Sweet Scent of ...Dentistry?

The sweet scent of...Dentistry?
THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS

Radhika Panjwani
Jul 8, 2006

A Streetsville business is all about scent and sensibility.
There are many reasons for people to avoid a visit to a dentist's office, but Dr. Kerhoulas' offices located on Thomas St., provides a rather ingenious way of relieving patient's stress.

The office utilizes the power of aromatherapy provided by a local business, Mohani Bay, to ease patient anxiety before dental procedures.

A blend of customized oils is released into the air through dispensers and transforms the space into a sensory paradise, calming the mind and relaxing the body.

Irene Spedaliere, owner of Mohani Bay, said aromatherapy has the innate ability to cure and combat many conditions - both mental and physical. Her custom blending bar offers people an opportunity to discover the scents that appeal to them and have them turned into special body care products such as soaps, body washes, shampoos, scrubs and others.

"Smell is an immediate response," Spedaliere said. "If you smell something beautiful and feel beautiful, it calms you down. Smell affects our stress level. And stress is a number one killer."

Spedaliere's range of BodyFood products that she sells have the ability to cure skin ailments such as eczema, acne, allergies and other conditions. She said the essential oils can be used in a variety of ways, either through smell or through skin because the oils are naturally anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral.

"I have helped a lot of kids get off Cortisone creams," she said. "Cortisone creams can eventually lead to asthma, whereas the woody oils are good for eczema, chapped skin, the flowers are anti-depressants, citrus helps your lyphatic system..."

Spedaliere, an aromatherapist with a pharmaceutical background found her calling when a couple of years ago, she decided to make home-made natural soaps and enrich them with natural oils. That venture gave her the impetus to register in an aromatherapy program and learn about the innate properties of various essential oils and their abilities.

"I had been looking to start my own business, but I never knew what I wanted to do," she said. " On a visit to England, I saw some hand-made soaps, so I thought if I can make bar of soap... I just started researching and mixing... and became certified."

Her office, located in the basement of Dr. Kerhoulas' office, has hundreds of vials of essential oils. Spedaliere said she wants to educate people about aromatherapy through seminars. She organizes special events for small groups of women and introduces them to the aromatherapy.

"When you have a strength of mind, you're better equipped to handle the stress that comes your way," she said.

For more information on BodyFood log on to www.bodyfood.ca or call 905-813-1022.