GENEVA – Hälsa, The Aromatherapy Shop and Spa, 202 W. State St., Geneva, just marked 30 years in business, owner Marja Neylon said.

“I started with massage when I first started in Illinois doing massage with a chiropractor and then with a group of people in a massage studio,” Neylon said. “And from there it kind of expanded.

She started in St. Charles where Hälsa was first located and was there for 10 years before moving to Geneva’s State Street location, where the business has been for the past 20 years. Neylon is a Geneva resident.

“I was born in Finland and lived in Sweden and went to massage school in Sweden, Neylon said. “I came to the U.S. in 1985.”

She does several kinds of massage such as Swedish, connective tissue, reflexology and PUSH – or Power Under Soft Hands.

“PUSH is a specific type of massage with a deeper approach to ligaments and tendons,” Neylon said. "It's not really common here."

The business also offers body scrubs and herbal wraps, she said.

Her business has expanded to include essential oils and aromatherapy.

“I have been teaching aroma therapy classes for 25 years,” Neylon said. “There are hundreds of different oils. You need to know what to do with what.”

Lavender essential oil can be used on cuts and bruises. But to treat a headache, calming lavender could be mixed with rosemary – which is uplifting and energizing – and rubbed on a person’s temples and nape of the neck, Neylon said.

Her store even sells a roll-on of the mix for her customers who have headaches, she said.

“It’s been around for thousands of years,” Neylon said of essential oils. “The early Egyptians figured out how to extract and distill essential oils.”

Hälsa already has blended essential oils, but the staff can also make a custom blend, she said

“I have a lot of clients that I’ve worked with for 30 years,” Neylon said. “I have clients where I’ve worked on three generations of people in their families.”

For more information, call the spa at 630-208-8250 or visit www.halsaroma.com.