Surrounded by jars of dried herbs and vials of exotic oils in her sweet-smelling Lansdale shop, Green Street Luxuries owner Candy Pack looks like a fashionable mad scientist.

The certified aromatherapist and mother of three is passionate about her craft, and she has a remedy for just about any skin problem customers have.

“I'm finding that people are more aware these days about not only what they're putting in their bodies, but on their skin,” she said. “Our goal is to help people pamper themselves with natural products that are good for them.”

Located inside Rapunzel's Spa and Salon on Broad Street, Green Street Luxuries offers hundreds of products, including homemade soaps, skin creams, massage oils and soy candles. Pack creates the items herself in small batches, combining ingredients by hand or with an industrial mixer.

A former performing arts school owner, Pack was always interested in healthy living. She began dabbling in natural rememdies when her youngest son Ari, now 19, was born with a severe case of eczema. Doctors covered the infant's wounds with a foul-smelling black tar. When it didn't clear up, they prescribed steroids.

“I was reading the label on the steroid medication and looking at the possible side effects. One was liver damage. I wasn't about to put that on my baby,” Pack said.

Pack wondered how previous generations dealt with skin problems, and began researching ancient remedies. Using what she learned, Pack developed a mix of essential oils and other natural ingredients that she applied to her baby's skin. The scaly, itchy patches began to clear up.

Pack continued to try out new remedies for other skin problems, including her teenage daughter's bout with rosacea, with much success. Family and friends began requesting her products, and they urged her to start her own skin care business.

She opened a small store on Main Street, and then became a vendor at the Lansdale Farmers Market. Her customer base grew, and she soon outgrew her location.

The space Green Street Luxuries occupies inside Rapunzel's is prefect, Pack said, because the high end salon is committed to going “green,” and is switching as many of its hair and skin care products as possible to organics.

Experts say that's exactly what today's customers want. According to a recent study by the International Spa Association, which has 3,200 members in 83 countries, the use of green beauty products in salons is on the rise.

“There has been a strong trend towards the use of natural products, such as organic ingredients, products which are more environmentally friendly, or those that use indigenous plants from local environments,” the study stated.

Among Green Street Luxuries' most popular products are Adzuki soaps, made with Japanese bean powder and rice bran oil, and Pack's anti-aging facial creams and lotions, which she markets under the names “Stunning” and “Love My Face.”

Although the products are hand-crafted, most are extremely economical. For example, a 4-ounce jar of the store's best-selling night cream costs just $17.50, far less than commercial brands sold at drug and department stores.

Also, since the ingredients are fresh and concentrated, they go a long way. The jar of night cream, for example, lasts most customers about six months, Pack said.

Green Street Luxuries items come in simple packaging to cut down on waste. The company ships products all over the country via its website.

In addition to skin care, Pack makes long-lasting pure soy candles, novelty soaps and wedding favors. Her “Bite No More” insect repellent is so popular that customers have taken it on trips to Africa, and they have told her that it kept that continent's most savage bugs at bay.

Pack will create custom remedies for customers who come into the shop seeking help for a specific problem. She always advises them to see their doctors first, however.

An active member of the Lansdale Business Association, Pack said she's “thrilled” by all the changes that have happened in the town's merchant district in recent years. She credited the Lansdale Farmers Market with jump-starting the revitalization process, and she praised borough leaders for working with business owners to improve the town's marketability.

Pack said she plans to return as a vendor to the farmers market this year and sees only positive growth in Green Street Luxuries' future.

“We're here to help people spoil themselves with natural products," she said.

Green Street Luxuries

Inside Rapunzel's Spa and Salon

203 N. Broad St., Lansdale, Pa. 19446

267-879-1554

www.greenstreetlux.com