ProduCt sPotlgHt
B y ta r a g r o d J e s k
Not Just
a Pretty
sCeNt:
Taking
Aromatherapy
to the Next
Level in Spas
tara grodJesk is a an innovator and
entrepreneur with over 30 years of
experience in Holistic Health and
wellness through her tARA brand, a
careful selection of authentically green
and organic products.
ms. grodjesk is a certified massage
therapist, Holistic Health Educator,
Ayurvedic Practitioner and
Aromatherapist. She has trained over
3000 massage therapists and estheti-
cians and was the first person to
introduce Ayurveda to the U.S. spa
industry. An ISPA member for
over 25 years, tara was
appointed chairwoman of
ISPA’s first taskforce on
greening and
Sustainability. She is an
Emeritus Founder of the
green Spa network and the
gSn dedicated contributor Award
has been named in her honor.
Recently, she founded the “women
in Leadership Forum,” providing
leadership cultivation for women in the
spa industry.
Her company mission is to inspire,
cultivate and empower the integrity of
well-being.
34
PULSE
■
August 2018
“What flavor would you like?”
this is a phrase that has been used for years in the spa
industry when asking a guest to choose their preferred
aromatherapy blend, as if they were choosing candy or ice cream.
That kind of presentation is doing a disservice to what true
aromatherapy can offer for authentic healing. We’re reducing
therapy to a “flavor” choice, which communicates a message that
this is a frivolous or superficial experience. It’s time for us to extend
our understanding and presentation of aromatherapy in spa treatments and
take our services to the next level.
Aromatherapy is not new to the spa industry. Spas have been using calming
aromatherapy as an accompaniment to treatments for years. However, recently
aromatherapy and essential oils have become a mainstream trend for wellness-
minded consumers.
According to Grand View Research’s U.S. Essential Oil Market Analysis, the U.S.
essential oil market size was valued at $3.36 billion in 2015 and is expected to
experience an estimated growth rate of 9 percent from 2016 to 2024.