Vanessa Sabatine, nutritional consultant and owner of Herbs to Your Success—a “spapothecary” that features herbal teas, customized tea blends and other wellness modalities—wasn’t interested in natural healing or herbal remedies during her youth or early adulthood, even though her mother lived a holistic lifestyle. That changed when Sabatine tried to lose weight and found that no diets or weight loss plans seemed to work. Sabatine eventually tried gurmar, an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine that helps reduce cravings for sweets. She found success through gurmar and started selling the herbal supplement at mall shows.

        Sabatine’s interest in herbal and natural remedies grew, so when the company for whom she sold supplements introduced a body wrap, she learned how to do that process. She then needed space to offer body wraps. She and her husband, Len, owned a building in Easton, which she renovated and opened Herbs to Your Success in 1994.

        As a pioneer in the herbal wellness arena, Sabatine was versed in herbal remedies before many people were familiar with them. “I had to explain many of those things, and people were leery,” she recalls. “But business progressed, and I added the ionic foot bath and got customers from around the area.”

        Her original Easton location near the Delaware River flooded three years in a row. “I had three feet of water in the building, and I had to remodel everything,” she reflects. She moved to a new location in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and shortly after, the 2008 Great Recession hit. Sabatine got creative with offering spa parties and other offerings to stay in business. She weathered the Great Recession, grew her business, and five years ago, she moved to her current location on Main Street, in Nazareth.

        Sabatine educates customers about herbs and shows people how to use them. She custom blends herbal teas according to one’s preference or complaint. If a customer has a favorite tea that is no longer available, she can often replicate the formula. She also carries Republic of Tea brand packaged teas.

        She carries a full line of the Young Living essential oils and products. “Most people do not stock them; they have to be purchased directly from the company,” Sabatine notes. She also carries lotions and preservative-free soaps. She will customize lotions based on certain essential oils, or craft one targeted toward a specific ailment.

        The spa component of the business has the ionic footbath, a detoxifying treatment in which one sits with his or her feet submerged in a bath of ionized water that pulls out toxins through the pores in the feet. Sabatine also offers a Rife frequency footbath, named after inventor Royal Raymond Rife, who theorized that viruses will be destroyed if they are introduced to the right balance of resonating frequency.

        Sabatine uses no formal protocol for how many spa sessions a person needs. “I let the person decide. They’re tuned into their own bodies, and I like to work with them to take charge of their own health,” she says. Sabatine has a Compass Scanner that reads energy within the body and releases a report that tells where the body is stressed.

        She has two types of detoxifying saunas: the infrared, which Sabatine says mimics the healthy rays of the sun and can be programed for relaxation, cardio benefits, weight loss or detoxing. The oxygen/ozone sauna provides extra oxygen for the body, increasing circulation. “Many people who have Lyme disease look for oxygen, which is known to kill off anaerobic bacteria,” she says. She also has an oxygen bar, which also replenishes the body with pure oxygen. It can be used in conjunction with other treatments.

        The vibration machine, in which one stands on a vibrating platform, acts as a workout and stimulates the lymph system. Sabatine gives talks throughout the community on the importance of keeping the lymph system clean, which helps eliminates toxins from the body. She is certified in the X’Tract technique, a hands-on technique that helps drain the lymph system.

        Sabatine also has a salt booth, which differs from salt rooms or salt lamps in that it has a generator that blows salt into the air. The extra salt lets the recipients breathe in more salt to aid with respiratory problems and skin issues and is more private.

        Sabatine is a member of the Nazareth-Bath Regional Chamber of Commerce, which works to support small, local businesses. She started a wellness sub-committee 10 years ago, and they give back to the community through free health fairs at local businesses and corporate events. Herbs to Your Success will celebrate 25 years in business on July 20. The celebration coincides with Nazareth’s sidewalk sale, and Sabatine will offer sales and 25-year specials. The event also includes the Rockin’ Photo Booth, food and other activities.

          Although Sabatine could retire, she doesn’t foresee that coming soon. “There’s still work to be done, and people need these services,” she says. “Until I can teach someone to offer these services, I’ll be here for a while.”

 

Herbs to Your Success is located at 64 S. Main St., Nazareth. For more information, call 610-365-8996 or visit HerbstoYourSuccess.com.