By Kaitlyn Boisvert –
Media Credit: Kaitlyn Boisvert
The gentle aroma of sweet perfume wafts through the air at Newport Aromatherapy, transporting a visitor back through time to the captivating secret behind Cleopatra’s timeless and youthful beauty. That secret is a facial mask, crafted from exotic sea salts that once used to tend to the beauty queen’s delicate features. With cooling effects, the mask succeeded in both cleansing her skin and bringing forth a new sense of freshness and vitality. It is only one of the unique items offered within the store.
As an almost modern-day Cleopatra herself, Cynthia LaBonte manages her store, Newport Aromatherapy, in a way that encourages her customers to treat their bodies like they were royalty and enhance an individual’s health and self-confidence. She does this through her products.
Yet she insists that it is always the customers who know what they need.
“One thing that fascinates me is that what people first see is what they end up buying,” she said. “When people enter the store, they instinctively gravitate towards a particular product that interests them, which ends up being what they needed. It truly shows what Aromatherapy is all about: encouraging the divine self to guide the body to where it needs to be.”
A practice of using essential plant oils for psychological and physical well-being, Aromatherapy focuses on bringing someone to a state of good health and personal enlightenment. It is not quite recognized in the United States as it is in Europe, where it is considered a preventive medicine with the potential of being more effective in alleviating symptoms in comparison to contemporary medicine.
When used, aromatherapy products enter the bloodstream and gently stimulate the brain, bringing more long-term effects for the body and combat an array of different ailments.
LaBonte emphasizes that Aromatherapy acts as an alternative source to health, and not a replacement for modern medicine. “It aspires to provide another choice for medicine, and potentially collaborate with more modern forms,” she said.
For those feeling stressed or sleep-deprived, a spritz of rose oil or sandalwood can help calm the nerves and regulate sleep. Those seeking an alternative to sports medicine can use a muscle rub that relaxes sore muscles with ingredients crafted from the barks of trees.
As well as promoting healthy living, LaBonte insists that Aromatherapy can also boost one’s self-confidence and bring out one’s natural beauty. As well a large collection of all-natural perfumes that are pleasing to the nose, the store also carries a face mask crafted from salts from the Dead Sea, an exotic ocean in Israel.
Queen Cleopatra was a fan of the Dead Sea, and used its salts to maintain her silky and youthful-looking skin. Her ethereal beauty enabled her to easily enchant and captivate such influential men as Antony and Caesar.
With the chance to purchase a product with such a rich and romantic history, customers have the chance to channel their own inner Cleopatra and give their skin a true treat. It is for this reason that Newport Aromatherapy would have earned the queen’s much sought-after kiss of approval.
