Peaceful Parlour offers scents to calm, invigorate

GENEVA – Welcome to the Peaceful Parlour, where products are environmentally friendly and the exotic scents of aromatherapy will ease what ails your weary spirit.

Peaceful Parlour, at 212 S. Third St., Geneva, is a new business, that focuses on using natural essential oils to aid in balance and tranquility. Owner Shari Ralish, a former project manager in the construction industry, teamed up with a natural holistic doctor, local resources and her personal passion to open her business.

“How can smell help you?” Ralish said. “This is a subtle way to stimulate your body’s own reaction to feel better. When you are instinctively drawn to a scent, your body is telling you what it needs – by your eyes lighting up or your nose crinkling.”

To the uninitiated, an essential oil refers to the concentrated aromatic oils taken from parts of plants, such as lavender. In addition to stand-alone essential oils, Peaceful Parlour offers a collection of six synergistic essential oil blends, Ralish said.

“There are six to nine essential oils in every one and they change as you put them on – they’re very dynamic,” Ralish said. “They become your personal scent.”

For example, the blend called Awake includes tangerine, red grapefruit, peppermint with other essential oils

“Awake is uplifting for the spirit,” she said. “It awakens the spirit and invigorates the mind.”

Then there is Restore, which is to release muscle tension. It contains eucalyptus, rosemary and lavender. Meditate has frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood and pachouli, a mixture that supports feelings of tranquility, she said. The parlour aspect of the business allows Ralish to do workshops, mini-seminars and classes on aromatherapy. These would include a class on making your own bath recipe and mini-retreats for women.

The business also includes “green” toys made in the U.S. from recycled plastic milk jugs.

“They’re durable and intended for long lasting use for kids, with no small breakable parts,” Ralish said. “They’re very colorful. And we’re focusing on the community, using local artisans and USA products.”

Other products include doormats made from waste fisherman rope; wind chimes made by a women’s co-op in rural India; hammocks from hemp and recycled plastic bottles; rain barrels; recycled paper journals and tree-free paper journals and notepads made from banana, mango, lemon and coffee plants. The Parlour aspect also beckons the public to think of the business as a meeting place.

Toward that end, Ralish has set up a free book exchange, where folks have donated books and people can come in, sit in a comfortable chair, and take a break to read. As part of its grand opening this week, the Peaceful Parlor is hosting a flute and guitar duo from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Storytelling will also be held at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Peaceful Parlour 212 S. Third St., Geneva 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday 630-232-6300 www.peacefulparlour.com/