The FRESH FACE of Aromatic Traditions

FRESH FACE for Aromatic Traditions™ 2017



After a brief hiatus working in the corporate world for a local manufacturing company, Aromatic Traditions is back with a new look and mission.  Take a look at our "About" page to get a feel.

Aromatic Traditions™ is a botanical skin care formulating and consulting company for natural and organic skin care product companies.  Our clients include luxury retail artisans, high-end spas and massage therapists.  Aromatic Traditions’s top-quality, result-driven products are free of hash chemicals and manufactured to exacting standards.  Allow our award winning expertise to develop your brand and take it to production.

WE TAKE YOUR BRAND BY THE HAND FROM CONCEPTION TO PRODUCTION

Launched in 1998 with our fabulous “Blue Pearl” moisturizer, Aromatic Traditions transitioned from a retail formulator/manufacturer to a private label/custom consulting and manufacturing business.

Combined with over 20 years of perfume and herbal experience, Aromatic Traditions™ is able to provide our clients with both expert scent consultation as well as natural/herbal formulations.

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS:

• We believe in your BEAUTY AND HEALTHY
• We promote and utilize ORGANIC AGRICULTURE, FAIR TRADE AND SUSTAINABILITY
• We utilize as much as possible LOCAL and MINDFUL HARVESTING OF RAW MATERIALS.
• We believe in charitable giving back to our communities and the earth.

OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE:

“To create elegant and natural products that nourish your innate beauty”

Aromatic Traditions Transitions

Last day of shipping 12/14/2015

A few months ago I took time to look at what Aromatic Traditions REALLY does and found that 64% of my business was serving the spa and indie maker sector.

It was a lightbulb moment.  To better serve, isn't it best to serve those who are asking for what one has?  I believe so.

I have mixed feelings of joy blended with creative excitement and a swirl of ideas waiting to manifest in tangible ways...a new website is in the design phase, garden fresh products are formulated and ready for testing in the lab and a fabulous communication service for busy spa-makers will be launched soon.

A big thank you and a huge hug of gratitude to all of you who love Aromatic Traditions products and botanical perfumes.  I've met some really great people and reconnected with old friends.

My transition begins on our last shipping day of December 14th. Enjoy my thank you by using discount code GRATITUDE2015 on our luxury botanical products, gift sets and perfume.

Blessings and have a warm and wonderful holiday season with your family and friends.

Susan Varga

Switching My Niche

Spa-Maker© series coming soon.  Aromatic Traditions™ 2016

Do what you love and everything else will follow.

Aromatic Traditions™  is 4 years old.  Our anniversary was 11/11/15.  Usually I throw a nice party at my studio and people stop by to visit, shop my retail shelves and snack on delicious local goodies.  This year I was busy packing up the final pieces for a natural baby line and prepping bulk orders for several spas.

You see, my focus has changed.

Changed because my customers asked.

I had no idea when I started that I would be doing Custom Manufacturing and Private Label.  I put a few pages up on my website and the rest is word of mouth.

Organic.

The best referral is from other customers.  The learning curve has been a little steep.  However, I like a good challenge and found that I love formulating and creating in my lab.

It is quiet, focused and creative.

I am also co-evolving with several of the spas who were my first customers.  As they grow, so do I.

It felt natural today as I cleaned up my creative space and started to de-stash bottles and jars.  I really do not have much overstock so my inventory is changing as well.

I have created several gift sets for the holidays and I am feeling a little bittersweet saying goodbye to some of my favorite products.

I will soon offer a first-come-first-serve discount to my online retail customers.

These formulas will now be available for my new niche - spas and massage therapists who make their own products and have reached a point where they want someone else to produce for them.

It is a niche I am familiar with as I was a massage therapist for 25 years and know the industry.  I also love working with spas.  I love people who pamper and encourage others in the tradition of self-care.

I'm excited for this new chapter in Aromatic Traditions™ life.

Enjoy the holiday discounts online and call me if I can help your spa or massage practice.

Blessings.

The Chicken is in the Oven and Everything is Alright

Comfort food, rituals and making it all cozy.

Tonight I came home with a farm fresh chicken.  I grew up with access to farm-raised meat, milk and eggs so I look for the same locally.  My cousins had a farm and the chicken coop was my favorite place to play. (I bet a few of you can say the same)

For me the smell of a chicken roasting in the oven gives me comfort, warmth and a sense of home.  I know it does for my family.  I come from a long line of chicken-raising, chicken-cooking women.  I clearly remember my Great Grandmother preparing chicken and waffles.

My mother always roasted a perfect bird.  I found a recipe that I truly love by Ina Garten.  Here it is if you want to cook a chicken that will woo your loved ones...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/engagement-roast-chicken-recipe.html

Yep,  I remember telling my boys that they were having engagement chicken when they were young.  I kind of believe that they will compare all roast chicken against this recipe.

But...

this isn't the whole story.

I want to talk about what it takes to make a home.  

To step up to the plate, to go the extra step and put your day aside and make the home warm and cozy for your family.  I believe that there are many people out there that do this for their family.  I don't care if you only have a bowl of rice or a can of beans (believe me, I've been there).  There are just people who know how to make it special.

I love the old trick I heard from a wisened girlfriend.  She told me "I always slice up some onions and put them in a pan when I hear my family come in the driveway".

I don't know what it is about making a house a home.  Must be in our DNA to have something roasting by the fire.  We get a sense of security and that everything is alright.

Tonight I am doing it more for myself.  I miss my family.  I miss my Mom and her home cooking
AND I want to be a good Mom to my kids.  I want to give them sensual memories of home.  Something that they can tap in to when the going gets tough.

Maybe something that they can pass on.

We all need a touchstone.

Blessings

Crafting Fire Cider with My Friends

It's a tradition for me to make Fire Cider with friends.  It is a great way to share recipes, stories and the best part - laughter.

Have you tried it?  I love to have some around to add to soups, stews and salad dressings.  It adds zip and is a powerful decongestant.  There are a lot of great benefits.  It depends on what you put in it.  It is particularly beneficial to have on hand during cold and flu season.

So let's get this party started...

Get your favorite people together and start prepping.

Fire Cider Ingredients:

-fresh grated organic ginger root

-fresh grated organic horseradish root

-fresh grated turmeric root

-chopped onion

-organic garlic, peeled and crushed

-organic jalapeno peppers sliced lengthwise (any kind of hot chili pepper will work)

-zest and juice of an organic lemon

-sprigs of fresh organic rosemary

-organic apple cider vinegar

Find a container that you want to use to pour or store.  Make sure it is clean.  Once you have all of your vegetables prepped start adding them to your jar.  I like to loosely fill a quart size mason jar.  Once you've selected the ingredients that you like fill the jar with organic apple cider vinegar.

If using a mason jar with a metal lid, place a piece of parchment or wax paper between the lid and jar.

Screw lid on tightly and shake.

Store in a cool, dark place for 30 days.

Strain using cheesecloth and squeeze the pulp to get the goodness out of the roots and enjoy.

Some people like to add a little bit of honey (get the good kind) and enjoy it as a tonic.

Fire Cider fixin's.

Best of all...have some good laughs while you're making your tonic.

Laughter is the BEST medicine.

Is "Green" Really the New Black?

Transparent since 1998.   Aromatic Traditions™ 2015

I remember vividly a conversation I had with the owner of a very large essential oil company back in the 90's.  He told me that my company would never make it because I used precious essential oils and plant extracts in my formulations.  15 years later I'm still doing it.  I didn't listen to him.

Now creating with the benefit of plant-derived materials vs. synthetics is mainstream. 

(Heck, synthetics have only been around for a short period of time on the space/time continuum).

I like to stick pretty close to the Earth.  How about you? 

First I pay attention to my soil which is amended with compost.

Soil is the heart of my line.

My son is experimenting with composting now for my floating garden.

Yes! We have a floating compost pile.

(He has also won a scholarship to the Conserve School in Wisconsin.  I can't help but think all of my direction - pleasant word for broken record demands- toward composting and recycling made an affect.  Proud Momma moment.  Thanks for listening.)

So back to is "Green" Really the New Black?  I can't say that I take offense to green-washing as it brings to light (in contrast) conservation and spotlights ideas that so many of us stood for many years ago.  I am talking the 60's and 70's.  Some of us risked a LOT not to sell out and to take a stand for Mother Nature.

What I do find difficult is that so many people have jumped on the bandwagon - yeah and now green, organic, local-ingredients, etc is becoming banal.

adjective

1.

devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite:

a banal and sophomoric treatment of courage on the frontier.

Yes, that's the word I heard at a recent conference.  How do we differentiate, stand out, if we use the same words to describe what we do.

I can't help but think - I've been waiting for this! and now it is passe?

For some of us who really do make an effort to plant, harvest, dry, infuse and amend.  Who follow the laws of nature and abide with respect - what?

Maybe I'm not understanding the question.

Perhaps this blog isn't clear.

I want to hear your thoughts?

I'm interested in a dialogue.

Thanks,

Sue

Introducing the Adventures of "Susan the Spa-Maker©"

Custom Vegan Lip Shimmer.   Aromatic Traditions™

Did you know that I currently work with spas, wellness centers and massage therapists with earth-conscious sensibilities creating custom product lines?

Over the years I have had the pleasure of serving other makers making them look good so they could help you look and feel pampered.

In the industry we call it Private Label - you would put your label on one of my formulations...

or...

Custom Manufacturing - I help you design a formula or line of products that fit your vision.

This particular aspect of Aromatic Traditions™ has grown significantly over the last year. 

Today I am in the process of creating a brand new website to service this niche. 

We blend in small batches so we can take your idea to market quickly.

Vegan Shimmer Body Oil   Aromatic Traditions™ 

At the root of Aromatic Traditions™ is my intention to connect the voice of nature with all levels of healing - body, mind and spirit.

Our flowers and herbs come from our own floating garden on the Multnomah Channel in Oregon and from some of "the best kept secret" organic farm sources in the Willamette Valley as well.

You know, the home of some of the finest Pinot's on the planet. (We believe).

Oregon Pinot  with Vineyard.

My mission is to make personal care products in small, hand-poured batches utilizing the bounty of Oregon's niche farmers for spas and massage therapists all over the world.

I am here to connect and collaborate with you by building a relationship of trust and by creating something truly extraordinary.

Order fulfilled for local spa.

 And here is what one "spa-maker" had to say...

 "Aromatic Traditions™ customized products and labels has set our spa at an exciting new scale. We now have customized products exclusive to our customers with the quality; knowledge and attention from Susan's 15 years of experience. It has been a beautiful part of our evolving dream."

-Laura Lee Robinson, Emerge Spa

Stay tuned for more adventures from "Susan the Spa-Maker©" as I transition from online retail and wholesale to this fabulous new niche.

Blessings.