecticut. Those years taught her the art of thoughtful details and creating memorable experiences—something she carries into everything she does at Ives & Bees.
Ivy has always loved scented candles, but after experiencing headaches from some candles, she became curious about what went into them. She began researching waxes, wicks, fragrances, and other ingredients, eventually experimenting with making her own. Months of testing turned that curiosity into a passion for creating candles she could feel good about burning.
Today, Ivy hand-pours every Ives & Bees candle from her Miami studio while working full-time as a Business Analyst. Her analytical mindset, attention to detail, creativity, and love of fragrance all come together in every batch.
Inspired by the scents and memories of her childhood, Ivy creates thoughtfully made candles designed to bring a little beauty, warmth, and a sense of home into your space.
Fun Fact: Growing up, Ivy was often called “bossy,” and her family predicted she’d become a businesswoman like her mom. Turns out, they were right! 😉
We created Ives & Bees for you
"We started Ives & Bees with a simple intention: to create thoughtful, everyday goods rooted in care and purpose. What began as a small passion has grown into a collection shaped by community, culture, and mindful making. We’re so glad you’re here and hope our products become part of your daily rituals."
A note from Vanessa & Ivy,
The sisters who started Ives & Bees
