Aromatherapy and essential oil aficionado Saje Natural Wellness is celebrating 25 years since launching with their first store at Lonsdale Quay.
Kiara LeBlanc, daughter of the company’s co-founders, Kate Ross LeBlanc and Jean-Pierre LeBlanc, is looking back at how far Saje has come in a quarter century.
After an automobile accident, Jean-Pierre was faced with a series of health challenges and chronic pain, putting him on an endless path of painkillers, muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories.
Seeking a natural remedy, Jean-Pierre leveraged his background in chemistry and some lessons in traditional Chinese medicine to blend his first essential oil remedies to aid in his recovery.
He experimented with herbal concentrates in Provence, where fragrance making began hundreds of years ago.
Jean-Pierre’s perfected natural concoctions are now best sellers, still available at Saje today and have earned a natural health stamp of approval from Health Canada. Some of Saje’s remedies have also been recognized as over-the-counter medications by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Sunburns, insomnia, allergies, heartburn, headaches, stress – Saje chemists have crafted an essential oil fix for what ails you. They head to where the plant grows natively – lemon-abundant Italy for example – to steam-distill and capture its essence within hours of harvest.
“Essential oils capture the powerful healing qualities of the plants from which they are derived and are about 80 times more potent than the herb itself,” explains Kiara, who is the company’s creative director in charge of design and product.
Those new to Saje and essential oil therapy usually dip their toe with the two most popular products: Peppermint Halo, which helps with headaches and muscle tension, and Sleep Well, which helps you catch some zzs, naturally.
These energy boosts and calming remedies are included in Saje’s Night and Day Blend Bar which aligns with Kiara’s beliefs in the power of wellness traditions.
“Each blend serves a different purpose but they all work in harmony and create a wellness ritual from when you wake up to when you go to bed,” she says.
“We want to be that special place that you go to feel better that isn’t your doctor’s office or a 3 p.m. hit of caffeine.”
Asked what sets Saje apart in the current essential oil explosion, Kiara says 100 per cent natural product innovation and product efficacy is sacred to the company.
“If we can’t make it with 100 per cent natural ingredients, we won’t do it – it’s that simple. This is something we will never compromise on.”
A misconception many people have when they hear the word aromatherapy, explains Kiara, is that you inhale essential oils to receive their benefits.
“While that’s true, essential oils when blended with a carrier can also be applied directly to the skin. Anything you apply to the skin – our largest organ – gets absorbed into the blood stream.”
Saje’s Aromaom ultrasonic diffuser is an essential furnishing in Kiara’s home, filled with one of her two favourite diffuser blends: Goddess or Tranquility. She also carries a Peppermint Halo Wand wherever she goes.
“I love the convenience of the wand because it gets right into my scalp, where I need the remedy most when I feel a headache coming on,” says Kiara. “For migraine sufferers, this will be your best friend.”
Who doesn’t need a natural stress release these days?
“Picture yourself taking a deep breath in the middle of a serene, remote place in the woods and think about how your body would feel in that moment. That’s the effect essential oils have,” attests Kiara, who breaks out Saje Breath, containing mood-balancing geranium, lavender and Roman chamomile, when moments of stress or anxiety kick in.
Kiara starts her morning wellness routine with Skin So Clean, offering a gentle oatmeal exfoliation for her face, followed by Bliss Mist toner, which she says “truly settles my mind and hydrates my skin.”
Saje has morphed since those early days on the North Vancouver waterfront into #SajeNation, with 62 stores across North America, including a boutique at the Village at Park Royal.
This summer Saje is celebrating 25 years with its limited edition Saje 25 Pocket Farmacy complete with five of its most popular blends: Peppermint Halo, Immune, Eater’s Digest, Pain Release and Stress Release.
Saje yesterday opened its 51st Canadian location, in Moncton, its residents perhaps taking some healthy lifestyle cues from Saje’s B.C. birthplace.
“There’s no denying that Vancouver is known worldwide as a leader for healthy lifestyles and wellness and has a large community of wellness enthusiasts,” says Kiara.
“I’ve noticed throughout my travels that other cities in North America are inspired by what we’re up to in wellness innovation. There’s a culture of wellness here – maybe inspired by our access to the great outdoors – and I feel proud to be a part of it.”
