FAQs
Here you'll find answers to all your questions about Carbonrox.
HOW STRONG IS THE SCENT?
Remember - there are no synthetic fragrance chemicals used in the making of our oils, so our organic essential oil blends won't hit you in the face the way a chemically reed diffuser will.
Detoxing from chemical fragrance is about understanding that natural, plant-derived scents are subtler than their chemical counterparts.
We recommend one full dropper at a time. Rose, our founder, puts on one or two full droppers, at a time, then doesn't top up for 3/4 days (she's forgetful). Use your oil liberally! We send a big bottle just for that reason ;)
Some people don't want really strong scents and that's ok, too. Weekly drops will l yield a milder scent experience overall.
Carbonrox is designed for use in smaller spaces to enjoy the scents to their maximum potential. Bathrooms and bedside tables are ideal spots.
For general reference, one shell will scent a room roughly 150 square feet / 13.5 square metres.
WHERE SHOULD I PLACE MY SHELLS?
We recommend bedside tables and bathrooms, even entrance hallways, coffee tables - any space in your home you would like scented with the organic blend of your choosing.
Remember, the scent is 100% derived from organic essential oils only, so it doesn't have the same intensity as conventional synthetic fragrance in open rooms with lots of airflow or kitchens, for example.
For general reference, one shell will scent a room roughly 150 square feet / 13.5 square metres.
HOW DO I USE MY CARBONROX?
First, ensure your shell is filled with your Carbonrox. Sprinkle them with a little water to jumpstart the absorption process. Then take your chosen scent and add 10 drops to the rocks. Enjoy your organic scentscape and top up whenever you desire. We recommend topping up at least once a week for a more gentle scent, or daily for a stronger, more powerful effect.
HOW OFTEN DO I HAVE TO SWAP MY CARBONROX OUT?
We make our Carbonrox fresh when we fulfil our orders - so they will ship to you live and vacuum-sealed in biodegradable packaging so that they aren't coming into contact with the air until you're ready to use them, After 3-4 months of use, they will have completed their transformation. You can swap the rocks out anytime you choose - every 3-4 months, twice a year, once a year. We recommend replenishing the rocks every 3-4 months, once the absorption cycle has been completed, for maximum ambient CO₂ absorption within your home.
CAN I USE DIFFERENT SCENTS ON THE SAME SET OF ROCKS?
We don't recommend it. Much as with a conventional passive diffuser, like lava stones for example, the rocks will retain some of the scent that was used on it previously. So if you were to layer another different scent on top, the result will be the two scents mingling. We recommend using one scent per set of rocks.
WHAT ARE THE CARBONROX MADE OF?
The Carbonrox is made from Magnesium Hydroxide. Magnesium Hydroxide is actually a food ingredient in many cultures, and it is also used in many Direct Air Capture (DAC) applications. Conventional ways of manufacturing this widely-available chemistry is dirty and energy intensive. We instead use a patented process and green energy to make it - which not only makes it much cleaner for the environment but also permanently stores away the CO₂. Our chemistry does not release the absorbed CO₂ back unless heated beyond 1500F/800C or digested in an acid bath.
HOW DO THE CARBONROX WORK? ARE THEY SAFE TO HAVE IN MY HOME?
Our Carbonrox are made from transforming Magnesium Chloride in desalination brine waste water through a green process to a compound that is able to absorb ambient CO₂ from the air. Over the course of 3-4 months, the rocks absorb CO₂ and transform into chalk. Totally safe, and the end product is actually good for the soil! Our manufacturers use advanced Ionic chromatography to analyze every batch made for problematic impurities before they are cleared to ship to us. However pure they are, they are still not toys to play with, and just like all essential oil based products, we recommend keeping the rocks and the oil out of reach of children.
WHAT DO I DO WITH MY CARBONROX AT THE END OF 3-4 MONTHS?
You can dispose of them with your regular garbage or in your compost. You can also use them as planter rocks or distribute them in a garden, as they enrich the soil. By the way, the shells are fully biodegradable as well and can be composted. There are plenty of resources online about how to compost coconut shells that can referenced for this.
WHERE ARE YOUR PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED?
Our Carbonrox are made by hand in Switzerland, using magnesium hydroxide from desalination "bittern water" from Italy. Our wooden boxes for THE TRAVELLER are also made in Switzerland, sourced from sustainably-forested, HSH-certified Swiss beech. Our upcycled coconut shells are salvaged and painted in Vietnam. Our organic essential oils are blended and bottled in Coimbatore, India - our co-founder Karthik's hometown, using only organic ingredients, organically grown or wild harvested.
IS IT REALLY CARBON NEGATIVE? HOW? HOW MUCH IMPACT CAN IT ACTUALLY HAVE?
Yes, THE RITUAL and THE TRAVELLER really are carbon negative at the point of shipment to you (Cradle to Gate, to use industry terminology). THE STARTER product is carbon neutral as we send fewer rocks. Ultimately our plan is to grow large enough that we can produce our organic essential oil blends using renewable energy only. The Carbonrox themselves capture 75% of their weight in CO₂.
We're a young company just starting out, but we have already begun the process of certification of with SGS, so that our carbon negative offerings can be officially recognized as carbon negative products.
We took great care in selecting every material used in the making of our product to minimize footprint. From saving coconut shells from incineration and thus preventing further CO₂ from being released into the atmosphere, to recycling waste water to make our Carbonrox, every element of our process has been refined to optimize towards the lowest possible carbon footprint. We fundamentally believe that placing the ability to capture carbon at home in the hands of the people, instead of only relying on big businesses to change their practices fast enough, can make real impact.
That being said, being a young company, we cannot yet control how the rocks are disposed of (especially when they are taken away with the rest of the garbage instead of being used as planter rocks). In countries such as Switzerland where we are based, waste incinerators are progressively being integrated with CO₂ capture units, which are then stored in geological formations or concrete (you can read about it here and here). In this case, the CO2 that gets released from the rocks when incinerated will still be captured back and stored forever. Some of our customers may be based in locations where the non-recycled garbage is incinerated but CO₂ capture is not integrated into the process. Since we have no visibility into this, we are buying high quality carbon credits to offset the entirety of the amount of rocks we have produced. This will ensure that even the worst case scenario is accounted for, and when not, the environmental benefit is amplified!
Part of our vision as we grow includes collaborative partnership with gardening shops or construction companies to collect the used rocks for use in their respective areas for further benefit - yes, the rocks at the end of their transformation are actually a green alternative to a very important ingredient in the making of cement!
WHY IS THE LABEL ON MY ESSENTIAL OIL BOTTLE TARNISHING?
We want to be transparent about the consequences of opting out of plastic usage and energy intensive processes like screen printing directly onto the bottle. We chose recycled paper for our labels as it's currently the most environmentally sound choice for us. A plastic label would tarnish less than paper over time, but we don't believe we should be using plastics or exposing you to them. As we grow, we will hope to source a biodegradable polymer for our labels as we continue to improve and refine our product, but until then, these labels are our best choice.
WHY ARE MY ROCKS TURNING YELLOW OR ORANGE?
Our scents are made using 100% plant-derived oils, so there is natural variation in colour. Our Ginger Sip and Santal Bloom have a yellow hue and our Ancient Cedars and Toasted Cinnamon have a more orange tint. The colour is naturally-occurring - we never use any dyes or additivies.
HOW DO I CHOOSE MY SCENT?
Good question. Take a look at our scent profiles here and discover your perfect organic scentscape.
HAVE YOU USED AI IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PRODUCT OR MATERIALS?
No. This is a conscious choice due to the environmentally-friendly nature of our product. Because AI is so energy and water intensive, it is not a good fit for our brand and product. We have optimized our products to have a negative carbon or carbon-neutral footprint using our carbon-capturing Carbonrox, so it just wouldn't make sense for us to use AI technology or AI content in the development of our product or any materials to promote it.
And there will be signs - shaky video, blurry images, the occasional typo. It's all being done by just two imperfect humans, Rose and Karthik :) Rose has loved the em dash in writing long before ChatGPT - so don't let that confuse you :)