Back From the Fire
by Heather Renee Barnes
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Debby Icide has a warm smile, and she beams with quiet, soft-spoken confidence while describing GAIA Essentials, her natural homemade products. But she also has the strength and determination to bounce back from disaster.
This past summer, a devastating fire engulfed Icide’s workshop, leaving her creations and supplies in a heap of smoldering ashes.
Determined to get back on her feet, Icide thrust her energy into rebuilding her home-based business. Within a few weeks, loyal customers were once again buying some of their favorite natural products, such as the lavender, bergamot, and patchouli moisturizing skin sealant and the lavender mint soap.
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Icide has been creating such products since 2004 by combining a variety of pure botanical essential oils. “It’s simply a form of cooking, really,” Icide said. She takes great pains to make sure that each combination of essential oils, wild-harvested herbs, flora and spices results in a complimentary and balanced aroma.
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Icide has a down-to-earth philosophy. She believes that if something is unsafe to put into the mouth, it should not be applied to the skin. Therefore, each product label is filled with ingredients that can be easily pronounced; there are no dyes or chemicals.
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During a visit to her farmers market table this past summer, I was immediately drawn to the fragrant soaps with their visible flora and herbs. Icide’s aromatherapy soy candles gave a soft glow and were pleasing to smell;lolions and oils were collected into little gift packages and displayed neatly. I wanted to learn more as I contemplated which soap to try.
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Not all entrepreneurs give away their secrets to success, but Icide willingly shared one of hers with me. “A lot of the ideas come from my customer base asking about a certain product that may help them, or a certain aroma they are attached to.” Once Icide has taken the time to really hear what people are seeking, she collects the ideas and plays with them while researching and creating recipes.
Icide’s determination to not give up has been reflected in her products long before the day of fire. “I will only use pure botanical essential oils. So when trying to create a certain aroma, sometimes it takes several combined [oils] to reach that goal. A honey-almond scent, for example, comes from combining lavender, lemon, ginger and bitter almond. Pumpkin was a trial as well, and took seven different essential oils to create,” she said.
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Icide calls Half Moon Bay her home and keeps her business thriving online. “I do not think there is a state I have not shipped to. Also, I have shipped to military APO boxes, even several care packages to Iraq. Latest was a gift package to Italy,” she said. Also, during the summer months through November, GALA Essentials can be found occupying a pleasantly fragrant space at the Coastside farmers markets in both Half Moon Bay and Pacifica.
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GAIA Essentials has become a tried-and-true coastal business that makes a difference — not only in the lives of those that desire natural, safe skincare products from a woman who puts love and care into each combination of ingredients, but also to the local community that sees a resilient small coastal business thrive, grow and persist against all odds.
For more information, call 650-728-7745, send e-mail to debby@gaia-essentials.com, or visit www.gaia-essentials.com.
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Page 12 — Coastviews Magazine, March 2008
