An aromatic journey
January 2017
While he may not have taken up the family business of selling jewellery, Nirmal Minawala created a gem of his own by founding Aroma Treasures _ a company that manufactures high-quality aromatherapy products for complete wellness, via essential oils.
As a young adult, Nirmal spent time meditating, reading and listening to stories of enlightened souls. This helped him develop a strong sense of intuition and a spiritual inclination at an early age. Without any formal training in the field, Nirmal found his life’s calling in working with aromas. His only experience was an internship stint in the laboratory of a reputed Swiss perfumery in the 90s where he was given a free creative reign and an access to elusive and expensive ingredients. Blending together chemicals, emulsions and fragrances, and creating products that work magic on people’s faces and bodies became his passion. He launched Aroma Treasures in the year 2000 along with this wife Aradhana, an internationally qualified beautician and a spiritual person herself.
Aroma Treasures has stood the test of time, and is reputed for maintaining its quality by using pure essential oils and natural ingredients like vegetable oils, herbal extracts, sea salts, clays and mud for all its products. Not one to compromise on quality, Nirmal reminisces how he chose to risk bearing losses instead of using cheap quality oils for his products. “I am an artist first and a businessman later. I would have made huge losses when the prices of some oils shot through the roof, but that didn’t happen. Most of my clients bought my products even with a steep hike in prices. It wasn’t just my integrity that saved me from incurring losses; but also my customers’ innate understanding and appreciation for quality,” he says.
Seventeen years into the journey of cosmetic concoctions and oils, Nirmal still believes that learning never stops and it is imperative to keep on improving and innovating in order to create better products. The company has a well-organised research and development wing, led by a team of dedicated professionals, where ancient Indian knowledge blends with advanced international expertise. The team gives special emphasis on a careful selection of ingredients to ensure 100 per cent results. Moreover, the scientific process and production techniques help preserve the integrity of ingredients used in the products. Even today, Nirmal is personally involved in every stage of development, testing them on his own skin to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Spreading awareness about the benefits of essential oils is important to the couple, hence Nirmal and Aradhana have travelled across the country delivering talks, demonstrations and seminars about their work. Professionals and lay persons alike flock to their sessions simply because they don’t just talk about products _ they talk about health and life. In 2002-2003, Astha channel invited Nirmal to educate people in the field of aromatherapy via detailed presentation which was aired for nine months. This unparalleled commitment got rewarded as Aroma Treasures was ranked amongst the top 100 small businesses of the year 2010 by Franchise India, processed by Ernst and Young.
Another success for Aroma Treasures was its involvement in the Miss Mumbai pageant for the ‘In Mumbai’ channel where it groomed and guided participants on skincare. In another instance, Aroma Treasures rose to the occasion when Hotel Renaissance (Powai) urgently needed Thai massage products for a prestigious Thai festival. The team created special blends, that too inhouse, overnight.
Sharing the remarkable positive effects of the products, Nirmal recounts a client he met at a seminar whose face was severely burnt due to the repetitive use of bleach. She regained her natural skin by using the ‘After Waxing and Threading gel’ in just three weeks. Another client, a bank employee who suffered for many years from severe acne, saw a transformation in her personality with a glowing, clear skin just after two weeks of using his products. Reputed institutions like JW Marriot, Renaissance Hotels and O2 Spa, house his products and use them for spa treatments.
Constantly growing its portfolio, Aroma Treasures’ range includes essential oils, vegetable oils and ready to use 100 per cent natural oil-based products. Their massage oils, bath essentials like natural shampoos, face and foot washes, skincare gels, creams, masks and lotions, a spa range, vaporizers, and room freshening blends are inspired by the wealth of healing power within nature.
One of their favourite retail products is the Evening Bliss Oil that contains four essential oils _ Geranium, Lavender, Vertivert and Ylang _ and is blended with pure almond, olive and Jojoba oils. A powerful de-stresser, this soothing blend has helped many people give up sleeping tablets, all the while balancing the mind, body and soul and bringing a sense of peace and calm.
+91-22-66781486 / 87,
www.aromatreasures.com