From Treating Acne to Getting ZZZs: The Versatility of Lavender Oil
Posted by Jacqui MacNeill on 6/21/2011
to Wellness
 With the onset of summer upon us, lavender is in full bloom and is ready for harvest for the creation of Lavender Essential Oil, one of the most popular and versatile of all the essential oils. With a scent that is soft and floral, fresh and herbaceous, yet with a touch of sweetness, it blends well with a variety of other essential oils, making it a popular choice for use in perfume. It also has a long history of use for wellness and healing purposes due to its versatility for treating a wide variety of healing properties. It also can be used directly on skin without diluting it, unlike most other essential oils.
Healing Properties of Lavender Oil Antiseptic/Antifungal/Antibacterial: These properties make it ideal for dealing with all sorts of skin and bodily issues, including, acne, burns, athlete's foot, insect bites, cold sores, cuts/wounds, lice prevention, etc, and is ideal for use in germ prevention strategies. Calming Effect on Nervous System: Widely used for this characteristic in treating headaches/migraines, stress/anxiety, insomnia, hyperactivity (ADHD), depression, nervousness, etc. Improves Circulation: This property makes Lavender effective for boosting immunity, reducing foot/leg swelling, treating hemorrhoids/varicose veins, etc. Helps with Breathing Issues: Lavender is used for a wide variety of respiratory disorders, including coughs/colds & flu, asthma, snoring, sinusitis, etc. Anti-Inflammatory, Pain-Relieving: This makes Lavender a good choice for soothing muscle soreness, joint sprains/strains, arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc. Helps Facilitate the Digestive Process: Great for easing nausea, colic, abdominal cramps and indigestion. Lavender Oil in Escents Due to its versatility, you'll find Lavender Oil in a vast number of Escents products. It is an ingredient in wellness products such as our Natural Headache Relief Roll-on, Blemish B'Gone Acne Treatment Gel, and Stretch Mark Prevention Oil. You'll also find it in a variety of calming essential oil blends, including Relaxation, Soothe, Blue Water, and Lavender Meadow. And because of it's beautifully versatile scent, you'll find it in a number of our most popular signature essential oil blends, including Matcha Tea, Red Rose, Verve, Willow, Chic, and Coast. I use Lavender practically every day, whether it's for relaxation, healing, or in my bath and body products. What's your favourite way to use Lavender? Jacqui MacNeill
 Life According to Escents Dads - Part 2
Posted by Escents on 6/19/2011
to Culture
Happy Father's Day! This is our follow up post where our staff answers the question, "What's the best piece of advice your Dad ever gave you?" Enjoy your day with yours! My Dad's given me lots of useful and often hilarious advice. Things from "it's probably not a good idea to burst out in laughter during a serious meeting with the VPs of AMD," to "Don't overestimate your puddle-jumping abilities while jogging with people you want to impress." The one that's really stuck out recently, though, is "Always remember that a car is an expense, not an investment." My Dad is pretty awesome. Eve, Victoria My dad has a lot of wisdom to offer. Although the truth may not always sound the best, he doesn’t shield me from the harsh reality but rather wants me to be a strong woman that can be independent. The biggest lesson my dad has taught me is that “there is no free lunch,” something so simple yet so important. I’m taught to work for what I want rather than expecting it to be offered to me on a silver platter. This keeps me grounded as a person, knowing that everything I possess came from a good effort of my own. Hope, Richmond "When I was around 7 years old, my father had tried to get me interested in taking up a martial art. At the time, for some reason, I wasn't interested. Several years later, I took up fencing as a teenager, which was followed by Jiu-jitsu, which then resulted in an 18-year love affair with the martial arts. I only wish I had jumped on it when my father first tried to introduce it to me. Nevertheless, my father has always encouraged me in my training since then. He was always the one cheering the loudest at fencing tournaments (often to my embarrassment), and the first to brag about me when I earned my first black belt. I have since become a full-fledged instructor running my own Jiu-jitsu school in Richmond, BC. The accompanying picture is a class photo from the day my father came and actually tried training in my class for the first time." Lori, Head Office  - Lori (centre) with her Dad behind her.
I don't remember a lot of official pieces of advice from my Dad, aside from "look out for that guy!" when he was teaching me to drive and things like that, but I know I've learned a lot from him by watching him. Through example, he's taught me: put your family first and choose them every day; if you love someone, then tell them whenever you can; be grateful for every day (he often wakes up and says, "I'm above ground, it's a good day!"), live one day/hour/minute at a time; and hockey teams play better if you cheer for them loudly. My Dad's one of my heroes and I am so very happy that he's mine. Happy Father's Day (I forgot to send you a gift, so you're reading it...) Tara, Head Office  - Tara's Dad
And finally, we have a short letter from Jacqui (founder of Escents) to her beloved Dad. All of us at Escents know him well and are quite used to seeing his helpful face in our stores, and she quite eloquently shared her thoughts with him for this post: Dear Dad, For all the times you encouraged me to do the right thing, shake it off and get on with it, don’t have regrets or look back, what is done is done…. Your advice and support have gotten me through a lot. Happy Father's day to a guy who really is the best dad in the world. Thanks for teaching me the ropes! Things that are my dad… Crazy, Fun, Thoughtful, Generous to a fault, Honest, Caring, Supportive All of these you are dad. I love you and have learned to be human because of all you are. Jacqui, Escents President & Founder  - Jacqui's Dad
Life According to Escents Dads - Part 1
Posted by Escents on 6/13/2011
to Culture
When Mother's Day was approaching, we wrote about our Moms, and in honour of Father's Day on June 19th, we will be sharing some stories from our staff about the best pieces of advice our Dads ever gave us. Here is the first installment: My Dad is a very strong and motivated man who goes after what he wants and that is the reason why he has accomplished so much. He is a loving and caring father who has taught both my sister and I many things that will stock with us. The best advice that my Dad has ever given me is something that I try to live by and use everyday: "there are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. What type of person do you want to be?" It is a question he asks me all the time and it what inspires me to do my best in whatever I take on. My Dad has played a huge role in the person I have become and that is something I will be forever thankful for. Nikki, Coquitlam Centre  - Nikki and her Dad
The best advice my Dad gave me was about marriage: don't marry someone expecting them to change because it won't happen. Marry someone who can talk because looks fade. Jessica, Victoria  - Wee Jess and her Dad
 - Jessica and her Dad on her wedding day (to a great guy who talks and is also pretty cute!)
Ever since my family has immigrated to Canada, I only got the chance to see my Dad once a year due to the fact that he needs to stay in Hong Kong for work to support the family. My Dad treats me like a princess and always tries to provide me the best. During my toughest times in terms of schooling and life wise, he always provided me with unconditional support. One of the most influential advices that he has given me is to “never give up”! He said, if I am not as intelligent as others, then I should put extra time and effort into reaching my goal. I took this advice from him which has led me to a person who is now always willing to try and willing to learn with full commitment. Kathy, Richmond  - Kathy with her Dad
Stopping to Smell the Roses... in Turkey!
Posted by Jacqui MacNeill on 6/6/2011
to Culture
If you follow Escents on Facebook, you may have noticed all the pics I've been posting of my study trip to Turkey with our franchise partners in Taiwan. I'm back in Vancouver now, and can't help but think, 'Wow, what a trip it's been!' Our primary destination was the rose farm where we were all going to witness and learn about the distilling process of Rose Essential Oil. But the farm was way off the beaten path, so we visited a number of Turkey's cultural destinations so we could appreciate the history and traditions of the nation as well. Once we got through all the travel craziness of actually getting to Turkey with late flights, missed connections, missing luggage, and of course, jetlag, we finally got to Turkey and began our journey. Dwelling in Ancient & Modern Caves After meeting up with Escents' Taiwan partners and tour group, we all hopped on a bus and drove up through a very rural and remote countryside area of Turkey. Our first night was spent in a hotel that is called "Cave" hotel. Yes, it is a cave and yes, it is a hotel. In this area, the soil easily erodes to create caverns. These caverns, when re-enforced, can be inhabited, like the hotel we stayed in. The next day, we set out to see the fairy caves and underground cities of Cappadocia. Carved out in the 7th and 8th centuries, these vast dwellings were where Christians were forced to hide from invading Arabs. Exploring these caves and viewing them from waaaay up above in a hot air balloon was truly a magical experience!  - Hallway of Our "Cave" Hotel
 - Fairy Cave Church
A Look at How Rose Oil is Made Our next stop brought us to the rose farm to witness the process by which Rose Essential Oil is made. The remote area in Turkey win which the farm we visited was situated is a perfect location for rose harvest with a climate of gentle sunshine, ensuring minimum release of the aromatic ingredients from the flower. When we first walked into the factory, the smell was absolutely intoxicating. The smell of roses was everywhere, in the gardens, in the factory, in the storehouse, everywhere! We were given a thorough tour of the gardens and the factory. It was amazing to see how rose oil all comes together from the growth of roses to their harvest to the steam distillation process that transforms the them into the oil we use every day.  - Rose Petals Entering the Distilling Process
 - Surrounded by Roses!
Putting It In Perspective Did you know that it takes 10,000 pounds of rose flowers to make a single pound of Rose Essential Oil? It's hard to imagine, but that's a LOT of flowers! I should know, having immersed myself in them, literally. It's no wonder why pure Rose oil is so expensive. This is why we offer both 100% Pure Rose Oil and 10% Dilute Rose Essential Oil, so it can be enjoyed whatever your budget is. And for those who simply want to enjoy the smell of roses, we also offer our Red Rose Essential Oil Blend, created to smell more like a rose when you sniff the actual flower. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to visit Turkey, meet 35 of our Taiwan franchise partners, see the process of creating rose oil, and experience the culture surrounding this remote farm and the nation it calls home. But you don't need to go all the way to Turkey to make a connection to that part of the world, or any other part for that matter. The plants of the world unite us all. And essential oils, the purest essences of plants, give us the opportunity to get in touch with parts of the world we may never see through the power of scent, every day of our lives. This is but one of the ways that me and all of Escents' Taiwan partners are dedicated to giving back to the world, providing the opportunity for everyone to "Feel Good... Naturally." Jacqui MacNeill
Meet Monica: A Thera-Skin Success Story
Escents Aromatherapy staffers have all happily adopted using our Thera-Skin line since it debuted last summer; we regularly share stories and photos of our young-looking skin with our spa estheticians, thanking them for making us look so great. Many of our customers find us through our website, so recognizing it's sometimes difficult to know what to use on your skin, we've added some tools to help youdetermine your skin type and get on the right track to take care of your skin with only a few minutes a day. We are also proud to give you a real-life example ofThera-Skin in action! Monica is a loyal Escents Aromatherapy fan who was suffering from various skin issues. Here's what she shared with us: I think my skin is primarily oily although sometimes there are dry areas. In the morning it feels slightly oily. After washing with just water, probably pretty normal (I never wash with just water so not sure!) but I think would feel tight if I didnt moisturize. It definitely feels tight after washing with cleanser until I moisturize. Breakouts are usually linked to my cycle and I get one or two per cycle every other month or so, although I was recently subjected to a severe breakout, most likely due to stress. The doctor wasnt sure if it was acne or rosacea. I have pretty large pores which I hate and would love to be able to do even a little something about. I have freckles and burn moderately easily but wear sunscreen daily. I would not describe my skin as sensitive. Over the next several weeks, Monica will use a skin care regime of Thera-Skinproducts specifically chosen to address her concerns. We'll follow her as the appearance of her skin changes and present a final Before and After photo for you to see. Here she is, bravely posing, with a completely naked face: 
Rajanne, our Head Esthetician, recommended that she use these products: To cleanse Muti-Vitamin Purifying Face Wash - this will address her combination skin, hydrating the dry areas. Her skin feeling dry after washing indicates that she may have been using the wrong products previously. To tone Visibly Moist Facial Toner - this will both hydrate her skin and prepare it to absorb her moisturizer To moisturize Moisture Replenishing Face Cream - this is a light moisturizer that is great for combination skin. We also provided her with Continuous Moisture Cream, which is another great option. To exfoliate Crystal Clarity Microdermabrasion Cream - this will be used once or twice a week and will help with sun damage and acne scarred skin; it reveals new skin and minimizes pores as well. To treat Instant Calm Ultra Skin Treatment - this will help with rosacea (using it twice per day) and sunburns, and will also help control signs of irritation. Monica has been using her products for 4 full days, and here's her feedback so far: Ok, have used the products twice now - even after the first use last night - wow!!! My skin felt so unbelievably soft and smooth. I was truly surprised. Didn't honestly think it would have an effect so soon. I'm excited for the longer term results!!! I tried the micro-dermabrasion stuff and I had no idea how good my skin could feel! First impressions are very good. The products are pleasant to use, smell good and feel wonderful on the skin. After applying the moisturizer my skin feels like velvet. So far not seeing a big difference in my skin texture or appearance but its only been 4 days. Hoping to see more as time passes. I also like that a little bit of product goes a long way. We invite you to follow Monica as she uses Thera-Skin to keep her skin healthy and glowing. We'd love to hear from you! Send your before and after photos from using Thera-Skin and be entered to win - check out the detailshere. We're giving away Thera-Skin prize packs, Escents Aromatherapy shopping sprees and a glamorous weekend in downtown Vancouver! Send your entries to sales@escentsaromatherapy.com.
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