If Mother Nature was accepting apps for a senior executive position, Cristen Stefanelli would rank high on her list of potential candidates. Meet Cristen: a designer and alchemist who brings her love of nature and passion for healing to everything she does including her alchemy company, The CEleStial Healer, that produces a variety of oils made with organic ingredients. The dynamic earth sign (Virgo) grew up on the east coast of the United States, where she developed a deep appreciation for the natural world. Hiking, backpacking, sunning on the beach, camping, or soaking in a natural hot spring-- Cristen's perpetual affinity for the outdoors helps her connect with our environment and the universe fluidly and intuitively. She moved to the west coast on a solo journey at 17 and discovered her passion for healing, metaphysics, theology, and homeopathic medicine. The world is her cauldron; Cristen is constantly experimenting and perfecting herself and her many crafts. After experiencing CEleStial Healer products, one can tell that scent is something that is important for Cristen who is drawn to woodsy, masculine, and earthy fragrances- especially when mixed with brighter notes like rose or citrus. After all, scent can influence our moods and connect us to emotions and memories and as humans, our ability to smell plays a key role in our health psychologically and physically.
Cristen is fascinated by and knowledgeable about essential oils and their many benefits as salves, including their healing properties and their ability to support personal transformation. Through her work, Cristen promotes the connectedness of nature and mankind and supports the all-encompassing wellness of the mind, body, and human spirit. Her uplifting and whimsical approach to alchemy is a breath of fresh air.
Madeline: You've been referred to as a "healer". What does it mean to be a healer?
Cristen: I don’t like to consider myself a “healer,” necessarily. I have no more power over someone else healing themselves than they do, we all have the ability. My products are tools to assist you on your healing journey but the power is within you. We always have to be willing to take the time to heal ourselves from the inside out and that consists of many things like, what we put into our body, regular exercise, our thoughts and environment. I named my brand The CEleStial Healer because I believe that I was born with innate healing gifts in this realm and they have assisted me in making these products. Also, my initials are CES which is why those letters are emphasized.
I was once told that I was an Egyptian Healer in a past life and I made all the products for healing, ceremonial purposes, and burials..maybe it was passed down from that too, ha.
Madeline: Tell us some of the benefits of oils in general.
Cristen: Essential oils have so many wonderful benefits it would be hard to name all of them. They are a universal holistic medicine for any ailment. What I love is that they not only have physical benefits but also emotional and spiritual benefits. Essential oils have the ability to boost your mood, increase concentration and bring you into a meditative state. A lot of oils are used for ritual purposes and to attract certain things like money, love, power, release toxic patterns and clear your energy field. They can reduce anxiety & inflammation, relieve headaches, improve sleep, they also act as an antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal and antiseptic.
Madeline: What is your favorite product you create and what is the most popular oil you sell?
Cristen: I have three favorites, Anointing, Glow & Mama. Anointing & Mama are very popular. Anointing is used for daily ritual and protection. It’s definitely one of the highly spiritual oils as it has all the sacred oils that have been used for centuries like myrrh, frankincense & vetiver. Glow is just an amazing serum that keeps my skin glowing and hydrated, aside from water it’s the only thing I use on my face. Mama, I made it when I was pregnant with my daughter for cramping, lower back and abdominal pain. It can be used for menstrual cramps and any type of sore muscles, it relieves pain immediately and to me it’s so nurturing and soothing. My best friend is addicted to it and she describes it as otherworldly.
Madeline: Did you always know you wanted to start a healing oil brand? If not, how did that inspiration strike?
Cristen: I researched oils for many years because I was so intrigued by them & then began making them for family and friends and when they would work for their ailments, I would get so excited. I began doing the oils just off passion and it turned into a little side job while working in the fashion industry. It became an expensive side job because pure-therapeutic grade oils can be very pricey so I knew eventually I wanted to turn it into a business. Once I stepped back from the fashion industry and had my daughter, I launched my brand about 10 months later.
Madeline: Can you give five tips on how to use these oils?
Cristen: These oils may be used in many ways. I also offer oil sprays on my website, same benefits just in spray form. Sprays may be used as a spritzer on the face, all the ingredients are 100% organic and safe to spray on your face. They may also be sprayed in a room, car, on linens and furniture. The oils can be used anywhere, externally on your body. I recommend always shaking the bottle as the oils separate, spray 2-3 pumps on your hand and smell so that it can first enter your olfactory bulb which extends into your limbic system that controls our mood, memory and behavior. From there, you can put the oils on certain areas that act as receptors so they can quickly penetrate into the bloodstream such as, forehead, temple, behind ears, neck, shoulders, heart, wrists, feet & spine. Essential oil molecules are so small that when applied to the skin; they are able to pass through and enter into the bloodstream. Like any other form of medicine they need to be applied consistently and several times a day to experience their true pleasure & benefits. Oils may be dropped into a bath as well or used on the body as a moisturizer or fragrance, the oils I use are very potent so they do act as a natural fragrance as well.
Madeline: How important is personalization when it comes to creating and selling products today?
Cristen: I think personalization can definitely be important especially when using oils. Aside from my line of 11 oils that can be purchased on the website, I offer custom oils for physical and emotional healing. The way it works is we do a consultation to figure out what you are looking to achieve, heal, focus on or manifest and then I use my knowledge of specific oils and my gift of intuition to come up with a formula that is specific to your energy signature.
Madeline: I am always fascinated by personal fragrances. There is this movie (pretty sure it's a Lifetime movie and I'm too embarrassed to say more) where a woman asks a series of questions to the people that come to the fragrance counter in the mall where she works. Based on their answers to the questions, she uses her intuition to know exactly what scent is right for them. Do you use a line of questions or a formula for finding/creating concoctions that work for specific people?
Cristen: You have to share the movie with me! I’ve never seen it. Yes! A consultation would require me getting to know the person and picking up on their energy which would help me to create a custom formula that would be just right for them. When I go into my space to create a custom formula, I start channeling what a person needs and that’s where the magic lies.
Madeline: Where are the oils made?
Cristen: I source all of my oils from Mountain Rose Herbs. They are based in Eugene, Oregon but they source from all over. All of their oils are certified organic and sustainably sourced. I don’t stray from their products because of their values and high quality/ potency. All of my oils are handcrafted per order by me.
Madeline: How important is sustainability to you and your brand? What kind of sustainability practices do you have in place?
Cristen: High on the list for me! All my ingredients are sustainable and organic. My labels are made of sustainable stone paper and I use sustainable packaging for orders. I try to reduce my carbon footprint as much as possible. We only have one mothers, and she cares for us so we must return it to her, even if it's just in small ways.
Madeline: Would you say that your clients/customers have an emotional response to your oils? Why and how?
Cristen: Definitely! I think the oils affect everyone differently because our scent and reaction is so linked up with our memory and our mood so everyone has different triggers when it comes to scents. Some may be really keen on one scent and not so much another, so it really is a personalized experience. For this reason,I recommend trying out a custom oil so it can be personalized to you. I always hear a variety of different feelings and emotions about the oils from person to person.
Madeline: What is your life philosophy?
Cristen: I’ve never thought of this...but I’d say:
Be yourself, nobody can do you better.
We truly all have a purpose, whatever that is, big or small. Go towards what lights you up and surround yourself in good company. Be patient with yourself if you haven’t found exactly what it is yet and just do things that make you feel happy and healthy. Make sure you keep a faith in the most high. You will be led. Also, social media makes it hard for us to not compare. Don’t get into comparison mode, you never really know what people are battling.
Madeline: What is most important to you?
Cristen: The most important thing to me is experiences, nature, the oneness of it all. I love traveling, there's nothing that feels more free to me and I really value intimacy, connection and authenticity. Being creative and expressing myself as an inspiration and beam of light to others is part of my path. I hope to assist others in their healing journey as I know what it’s like to be in a state of darkness and to feel alone and like you can’t see your way out, to offer a place of hope and guidance to lead people to their highest selves.
"I believe that the most important thing a human can possess is authenticity & humility-- just being unapologetically themselves but also being able to reflect and take responsibility. We are not always perfect and we are not always right."
Madeline: How do you hope your oils will benefit people?
Cristen: As a daily ritual and practice, essential oils have assisted me in many transitions & through many emotions. They have held me through deep healing. I have found a gentle place in these plants to immerse myself & surrender to healing. With all of my creations, my hope for all of you is that you will feel and experience natures’ magic & magnificence.
You can purchase the oils through the CEleStial Healer website where you can also find a section dedicated to custom oils.
Hit up Cristen in her DMs, mention this blog, and get a 20% discount.