COMPANY HISTORY

The Aromatherapy Company was established in 1990 and has gone on to become a leading supplier of Home Fragrance and Body Care products. Kiwi ingenuity, combined with the consumers desire for stronger, natural, pure products and environmental accountability from the corporate sector, has seen The Aromatherapy Company become a major force in the natural products market here in New Zealand.

The Aromatherapy Company is part of a group of companies owned by Smith Uren Ltd. Collectively these companies are a recognized player in the import/export market.

DIRECTOR PROFILE

Sarah Townsend, a third generation business entrepreneur and founder of The Aromatherapy Company, has been developing ranges of natural and essential therapy products for the past twenty years.

When Sarah was a child, she was always fascinated with nature. She could often be found on the weekends in her grandparents garden picking an assortment of herbs and flower petals, spending hours blending with a mortar and pestle and pouring the remaining essence into her mother’s perfume bottles. It was at this stage that she developed her passion for natural fragrance.

Sarah kept alive her childhood passion and love for many years experimenting with natural remedies and essential oils, which at the time, were not readily available. From a young age, her experience with different essential fragrances and their healing properties helped promote and enhance her natural perfumers nose and she is able to discern the subtle notes of scent, sensual oils and aromatic compounds. "It is not the notes themselves, but the spaces between them that teach me the most."

While Sarah was studying business management in London during the late 1980’s she continued to pursue her interest in herbal therapies. She spent her weekends learning and investigating many natural remedies and the healing properties that nature had to offer. It was at this time that she was lucky enough to be introduced to the founder of Meadow Herbs who, as a company, were still upholding the traditional methods of blending essential oils and natural therapies. Sarah was inspired by this concept and the idea for The Aromatherapy Company was born.

Sarah moved back to New Zealand and saw a gap in the market to be able to offer 100% pure essential oil based products for people to use in their everyday life.

Sarah is now the powerful and persuasive force behind The Aromatherapy Company. With her passion for nature, her strong belief in natural therapies and her sheer hard work and determination, she has created many innovative product ranges with a social responsibility.

It seems that not too much has changed since those days Sarah spent in her grandparent’s garden as a child as she can now be found in her own secret garden with her two daughters - India and Albertine. She is passing on this family tradition, teaching her girls how to love nature, animals and all that they can provide.