Books ENFORMATION is at hhand to help you smooth away the stress and strain of modern life. Read up on the fragrant art of aromatherapy by checking out the following suggested tities. ‘Oils (Raincoast Books, $13.95). A practical . .. guide to 30 of the most pop- ear escntial oils, this bobk is beautifully illustrated throughout and contains ‘much anecdotal as well as ractical information. Did ‘you know, for instance, that “Cleopatra used oil of jasmine to: woo Mark Antony? Or 'ghat lavender is a natural tepelient? Tuck this ¢ into a basket with a Joanne Rippin’s Lotions, Oils and Escnces (Raincoast Books, $17.95) gives do-it- youlrselfers the recipes to cre- ate. perfumes, oils and rich lotions::Treat your skin to a Citrus-Body Scrub, soothe “tired soles with a Mint Footbath:and revive your . Scalp with Parsley Hair Tonic. All: beauty potions can be snade at home using all-nat- ural ingredients. The 4pothecaries of medieval “Europe believed the power of fragrance would protect you . from disease and used herbs ‘as an integral parc of the heal- The. Home (Raincoast contains : as easy recipes for natur- al beauty care. Author Jessica “foudrer puts to use her ences as a herb spccial- * -Est-te provide information on growing, harvesting, drying and storing herbs. . : Layne Christensen Sunday, August 23, 1998 — North Shore News — 13 north shore news & PASHION Pure plant essences soothe the mind, body and soul Layne Christensen Fashion Editor layne@nsnews.com AROMATHERAPY is an ancien: healing art but it’s also big, business for compa- nies serving consumers who seck relief from the stresses of modern life. In February 1993, when Jacqui MacNeill, of Escents Aromatherap set up a table in Lonsdale Quay to sell ails and lotions she'd bareded herself in her Burnaby basement suite, few people had heard of the age-old prac- tice of using botanical extracts, or _ essential oils, to benefit the body, . tnind and emotions. Five and a half years later, she and her husband, John MacNeill, control a fast-growing business with four stores, 2 bustling warchouse and a thriving mail-order service. Escents stores have pioneered the art of custom blending where cus- tomers are encouraged to step up toa “blending bar” to create personalized recipes by adding oils purchased by the drop to unscented lotions, mas- sage oils and other base products. It’s a concept that seems to have caught on. This year alonc, the MacNeilis have received 100 unso- licited requests from prospective fran- chise operators, says John. Bur the MacNeills are taking it slow. “There's lots of demand,” he says. “But we want to be the best not the biggest.” With eight stores in the Lower Mainland plus locations in Victoria and Kelowna, another aromatherapy company that got its start at Lonsdale Quay can lay claim to that title. Saje founders Jean-Pierre and Kate LeBlanc have plans to open an addi- tional 28 kiosks — six cach in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton — before Christmas. A website (www.sajenatural.com) is under con- struction and “wellness rooms” are being installed in select stores to offer customers full-body massage and other aromatherapy treatments. The LeBlancs expect annual sales to hit the $3 million mark this year. “We just keep growing and grow- ing,” says Jean-Pierre of the business INDUSTRY leaders Jacqui and John MacNeill (above left) of Escents Aromatherapy ‘and newcomer House of Essence owner Hayfa Al-Shabibi put an ancient healing art into modern practice. he and his wife founded as Aromajoy in °92 (The name was changed to Saje two years ago, when the LeBlancs faced a legal challenge by the makers of Joy perfume over their use of the namie). Tt was a personal crisis that led Jean-Pierre to discover the healing powers of aromatherapy seven years ago. A car accident had left him with chronic pain. He discovered essential oils and began to concoct his own therapcutic blends — first for himself and then for friends. “ve discovered so much good- ness in these essential ails, my focus now is to share the oils and watch how the business grows,” says the entreprencur whose specialty is thera- peutic blends like a four-minute NEWS photo Terry Peters headache remedy that has been the focus of local TV news coverage and one American investigative report. It was a personal experience that also led Hay Al-Shabibi to the heal- ing art of aromatherapy. A trained pharmacist with a PhD in biochem- istry, Al-Shabibi was living and work- ing in Britain when she turned to aro- matherapy massage to help uplift her spirits following the death of her ther. “I had a most wonderful experi- ence. I was overwhelmed by it because the effect was enormous,” recalls the West Van resident, who was intrigued enough by the experience to open House of Essence (no relation to Escents) on Marine Drive in Ambleside last February. “Massage. has its benefirs in its own right -~ easing aches and improving circulation — but when it is coupled with essential oils it is such a valuable alternative to the use of . muscle relaxants, pain killers and other psychotropic drugs,” says Al- Shabibi, whe pampers her cliénts by employing a certified masscuse and an esthetician to provide services. like aromatherapy facials, full-body mas- sage and pedicures.” ae An oasis of calm: tucked.- away from the urban hustle and bustle, her House of Essence also offers custom blending, a selection of afomathera- py accessories from Culpepper of Britain and exclusive bath and fra- grance products from Fragonard of France. Healing power of essential oils AT the heart of aromatherapy are the essential oils, natural blends of fragrant plant extracts.. Since ancient times, these oils have been thought to ben- efit the body, mind and emotions. They can be used to treat or prevent all manner of health problems, to relax or rejuve- nate, soothe or stimuiate. Author Pamela Allardice presents a guide to the most popular essential oils and their uses in An A-Z of Essential Oils, from which we have distilled the following. BERGAMOT Derived from the fresh ripe peci of the bergamot orange after the juice has been extracted, it blends well with other oils to enhance their aroma and is most commonly used in commercial perfume manufacturing. A powerful antiseptic, OILS extracted from plants and flowers contain powerful properties for relax- ing, healing and stimulating our body's natural systems. it may be diluted for treating skin or scalp conditions and for See Pure page 44